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TOT projects of ICAR

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Devegowda S R
Devegowda S R

This document summarizes several projects of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) including: National Demonstrations, Operational Research Projects, Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Lab to Land Program, Extension Education Institutes, Trainers Training Centre, Tribal Area Research Project, Land to Lab Program, and Scheduled Caste & Other Backward Caste project. It provides details on the objectives, activities, and achievements of these various programs which aim to conduct agricultural research and transfer technologies to farmers through demonstrations, training programs, and institution-village linkage programs.

1 of 32
TOT Projects of ICAR
1. National demonstrations (ND) 2. Operational Research Project (ORP) 3. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)(Agricultural Science Centre) 4. Lab to Land Program 5. Extension Education Institutes (EEIs) 6.Trainers Training Centre (TTC) 7. Tribal Area Research Project (TAR) 8. Land to Lab Program 9. Scheduled Caste & Other Backward Caste project (SC & OBC) 10. Institutional Village Linkage Program (IVLP)
All India Coordinated Project on National Demonstrations • A Nationwide program of demonstrations, NATIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS (ND) on major food crops was launched in 1964 • Unless the scientists could demonstrate what they advocated, their advice might not be heeded by the farmers.
How it is different from other Demonstrations 1.Yield target, No control plots 2.The area one Ha or one Acre 3. Small Farmers 4. The agricultural scientists in association with local extension agencies/workers.
• The most enthusiastic and cooperative farmers were selected • The best technologies and techniques used • Team-approach followed involving scientists from relevant disciplines, including local extension agents. • organization of field days, field visits, and training for the farmers and field extension workers were considered important for rapid spread of technologies.
Objectives 1. To demonstrate convincingly to the farmers and extension personnel the genetic production potentialities of major crops per unit area of land and per unit time, 2. To fully exploit these demonstrations for the purpose of training farmers and field extension functionaries in improved cultivation practices. 3. To provide the research workers an opportunity to get firsthand knowledge of the problems being faced by the farmers in adopting high yielding varieties and recommended package of practices. 4. To determine the income and· employment generation potentialities of the crops/subjects under demonstration, educate the farmers and extension agents about them. 5. To influence the extension systems of the State Departments of Agriculture, voluntary organizations etc. in the country demonstrating the yield gaps and pointing out operational constraints.
• 50 percent of the demonstrations exceeded the targeted yields of 9 and 11 tonnes per hectare from 2- and 3-crop demonstrations respectively. • The cost of production per hectare was higher in national demonstrations owing to adoption of new agricultural technology return was also higher and economical as compared to general farming conditions. • The national demonstration project once covered 100 districts spread all over the country.
2. Operational Research Project 1974- 75. • Aimed at dissemination of proven technology in a discipline/area among farmers on a watershed basis, covering the whole village or a cluster of villages, and concurrently studying constraints (technological, extension or administrative) as barriers to the rapid spread of improved technical know-how. • The experience with the National Demonstrations Project highlighted the issue that demonstration of a particular technology or a combination of technologies in an area on watershed basis would prove more effective in convincing farmers and provide them greater scope for identifying constraints, many of which were community-based. • ORPs are designed to show the practical worthyness of new ideas in a village situation. There are two ORPs operating in Karnataka namely: • Resource management in the watershed • dry land area development
• ORPs were primarily devoted to demonstrating the impact of new technologies on a large scale involving a whole village or a cluster of villages at a time. • It attempted to involve allied agencies and institutions to show the inter-institutional and inter-disciplinary approach, the method & the way they could be made to work together, • The ORPs considered two kinds of problems: first, the agricultural problems affecting the farming community requiring group or community action, e.g. plant protection and rodent co secondly, total resources development of the watershed area.
Objectives 1. To test, adopt and demonstrate the new agricultural on farmers' fields in a whole village or in a cluster of few contiguous villages/watershed area. 2. To determine the profitability of the new technologies and their pace of spread among the farmers. 3. To identify the constraints both technological, as well as socio-economic which are barriers to rapid change? 4. To demonstrate group action as a method of popularizing the modern technologies at a faster rate. The ORPs were initiated in It covered diverse topics like crop farming, mixed farming, integrated pest management, plantation crops, post- harvest technology, improvement of diara and char lands, land reclamation, arid land management, fisheries etc. The ORPs demonstrated latest agricultural technologies on the farmers' fields to influence the farmers as well as the State extension agencies. It also studied the socio-economic, technological, extension and administrative barriers which were coming in the way of rapid transfer of technologies and pointed out the same to the extension agencies.
Achievements • Change in the socio-economic status of farmers • Crop demonstration has been doubled & there has been replacement of Ragi with oil seeds & pulses. • Area under forest & fruit trees has trebled in wasteland • Significant reduction in soil & nutrient loss with more effective utilization of rain water.
3. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Agricultural Science Centre • The KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA (KVK), according to Prasad, Choudhary and Nayar (1987), is designed to impart need-based and skill-oriented vocational training to the practising farmers, in-service field level extension workers, and to those who wish to go in for self- employment. The basic concepts of a KVK are- • 1. The centre will impart learning through work-experience and, hence, will be concerned with technical literacy, the acquisition of which does not necessarily require as a precondition the ability to read and write. • 2. The centre will impart training only to those extension agents who are already employed or to practicing farmers and fishermen. In other words, the centers will cater to the needs of those who are already employed, or those who wish to be self-employed. • 3. There will be no uniform syllabus for a KVK. The syllabus and program of each centre will be tailored according to the felt needs, natural resources and the potentials for agricultural growth in that particular area
• The three fundamental principles, viz. (i) agricultural production as the prime goal, (ii) work-experience as the main method of imparting training, and (iii) priority to weaker sections of the society, are the backbone of the KVK program. The main idea is to influence the productivity to achieve social justice for the neediest and deserving weaker sections of the society like the tribal farmers, small and marginal farmers, agricultural laborers, drought and flood affected farmers, and so on. • Need-based training courses are designed for different types of clientele. Courses are based on the information received through family and village survey. No certificate or diploma is awarded irrespective of the duration of the courses. After the training, follow-up extension programs are organized for converting the acquired skills of the trainees into practice. While designing the courses, the concept of farming system is taken into account to make the enterprises commercially viable.
The main objective of the KVK is to provide a strong training support for bringing about production breakthrough in agriculture. The specific objectives are as follows: • 1. Plan and conduct survey of the operational area to prepare the resource inventory with special reference to identify the training needs of the farming community. • 2. Compile all relevant recommendations/package of practices for the district to be meaningfully utilized in the training courses and the follow-up extension programs. • 3. Plan and conduct production oriented, need-based, short and long duration training courses both on the campus, as well as in the villages for various target groups with priority on the weaker and poorer sections. • 4. Organize Farm Science Clubs, both in rural schools and in villages to inculcate in the younger generation a liking for and an interest in agricultural and allied sciences and for scientific farming through supervised projects.
• Develop and maintain the campus farms and demonstration units on scientific lines as the facilities for providing work-experience to the trainees as also dissemination of the latest technical know-how. • 5. Provide practical training facilities of the centre to the teachers and the students of vocational agriculture of higher second schools. • 6. Impart some general education to the rural illiterates and school drop outs in order to make them not only good farmers but better citizens. • 7. Provide training facilities in homemaking and nutrition education for rural community and gradually encompass 0 important areas such as home crafts and cottage industries consistent with the requirements of integrated development, in collaboration with concerned organization.
• The objectives stated here are common for all the KVKs. In addition, each KVK has to have a MANDATE i.e. a specific set of responsibilities to perform. The mandate of a KVK is unique for it and is determined on the basis of the most important needs of the clientele, their resources & constraints, and nature of the ecosystem. The success of a KVK is judged by the extent to which it fulfills its obligations specified in the mandate.
• The first KVK was established in 1974 at Pondicherry under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. The priority for establishing KVKs is given to hilly areas, drought prone areas, forest areas, coastal areas, flood prone areas, and areas dominated with tribal farmers, weaker sections, small farmers and landless laborers. The objective is to gradually cover the entire country with one KVK in each district, priority being given to the backward areas.
Reorganized KVK System • With effect from 1st April, 1992 all first-line transfer of technology projects of the ICAR viz. ND, ORP and LLP have been integrated with the KVKs. In the reorganized system, the major mandates of the KVK are to conduct- • (i) Training programs • (ii) Frontline demonstrations • (iii) On-farm testing • Various types of extension activities such as field days, farmers' meetings, kisan melas and mass media programs are undertaken by the KVKs. For proper functioning, the KVKs are to convene Scientific Advisory Committee meeting once in six- months. To make the KVKs self-sustaining, they are also encouraged to take up proper operation of the Revolving Fund scheme. • In view of constraints of funds for establishment of new KVKs, the ICAR took up an alternative proposal for strengthening of the existing Zonal Agricultural Research Stations which were established in the Agricultural Universities under the National Agricultural Research Project, to take up additional functions of KVK, where there was no KVK.
i) TRAINING PROGRAMMES • : The most important function of the KVKs is to conduct need based training programs to impart firsthand knowledge and skills to the farmers, farm women, rural youth and extension functionaries. The emphasis is to impart knowledge of the subject with thrust on skill involved and guidance for project implementation wherever required. • Trained farmers suggested that training programs of KVK should be preceded by practical demonstrations, field trips, and group discussion with progressive farmers and experts.
ii) FRONTLINE DEMONSTRATIONS • : The field demonstrations conducted under the close supervision of the scientists of the National Agriculture Research System are called frontline demonstrations, because the technologies are demonstrated for the first time by the scientists themselves, before being passed on to the main extension system of the State Departments of Agriculture. The objective is to demonstrate newly released crop production and protection technologies and their management practices in the farmers' fields under different agro- climatic regions and farming situations. • While demonstrating the technologies in the farmers' fields, the scientists are required to study the factors contributing to higher crop production, field constraints of production, and thereby generate production data and feedback information. Frontline demonstrations are conducted in a block of two to four hectares land in order to have better impact of the demonstrated technologies on the farmers and field level extension functionaries. For this purpose, technologies of national importance and local relevance are generally selected.
iii) ON-FARM TESTING • : These are conducted on the farmers' fields on such problems where the appropriate technologies are not available for particular agro-climatic situation to transfer, and the relevant research information available does not suit the situation from the point of view of the farmers. The main objective is to give overriding importance for farmers' perspectives and participation at all the steps of on-farm testing viz., problem diagnosis, planning, experimentation and extrapolation. • The importance of location specificity in development of appropriate technologies, keeping agro-ecological, socio-economic and cultural parameters in view, is gradually being appreciated. This has paved the way for technology assessment in different micro-environments and its refinement to suit varied situations, through participatory approaches. This is worked out through institution-villages linkage.
MONITORING INDICES FOR KVK TRAINING • 1. Training Participation Index, TPI = Tp/Ta x 100 • Where, Tp= Number of trainees participating in the program. • Ta = Number of trainees anticipated. • 2. Training Utility Index, TUI = Te/Tpx 100 • Where, Te = Number of trainees who found the training useful. • 3. Training Effectiveness Index. TEl = Te/Tax 100 • At present there are 415 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
4. Lab to Land Program • The LAB to LAND PROGRAMME (LLP) was launched by the ICAR in 1979 as a part of its Golden Jubilee celebration. The overall objective of the program was to improve the economic condition of the small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural laborers, particularly scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, by transfer of improved technology developed by the agricultural universities, research institutes etc.
The specific objectives of the lab to land program, according to Prasad, Choudhary and Nayar (1987) were- • 1. Study and understand the background and resources of the selected farmers and landless agricultural laborers. To introduce low-cost relevant agricultural and allied technologies on their farms and homes for increasing their employment, production and income. • 2. Assist the farmers to develop feasible farm plans keeping in view the availability of technologies, needs and resources of the farmers, and the resources which could be made available from external sources and agencies. • 3. Guide and help the farmers in adopting improved technologies as per their farm plans, and demonstrate to them the economic viability of those technologies as well as methods of cultivation and farm management. • 4. Organize training programs and other extension activities, in relation to their adopted practices, and prepare them for active participation in agricultural development programs of the State. • 5. Make the farmers aware of the various opportunities and agencies 'which they could utilize to their economic advantage. • 6. Develop functional relations and linkages with the scientists and institutions for future guidance, advisory services and help. • 7. Utilize this project as a feedback mechanism for the agricultural scientists and extension functionaries.
Critical Inputs provided • : • Crop demonstrations: Seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, agril implements etc. • Poultry Inputs: Chicks, health cover & feeding supplements • Dairy: Feeds, health coverage, nutrition garden • Piggery: Piglets & feeds • Sheep & goat, Fisheries: Fingerlings, nets • Sericulture: Trays, Chandrikes • Apiculture: Bee boxes, Honey extractor
5. Extension Education Institutes (EEIs) • To cater to the extension education and training needs of the large number of extension professionals in the country, four Extension Education Institutes (EEls) were established in India at the regional levels. These were: i) Nilokheri in Haryana (1959), ii) Anand in Gujara- t1962), iii) Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh (1962), iv) Jorhat in Assan (1987). Though some of the institutes were independently set up, these were subsequently integrated with the Agricultural University system the States (Misra, 1990).
6. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) • With the introduction of the Training and Visit system agricultural extension, the importance of management in extension was felt. This led to the se up of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Manage (MANAGE) at Hyderabad in 1986. The mission of the institute facilitate the extension officers, managers, scientists and administrators in all sectors of agricultural economy to acquire managerial technical skills that would enable them to provide most effective support and services to farmers and fishermen for practicing sustainable agriculture. The institute aimed to promote effective management of the agricultural extension system of the country through consultancy, training, research, information and documentation.
7. Land to Lab Program • Objectives of the program • To promote interactions between agril. Scientists, farmers & extension workers. • To discuss, concretize & document field realities particularly socio-economic constraints & technological deficiencies as perceived by grass root level functionaries/farmers in order to improve the research, education & training systems. • To keep scientists/educators/trainers abreast with the problems of the farming & the farmers. • To document the basic constraints & gaps as seen by farmers in R & D systems
How the program is implemented? • The farmers representing different agro- climatic regions are invited at the cost of the project for 2 days to the university. On the 1st day, they are taken around to show various activities in different departments & experimental units. On the 2nd day they are requested to present their views on the ongoing program & the effectiveness of the technologies in a seminar to a group of scientists, researchers & extension workers of the university.
All India co-ordinated Operational Research Project on SCs & other Backward communities • Year of start: July’ 1983 • Objectives • Improving agriculture & livestock production • Establishing a suitable infrastructure & the knowledge to approach the problems of the area • Formulating an inventory of economically viable enterprise • Organizing informal training program to impart skills & crafts to upgrade the professional efficiency to both farmers as well as the landless labors • To create a co-operative base for supplies & services as well as for marketing operations • To establish links between the people and the various development agencies & credit advancing institutions • Promote nutritional programs • Promote literacy through adult education & other modes of educational systems
IVLP • Objectives • 1. To assess and refine technologies with multiple options of stability and sustainability for enhancing the productivity of small production systems • 2. To assess the impact of refined technologies in different production systems • 3. To identify extrapolation domains and outer limits for new technology modules and strengthen linkages with the extension system in the district • 4. Introduce appropriate post-harvest technologies, value additions • 5. Characterization of natural resources of each centre by participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques through Agro Ecosystem analysis • 6. Identification of felt needs of farmers through focus group interactions • 7. Introduce appropriate technologies to remove drudgery, increased efficiency & high income to farm women • 8. Identification of appropriate technologies for assessment and refinement • 9. Documentation of technological modules, focusing bio-physical and socioeconomic parameters
• Duration: 2 years • Participating institutions: ICAR institutes, SAUs, KVKs • Requirements: Multidisciplinary scientists, lab facilities & transportation • Initially started in 40 centers. 15 centers in ICAR institutes & another 25 centers in SAUs • Selection of villages: one village/cluster villages- 1000 families • Agro-ecosystem analysis: PRA, Secondary source of data • Monitoring of the project: ICAR + host institution +Farmer representative • In 1996-97, Malali (HN Pura) 38 families out of 1037 population • Potato: True potato seeds = seed rate 600-800 kg instead of 400 kg & intercropping of Redgram in Potato & Ragi

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TOT projects of ICAR

  • 2. 1. National demonstrations (ND) 2. Operational Research Project (ORP) 3. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs)(Agricultural Science Centre) 4. Lab to Land Program 5. Extension Education Institutes (EEIs) 6.Trainers Training Centre (TTC) 7. Tribal Area Research Project (TAR) 8. Land to Lab Program 9. Scheduled Caste & Other Backward Caste project (SC & OBC) 10. Institutional Village Linkage Program (IVLP)
  • 3. All India Coordinated Project on National Demonstrations • A Nationwide program of demonstrations, NATIONAL DEMONSTRATIONS (ND) on major food crops was launched in 1964 • Unless the scientists could demonstrate what they advocated, their advice might not be heeded by the farmers.
  • 4. How it is different from other Demonstrations 1.Yield target, No control plots 2.The area one Ha or one Acre 3. Small Farmers 4. The agricultural scientists in association with local extension agencies/workers.
  • 5. • The most enthusiastic and cooperative farmers were selected • The best technologies and techniques used • Team-approach followed involving scientists from relevant disciplines, including local extension agents. • organization of field days, field visits, and training for the farmers and field extension workers were considered important for rapid spread of technologies.
  • 6. Objectives 1. To demonstrate convincingly to the farmers and extension personnel the genetic production potentialities of major crops per unit area of land and per unit time, 2. To fully exploit these demonstrations for the purpose of training farmers and field extension functionaries in improved cultivation practices. 3. To provide the research workers an opportunity to get firsthand knowledge of the problems being faced by the farmers in adopting high yielding varieties and recommended package of practices. 4. To determine the income and· employment generation potentialities of the crops/subjects under demonstration, educate the farmers and extension agents about them. 5. To influence the extension systems of the State Departments of Agriculture, voluntary organizations etc. in the country demonstrating the yield gaps and pointing out operational constraints.
  • 7. • 50 percent of the demonstrations exceeded the targeted yields of 9 and 11 tonnes per hectare from 2- and 3-crop demonstrations respectively. • The cost of production per hectare was higher in national demonstrations owing to adoption of new agricultural technology return was also higher and economical as compared to general farming conditions. • The national demonstration project once covered 100 districts spread all over the country.
  • 8. 2. Operational Research Project 1974- 75. • Aimed at dissemination of proven technology in a discipline/area among farmers on a watershed basis, covering the whole village or a cluster of villages, and concurrently studying constraints (technological, extension or administrative) as barriers to the rapid spread of improved technical know-how. • The experience with the National Demonstrations Project highlighted the issue that demonstration of a particular technology or a combination of technologies in an area on watershed basis would prove more effective in convincing farmers and provide them greater scope for identifying constraints, many of which were community-based. • ORPs are designed to show the practical worthyness of new ideas in a village situation. There are two ORPs operating in Karnataka namely: • Resource management in the watershed • dry land area development
  • 9. • ORPs were primarily devoted to demonstrating the impact of new technologies on a large scale involving a whole village or a cluster of villages at a time. • It attempted to involve allied agencies and institutions to show the inter-institutional and inter-disciplinary approach, the method & the way they could be made to work together, • The ORPs considered two kinds of problems: first, the agricultural problems affecting the farming community requiring group or community action, e.g. plant protection and rodent co secondly, total resources development of the watershed area.
  • 10. Objectives 1. To test, adopt and demonstrate the new agricultural on farmers' fields in a whole village or in a cluster of few contiguous villages/watershed area. 2. To determine the profitability of the new technologies and their pace of spread among the farmers. 3. To identify the constraints both technological, as well as socio-economic which are barriers to rapid change? 4. To demonstrate group action as a method of popularizing the modern technologies at a faster rate. The ORPs were initiated in It covered diverse topics like crop farming, mixed farming, integrated pest management, plantation crops, post- harvest technology, improvement of diara and char lands, land reclamation, arid land management, fisheries etc. The ORPs demonstrated latest agricultural technologies on the farmers' fields to influence the farmers as well as the State extension agencies. It also studied the socio-economic, technological, extension and administrative barriers which were coming in the way of rapid transfer of technologies and pointed out the same to the extension agencies.
  • 11. Achievements • Change in the socio-economic status of farmers • Crop demonstration has been doubled & there has been replacement of Ragi with oil seeds & pulses. • Area under forest & fruit trees has trebled in wasteland • Significant reduction in soil & nutrient loss with more effective utilization of rain water.
  • 12. 3. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Agricultural Science Centre • The KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA (KVK), according to Prasad, Choudhary and Nayar (1987), is designed to impart need-based and skill-oriented vocational training to the practising farmers, in-service field level extension workers, and to those who wish to go in for self- employment. The basic concepts of a KVK are- • 1. The centre will impart learning through work-experience and, hence, will be concerned with technical literacy, the acquisition of which does not necessarily require as a precondition the ability to read and write. • 2. The centre will impart training only to those extension agents who are already employed or to practicing farmers and fishermen. In other words, the centers will cater to the needs of those who are already employed, or those who wish to be self-employed. • 3. There will be no uniform syllabus for a KVK. The syllabus and program of each centre will be tailored according to the felt needs, natural resources and the potentials for agricultural growth in that particular area
  • 13. • The three fundamental principles, viz. (i) agricultural production as the prime goal, (ii) work-experience as the main method of imparting training, and (iii) priority to weaker sections of the society, are the backbone of the KVK program. The main idea is to influence the productivity to achieve social justice for the neediest and deserving weaker sections of the society like the tribal farmers, small and marginal farmers, agricultural laborers, drought and flood affected farmers, and so on. • Need-based training courses are designed for different types of clientele. Courses are based on the information received through family and village survey. No certificate or diploma is awarded irrespective of the duration of the courses. After the training, follow-up extension programs are organized for converting the acquired skills of the trainees into practice. While designing the courses, the concept of farming system is taken into account to make the enterprises commercially viable.
  • 14. The main objective of the KVK is to provide a strong training support for bringing about production breakthrough in agriculture. The specific objectives are as follows: • 1. Plan and conduct survey of the operational area to prepare the resource inventory with special reference to identify the training needs of the farming community. • 2. Compile all relevant recommendations/package of practices for the district to be meaningfully utilized in the training courses and the follow-up extension programs. • 3. Plan and conduct production oriented, need-based, short and long duration training courses both on the campus, as well as in the villages for various target groups with priority on the weaker and poorer sections. • 4. Organize Farm Science Clubs, both in rural schools and in villages to inculcate in the younger generation a liking for and an interest in agricultural and allied sciences and for scientific farming through supervised projects.
  • 15. • Develop and maintain the campus farms and demonstration units on scientific lines as the facilities for providing work-experience to the trainees as also dissemination of the latest technical know-how. • 5. Provide practical training facilities of the centre to the teachers and the students of vocational agriculture of higher second schools. • 6. Impart some general education to the rural illiterates and school drop outs in order to make them not only good farmers but better citizens. • 7. Provide training facilities in homemaking and nutrition education for rural community and gradually encompass 0 important areas such as home crafts and cottage industries consistent with the requirements of integrated development, in collaboration with concerned organization.
  • 16. • The objectives stated here are common for all the KVKs. In addition, each KVK has to have a MANDATE i.e. a specific set of responsibilities to perform. The mandate of a KVK is unique for it and is determined on the basis of the most important needs of the clientele, their resources & constraints, and nature of the ecosystem. The success of a KVK is judged by the extent to which it fulfills its obligations specified in the mandate.
  • 17. • The first KVK was established in 1974 at Pondicherry under Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. The priority for establishing KVKs is given to hilly areas, drought prone areas, forest areas, coastal areas, flood prone areas, and areas dominated with tribal farmers, weaker sections, small farmers and landless laborers. The objective is to gradually cover the entire country with one KVK in each district, priority being given to the backward areas.
  • 18. Reorganized KVK System • With effect from 1st April, 1992 all first-line transfer of technology projects of the ICAR viz. ND, ORP and LLP have been integrated with the KVKs. In the reorganized system, the major mandates of the KVK are to conduct- • (i) Training programs • (ii) Frontline demonstrations • (iii) On-farm testing • Various types of extension activities such as field days, farmers' meetings, kisan melas and mass media programs are undertaken by the KVKs. For proper functioning, the KVKs are to convene Scientific Advisory Committee meeting once in six- months. To make the KVKs self-sustaining, they are also encouraged to take up proper operation of the Revolving Fund scheme. • In view of constraints of funds for establishment of new KVKs, the ICAR took up an alternative proposal for strengthening of the existing Zonal Agricultural Research Stations which were established in the Agricultural Universities under the National Agricultural Research Project, to take up additional functions of KVK, where there was no KVK.
  • 19. i) TRAINING PROGRAMMES • : The most important function of the KVKs is to conduct need based training programs to impart firsthand knowledge and skills to the farmers, farm women, rural youth and extension functionaries. The emphasis is to impart knowledge of the subject with thrust on skill involved and guidance for project implementation wherever required. • Trained farmers suggested that training programs of KVK should be preceded by practical demonstrations, field trips, and group discussion with progressive farmers and experts.
  • 20. ii) FRONTLINE DEMONSTRATIONS • : The field demonstrations conducted under the close supervision of the scientists of the National Agriculture Research System are called frontline demonstrations, because the technologies are demonstrated for the first time by the scientists themselves, before being passed on to the main extension system of the State Departments of Agriculture. The objective is to demonstrate newly released crop production and protection technologies and their management practices in the farmers' fields under different agro- climatic regions and farming situations. • While demonstrating the technologies in the farmers' fields, the scientists are required to study the factors contributing to higher crop production, field constraints of production, and thereby generate production data and feedback information. Frontline demonstrations are conducted in a block of two to four hectares land in order to have better impact of the demonstrated technologies on the farmers and field level extension functionaries. For this purpose, technologies of national importance and local relevance are generally selected.
  • 21. iii) ON-FARM TESTING • : These are conducted on the farmers' fields on such problems where the appropriate technologies are not available for particular agro-climatic situation to transfer, and the relevant research information available does not suit the situation from the point of view of the farmers. The main objective is to give overriding importance for farmers' perspectives and participation at all the steps of on-farm testing viz., problem diagnosis, planning, experimentation and extrapolation. • The importance of location specificity in development of appropriate technologies, keeping agro-ecological, socio-economic and cultural parameters in view, is gradually being appreciated. This has paved the way for technology assessment in different micro-environments and its refinement to suit varied situations, through participatory approaches. This is worked out through institution-villages linkage.
  • 22. MONITORING INDICES FOR KVK TRAINING • 1. Training Participation Index, TPI = Tp/Ta x 100 • Where, Tp= Number of trainees participating in the program. • Ta = Number of trainees anticipated. • 2. Training Utility Index, TUI = Te/Tpx 100 • Where, Te = Number of trainees who found the training useful. • 3. Training Effectiveness Index. TEl = Te/Tax 100 • At present there are 415 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs).
  • 23. 4. Lab to Land Program • The LAB to LAND PROGRAMME (LLP) was launched by the ICAR in 1979 as a part of its Golden Jubilee celebration. The overall objective of the program was to improve the economic condition of the small and marginal farmers and landless agricultural laborers, particularly scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, by transfer of improved technology developed by the agricultural universities, research institutes etc.
  • 24. The specific objectives of the lab to land program, according to Prasad, Choudhary and Nayar (1987) were- • 1. Study and understand the background and resources of the selected farmers and landless agricultural laborers. To introduce low-cost relevant agricultural and allied technologies on their farms and homes for increasing their employment, production and income. • 2. Assist the farmers to develop feasible farm plans keeping in view the availability of technologies, needs and resources of the farmers, and the resources which could be made available from external sources and agencies. • 3. Guide and help the farmers in adopting improved technologies as per their farm plans, and demonstrate to them the economic viability of those technologies as well as methods of cultivation and farm management. • 4. Organize training programs and other extension activities, in relation to their adopted practices, and prepare them for active participation in agricultural development programs of the State. • 5. Make the farmers aware of the various opportunities and agencies 'which they could utilize to their economic advantage. • 6. Develop functional relations and linkages with the scientists and institutions for future guidance, advisory services and help. • 7. Utilize this project as a feedback mechanism for the agricultural scientists and extension functionaries.
  • 25. Critical Inputs provided • : • Crop demonstrations: Seeds, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, agril implements etc. • Poultry Inputs: Chicks, health cover & feeding supplements • Dairy: Feeds, health coverage, nutrition garden • Piggery: Piglets & feeds • Sheep & goat, Fisheries: Fingerlings, nets • Sericulture: Trays, Chandrikes • Apiculture: Bee boxes, Honey extractor
  • 26. 5. Extension Education Institutes (EEIs) • To cater to the extension education and training needs of the large number of extension professionals in the country, four Extension Education Institutes (EEls) were established in India at the regional levels. These were: i) Nilokheri in Haryana (1959), ii) Anand in Gujara- t1962), iii) Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh (1962), iv) Jorhat in Assan (1987). Though some of the institutes were independently set up, these were subsequently integrated with the Agricultural University system the States (Misra, 1990).
  • 27. 6. National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE) • With the introduction of the Training and Visit system agricultural extension, the importance of management in extension was felt. This led to the se up of the National Institute of Agricultural Extension Manage (MANAGE) at Hyderabad in 1986. The mission of the institute facilitate the extension officers, managers, scientists and administrators in all sectors of agricultural economy to acquire managerial technical skills that would enable them to provide most effective support and services to farmers and fishermen for practicing sustainable agriculture. The institute aimed to promote effective management of the agricultural extension system of the country through consultancy, training, research, information and documentation.
  • 28. 7. Land to Lab Program • Objectives of the program • To promote interactions between agril. Scientists, farmers & extension workers. • To discuss, concretize & document field realities particularly socio-economic constraints & technological deficiencies as perceived by grass root level functionaries/farmers in order to improve the research, education & training systems. • To keep scientists/educators/trainers abreast with the problems of the farming & the farmers. • To document the basic constraints & gaps as seen by farmers in R & D systems
  • 29. How the program is implemented? • The farmers representing different agro- climatic regions are invited at the cost of the project for 2 days to the university. On the 1st day, they are taken around to show various activities in different departments & experimental units. On the 2nd day they are requested to present their views on the ongoing program & the effectiveness of the technologies in a seminar to a group of scientists, researchers & extension workers of the university.
  • 30. All India co-ordinated Operational Research Project on SCs & other Backward communities • Year of start: July’ 1983 • Objectives • Improving agriculture & livestock production • Establishing a suitable infrastructure & the knowledge to approach the problems of the area • Formulating an inventory of economically viable enterprise • Organizing informal training program to impart skills & crafts to upgrade the professional efficiency to both farmers as well as the landless labors • To create a co-operative base for supplies & services as well as for marketing operations • To establish links between the people and the various development agencies & credit advancing institutions • Promote nutritional programs • Promote literacy through adult education & other modes of educational systems
  • 31. IVLP • Objectives • 1. To assess and refine technologies with multiple options of stability and sustainability for enhancing the productivity of small production systems • 2. To assess the impact of refined technologies in different production systems • 3. To identify extrapolation domains and outer limits for new technology modules and strengthen linkages with the extension system in the district • 4. Introduce appropriate post-harvest technologies, value additions • 5. Characterization of natural resources of each centre by participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques through Agro Ecosystem analysis • 6. Identification of felt needs of farmers through focus group interactions • 7. Introduce appropriate technologies to remove drudgery, increased efficiency & high income to farm women • 8. Identification of appropriate technologies for assessment and refinement • 9. Documentation of technological modules, focusing bio-physical and socioeconomic parameters
  • 32. • Duration: 2 years • Participating institutions: ICAR institutes, SAUs, KVKs • Requirements: Multidisciplinary scientists, lab facilities & transportation • Initially started in 40 centers. 15 centers in ICAR institutes & another 25 centers in SAUs • Selection of villages: one village/cluster villages- 1000 families • Agro-ecosystem analysis: PRA, Secondary source of data • Monitoring of the project: ICAR + host institution +Farmer representative • In 1996-97, Malali (HN Pura) 38 families out of 1037 population • Potato: True potato seeds = seed rate 600-800 kg instead of 400 kg & intercropping of Redgram in Potato & Ragi