Mr Vivek Babu Girija

He has a broad interest ranging from ecological theories, empirical research and outreach for ecological intensification practices in cultural landscapes & farming systems. Specifically, his interests are in using a complex adaptive systems lens for tropical socio-ecological land units, with a long-term research goal to integrate better the insights of biodiversity-ecosystem function (BEF) research with the science of decision-making to manage the ecosphere within the planetary boundaries better.

In the TIGR2ESS project, as part of J. R. D. Tata Ecotechnology Director Dr Rengalakshmi's team, Vivek B. Girija participates in FP1 and FP6. Initially, being part of FP1 contributed to research protocol development for understanding the ecological and environmental foundations underpinning the agrarian political economy of small-holding farmers in rural systems. Also, his complexity science and decision-making science interests have led him to investigate the history and philosophy of Prof. M. S. Swaminathan's scholarship and his vision of achieving the 'Evergreen Revolution Paradigm' in global food systems and the 'Small-Farm management Revolution (SfM-R)' in tropical farming systems.

As landscape ecologist and economic ecologist, his direct engagement is in FP6, responsible for implementing 'Soil-Structure Scorecard Intervention -S3I' in the Kundura block of Wayanad. The primary goal of this project is to empower the decision-making of farmers for better management of soil health in millet production for ensuring holistic and resilient development among farmers of Odisha Millet Mission (OMM). This intervention provides a unique opportunity to bring agronomic, ecological, gender and social science focus in understanding the dynamics of ethnopedological knowledge and rural landscapes in small-holder farming households' livelihoods. Towards this, his close research partnerships were with Dr Lydia Smith (Head of Innovation Farm and Eastern AgriTech Innovation Hub) for soil ecology focus, Prof. Nitya Rao (Professor of Gender & Development & NISD Director, University of East Anglia) for gender and social science focus, Dr Rengalakshmi for agronomy and ecotechnology focus, Dr Jegan Sekar (Scientist, Department of Microbiology, MSSRF, Chennai) for soil microbiology and finally with MSSRF-BPTAbC's (BijuPatnaik Tribal Agrobiodiversity Centre) for efficient implementation of S3I project's following field activities 

The S3I project aims are to contribute to the following two objectives: 
I.    Soil amendment trials are being conducted (with random block design) using the traditional landrace (Murda) of ragi to demonstrate how to unlock the soil resource potentials in productivity improvement (FYM, Paper, Rice Husk, Vermicompost etc.), while simultaneously increasing soil fertility and soil structure using the various soil amendments. This study collects multiple biometric variables and soil parameters for investigating the effect of the amendments across the growth phase of the Ragi Crop. 
II.    He is engaged in qualitative research among three villages (Katariput, Kerimity, Kalapara) across three different rainfall intensities and soil erosivity density gradients of the Kundura block. This qualitative research includes ethnopedological and empirical cognitive-behavioural research about Paddy & Millet production-related and soil conservation-related perceptions, knowledge, attitudes, practices, beliefs, intentions, values, actions and norms culturally embedded among aboriginal/tribal communities.