Natural Resource Management Division

Introduction 

The Natural Resource Management (NRM) Division of ICAR advances scientific research for conservation, restoration and efficient use of soil, water and agrobiodiversity. Through 16 research institutes, 10 AICRPs, 4 Network Projects and 2 Consortia Research Platforms, it develops climate-resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable farming technologies, strengthens ecosystem health and supports national food, livelihood and environmental security.

2. Six Major Research Priorities

• Soil Health, Regenerative Agriculture and Nutrient-Use Efficiency

• Water Conservation, Precision Irrigation and Water Productivity

• Climate-Resilient Agriculture, Adaptation and Mitigation

• Integrated, Organic and Natural Farming Systems

• Management of Challenged Agro-Ecologies and Agrobiodiversity

• Digital Resource Mapping, Land-Use Planning and Decision Support

3. Five Key Numbers / Indicators

4. Three Flagship Innovations

• Digital Soil Intelligence and Precision Nutrient Management : National Soil Spectral Library with over 40,000 samples/spectra, AI/ML-enabled soil property prediction, Mridaparikshak soil testing and e-FARMS decision support for faster soil diagnosis and site-specific nutrient recommendations.

• Agrivoltaic Farming: Integrating Solar Energy, Crops and Water: A 105 kWp agrivoltaic system integrates electricity generation, shade-tolerant crop cultivation and rainwater harvesting on the same land, demonstrating productive use of land, water and solar energy in arid ecosystems.

• Integrated Farming Systems for Circular and Resilient Agriculture: Eighty location-specific IFS prototypes integrating crops, livestock, fisheries, horticulture and resource recycling were developed; 34 models were validated as bankable models for financing and wider adoption.

5. Three Flagship Impact / Success Stories

• Climate-Resilient Villages: Science Reaching Vulnerable Farmers : ICAR established 448 Climate-Resilient Villages across 151 climate risk-prone districts, demonstrating climate-resilient technologies to approximately 8.5 lakh farmers. Integrated crop, livestock, water and natural resource interventions strengthened climate preparedness, farm productivity and livelihood resilience.

• Integrated Farming Systems: Enhancing Smallholder Incomes : ICAR-developed IFS models were scaled to more than one lakh farm households through state programmes. Integration of crops, livestock, fisheries and recycling generated farm incomes of ₹1.5–3.6 lakh/ha/year in documented models. An impact assessment of 44,530 households across 72 districts reported a benefit–cost ratio of 3.7 among IFS adopters.

• Watershed Restoration: Conserving Soil and Water, Improving Livelihoods : ICAR developed 141 soil and water conservation technologies for diverse agro-ecologies. Documented interventions reduced runoff and soil erosion by 30–50%, enhanced groundwater recharge by 20–45%, improved crop yields by 20–60% and increased farm income by 25–100% in treated areas.