ICRISAT and the Government of Telangana Upskill Farmers with Soil Health Management Training
Healthy soils are critical to sustaining crop productivity, improving input efficiency, and securing farmer livelihoods, while also serving as a key pillar of the One Health approach that links environmental, animal, and human well-being. To address this, ICRISAT, in collaboration with the Government of Telangana, commenced a two-day Training on Soil Health Management on 06 April 2026 at its headquarters in Patancheru, Hyderabad.
Aligned with the state’s Telangana Rising vision, the initiative focuses on equipping over 120 farmers and frontline stakeholders from Telangana’s Kodangal with practical tools, knowledge, and advisory support to improve soil health, optimize input use, and promote crop diversification.
The inaugural session featured distinguished dignitaries including, Mr Thummala Nageswara Rao, Honorable Minister for Agriculture, Marketing, Co-operation, Handlooms & Textiles, Government of Telangana; Dr D Raji Reddy, Vice Chancellor, Sri Konda Laxman Telangana State Horticultural University; Prof. Balram Marathi, Director of Research, Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University; Ms Yasmeen Basha, IAS, Director, Department of Horticulture, Government of Telangana and Mr K Surendra Mohan, IAS, Agricultural Production Commissioner and Secretary, Agriculture & Co-operation Department, Government of Telangana.
In his opening address, Dr Himanshu Pathak emphasized that advancing soil health depends on capacity building, partnerships, policy alignment, and effective knowledge transfer.
“Soil health management must move from being a recommendation to becoming a practice at scale. As a critical pillar of the One Health approach, it underpins crop productivity and environmental as well as human well-being.
“Achieving this requires strong alignment between science, policy, and field-level implementation, along with crop diversification through the adoption of millets, pulses, and oilseeds. At ICRISAT, we are working to bridge these elements so that farmers can adopt practical, efficient, and sustainable solutions within existing support systems,” Dr Pathak said.
Honorable Minister, Mr Thummala Nageswara Rao, emphasized the importance of leveraging scientific expertise and institutional partnerships to strengthen farmer-led agricultural transformation.
“The Government of Telangana values its strong partnership with ICRISAT and trusts its scientific capabilities to support our agricultural priorities. We encourage farmers and field-level stakeholders to adopt the learnings from this program, use improved tools, and benefit from government initiatives.
“Reducing dependency on chemical fertilizers and promoting sustainable soil management practices are essential for improving productivity, lowering costs, and ensuring long-term agricultural sustainability under the Telangana Rising vision,” Mr Rao said.
Ms Yasmeen Basha and Mr K Surendra Mohan, emphasized the need to align soil health efforts with crop choices and scale capacity-building initiatives across the state. They highlighted that farmers should move beyond traditional rice-based systems to fully realize the benefits of improved soil management. They also noted that this training marks the first phase of a broader initiative, which will be extended to farmers across the state to ensure wider impact.
The program integrates classroom sessions with hands-on laboratory and field training. Participants will learn soil testing and interpretation, covering soil chemistry, physics, microbiology, and mobile testing, alongside field demonstrations of regenerative practices, georeferenced sampling, composting, biochar, and bioinputs.
It also emphasizes Soil Health Card–based nutrient management, fertilizer recommendations, and crop advisory services, enabling informed field-level decisions while promoting crop diversification, efficient resource use, and long-term soil fertility.
The initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening soil health systems in Telangana by empowering farmers with science-based knowledge and practical solutions, ultimately supporting resilient agriculture, improved productivity, and sustainable livelihoods.
This work aligns with SDGs 3, 12, 13, 15 and 17
Roseleen Aind
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