Impact of Land Resource Inventory (LRI) Interventions on Groundnut, Chilli and Cotton Growth and Yield Performance

Abstract

Land Resource Inventory (LRI) provides location-specific guidance for sustainable crop management by integrating soil, water, climate and land-use information. This study evaluated the influence of LRI-based interventions on growth, yield and resource-use efficiency of cotton, chilli and groundnut in the Shirur sub-watershed of northern Karnataka. Four treatments were compared:  Farmers with LRI cards, training and inputs (T1); LRI cards and training (T2); LRI cards only (T3); and non-LRI farmers (T4) (control). Crop growth and yield parameters, including leaf area index (LAI), total dry matter (TDM) and crop-specific yield attributes, were recorded and T-test was assessed to see the treatment effects. Results showed that T1 consistently outperformed other treatments across all crops. Groundnut under T1 had the highest pod number (24/plant), pod yield (36.25 q/ha), kernel weight (116.90 g/plant) and shelling percentage (69.35%). Chilli recorded maximum fruit number (32/plant), fruit yield (12.50 kg/ha) and TDM (159.16 kg/ha), while cotton exhibited the highest opened bolls (31), seed cotton yield (21.63 q/ha) and TDM (2028.50 kg/ha). T4 showed lower yields despite sometimes higher LAI, indicating that canopy expansion alone does not ensure productivity. Superior performance in T1 is attributed to timely sowing, balanced nutrient application, soil moisture conservation and favourable microclimatic conditions. The study demonstrates that LRI-based integrated management improves nutrient and water use efficiency, enhances crop development and increases yield stability. Adoption of LRI interventions is thus an effective strategy for improving productivity, resilience and sustainability in rainfed agriculture.