The mandate of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is to enhance the livelihoods of poor farmers in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) through integrated genetic and natural resource management (IGNRM) strategies. Majority of the people in the SAT depend on subsistence agriculture for livelihood. The productivity of crops in these areas is low as compared to those in irrigated agriculture. The major constraints for low productivity in the SAT regions are shortage of water and low soil fertility. Hence the soils in SAT are often referred to as thirsty and hungry soils.

Earlier research and development work in the SAT emphasized mainly increasing the availability of water to crops as well as reduction of soil erosion through various soil and water conservation structures in the watersheds. This structure-driven watershed developmental work neither impacted the productivity nor encouraged the farmers to participate in development and management of watersheds and maintain these structures once the implementing agency withdrew the support mainly because only
a few resourceful farmers in the watershed benefited (Wani et al. 2003a). ICRISAT (Patancheru, India) in collaboration with the national agricultural research systems (NARSs), non-government organizations (NGOs), government departments and farmers developed a consortium model for development of sustainable watersheds, wherein the emphasis was shifted from mere conservation of soil and water to increased use efficiency of conserved resources such as water and soil through enhanced crop productivity and incomes, in partnership with farmers (Wani et al. 2003b).
In this approach, community-based soil and water conservation interventions were taken up in a participatory mode with farmers. Also farm-level interventions for conserving rainwater in situ and translating the benefits by overcoming constraints to individual farmers’ crop productivity were implemented. Lack of appropriate soil, water and nutrient management practices at farm level were identified as the most important constraint for increasing crop productivity.

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