department of Agriculture, U.P. Beside this, varietal demonstrations showed that wheat K-68 gave an yield of 18 qt.

Transcription

1 M E M O I R S Directorate of Extension Extension forms an important activity of the university aimed at serving the masses, in general and farming community, in particular by way of transfer of technologies developed at the university. Similar to the development of this institution, its extension activities have also passed through various phases of growth, which for convenience sake may be grouped under 2 distinct periods viz. Pre-university era and the university era. Pre-University Era: Even upto late fifties, the agricultural scientists were concerned mainly with fundamental and applied researches and teaching handful of students at UG to PG levels. Practically, there was little focus on extension activities and scientists-farmers interaction was missing even in adjacent villages around the vicinity of the college. Dr. R. K. Tandon, the then Principal, Government Agricultural College, during , with his keen interest in rural development work and transfer of technologies, piloted crop demonstrations in some villages with the help of staff of the department of Agronomy. With the introduction of Agricultural Extension as a subject at graduate level in 1956, the college started organizing 7 days Students' extension camps, in nearby villages to provide an exposure of rural problems to students, ensuring their active participation in bringing forth solutions with the help of their teachers. In 1961, an independent department of Agricultural Extension was established alongwith an Extension Wing sanctioned by the Government of India for providing facilities for practical training to the students. The staff and students of the department of Agricultural Extension adopted few villages for their regular practical and crop demonstrations. Applied nutrition programme financed by UNICEF was run by the extension workers in the Kalyanpur Development Block attached with the college as an extension laboratory for students and staff. The organized extension activities in the college, however, started in 1965 under an integrated scheme of agricultural extension called Gaon Ki Oar, the basic idea being that investment in agricultural education and research is merely a waste, if it is not converted into production and the Government Agricultural College should provide a role model to serve as a beacon light for such transformations. Accordingly, the college harnessed itself to meet the challenges of rural development in its vicinity and extension activities began to sprout by the mid of sixties as briefed below. During , the professors of the erstwhile Govt. Agricultural College, Kanpur were asked by the principal of the college to adopt some villages in the vicinity of the college for diagnosing site specific agricultural problems, conducting demonstrations on farmers' fields for validating research findings recommended to farmers and for raising over all productivity of important crops of the area. An in-depth study followed which helped to demonstrate that conjunctive use of N and P was better in improving crop productivity than the lone use of either of them. During , an inservice training project was initiated in the college to tone up the technical competence of the field staff of the -1 department of Agriculture, U.P. Beside this, varietal demonstrations showed that wheat K-68 gave an yield of 18 qt.ha as against 14-1 qt.ha from NP-710 under irrigated conditions. In , several demonstrations were conducted on wheat Sonora-63, S-227, Sonora-64, Lerma Rajo and hybrid maize Ganga 1, 2, 3 and 7. The farmers of Kanpur district were trained in seed production of hybrid maize and bajra. Multiple crop demonstrations on maize-wheat, paddy-wheat and maize-muskmelon were also organized. A special programme of Grow More Vegetables was started in The students and staff were allotted different mohallas of Kanpur city and they distributed seeds, seedlings of vegetables and fertilizer packets for the kitchen gardening. The technical advice was also made available at the door steps. It brought name and fame to the college both from the farmers and city dwellers. In a large number of demonstrations were conducted on rainfed groundnut in Ishwariganj and Pengupur villages. The demonstrations included introduction of improved varieties of groundnut T-64 & T-28, use of gypsum, higher seed rate and spray of sulphur. With a view to provide employment to students during summer season, a scheme for threshing of wheat was implemented in some selected villages in Kanpur district. In this scheme, a thresher was given from RTTC to each village and students were trained in operation and upkeep of thresher. Farmers provided electricity and labour for threshing of wheat. The students supervised the operation and they used to get remuneration for the same. The ICAR sanctioned a scheme 'Soil Health Care' to the university for Kanpur district in the year The scheme aimed at training the unemployed rural youths, engaged in their farming business. For soil analysis followed by fertilizer recommendation, they were provided a 3 months training at the university with a stipend of Rs. 100 per month and a soil testing kit free of cost for service in the villages. The university trained 50 such youths under this scheme by the end of A project for the adoption of the village Baire and Mahipalpur of district Kanpur under Plant Protection Umbrella was executed by the university with a financial collaboration of Apspee Agricultural Research and Development Foundation, Bombay during the year The project demonstrated complete plant protection schedule of crops on farmers' fields.

2 M E M O I R S Directorate of Extension Under tripartite linkage of the agricultural college, the commercial bank and the farmers to make joint efforts for increasing agricultural production in 37 villages falling under 15 development blocks of district Kanpur were selected. The Central Bank of India, Allahabad Bank, Bank of Baroda and the State Bank of India collaborated with the university under this scheme in various projects and advanced crop loans to the farmers, while the University rendered technical advice. This resulted into heavy disbursement and appreciable recovery of loans in the district. Seven agricultural colleges located at Ajitmal and Bakewar (Etawah), Bichpuri (Agra), Kulbhasker and Naini (Allahabad), Rath (Hamirpur) and Shikohabad (Mainpuri) and Extension Training Centres at Bakewar, Bakshi Ka Talab, Bichpuri, Chirgaon and Mainpuri falling in the area of responsibility of the college were associated in this programme. Joint field extension programme for Allahabad, Jhansi, Agra and Lucknow divisions was prepared and launched in which these centres were supplied seeds of wheat HD 212, UP 262, HP 1102 and K 652 for demonstration on farmers fields. With an integration of teaching, research and extension in the U. P. Institute of Agricultural Sciences in 1969, the research base of the college expanded and extension activities were further strengthened with the availability of resources for field activities. A Farmers' Training Centre sanctioned by the Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture was started in University Era: With the establishment of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology at Kanpur, the extension activities began to span their wings under a full-fledged Directorate of Extension with the financial assistance of ICAR. Gradually, numerous extension activities funded by ICAR/GOI/State Government began to proliferate under the Directorate of Extension which has grown multifolds. A brief account of its strengthening during the university period is as follows: th During 7 Five Year Plan, the ICAR funded 'Transfer of Technology' (TOT) projects such as National Demonstration, Lab to Land Programme, All India Coordinated Project for uplifting scheduled castes & backward class communities, and Krishi Vigyan under the Directorate of Extension. th During the year , the ICAR sanctioned three KVKs one each in the districts of Jhansi, Raebareli and Mathura. The 4 KVK to th this University was sanctioned by the ICAR in 1989 in the district of Fatehpur, followed by an establishment of the 5 KVK of the university in Aligarh district during the year New KVKs were sanctioned further one each in Kannauj, Etawah, Belatal, Mainpuri and Daleepnagar during and at Jalaun, Lalitpur, Hamirpur, Firozabad, Farrukhabad, Hardoi, and Lakhimpur-kheri during In the year , the State Govt. sanctioned 'Training & Visit System' in six selected districts within the university service area with a financial support from the World Bank. The State Government provided three technical positions, one each of the rank of Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor in addition to 5 supporting staff. The State Government also made financial provision under the project for transport, construction of Training Hostel, Training Hall and Kitchen with dining facilities. Under T and V project, the major activities of the Directorate of Extension were (i) to organize monthly workshop of the field officers of the area jurisdiction of the university. (ii) to organize specialized training programmes (iii) to conduct diagnostic surveys, and (iv) to provide literature support on technical recommendations. During , the Directorate of Extension of the Ministry of Agriculture, Goverment of India identified this Directorate as a Centre of Excellence in 'Pulses Production Technology' and sanctioned a scheme 'Advanced Training Centre in Pulse Production Technology' at the university. For successful functioning of the scheme, the Govt. of India provided two technical positions of the rank of Professor and Assistant Professor, respectively alongwith 4 supporting staff and financial assistance for constructing a training hostel and an air conditioned training hall with a capacity for 50 trainees. The scheme was finally ground up by the Ministry of Agriculture in the year This project aimed at providing high-level training to the extension managers, officers and specialists' in the area of pulses production in various states of the country. The Directorate of Extension was further strengthened by Research-Extension Linkage project sanctioned under DASP by State Government during to The project activities were carried out in 11 districts. The responsibility of the Directorate and its effectiveness further increased with the sanctioning of 'Institution - Village Linkage Programme' by ICAR in the year and 5 more projects under NATP viz. ATIC, Strengthening of Directorate of Extension and ZRSs (Mainpuri, Mahoba and Kanpur) remandated to function as KVKs in Agricultural Information Bureau and Krishak Help Line Services (Toll free telephone service) were established in Government of India sanctioned Kisan Call Centre scheme and the Directorate of Extension started functioning as Level-II centre for replying questions of farmers through telephone.

3 KISAN MELA Chief Guest Dr. C. Devakumar, ADG (EP&D), ICAR being welcomed by Dr. G. C. Tewari, VC at Farmers Fair during 2011 A view of the Farmers Fair organized at the University during 2011 A view of the farmers crowd at seeds sale stall in Farmers Fair during 2012 A view of the Educational Fair organized with Farmers Fair at the University during 2011 Sri Yog raj Singh, State Agricultural Minister, UP viewing mushroom production stall at Farmers Fair in 2011 A view of the Farmers Fair organized at the University during 2008 State Agricultural Minister, UP; Sri Satish Nigam, MLA & Member and Dr. P. K. Sharma, VC awarding prizes to the winners A view of the Farmers Fair organized at the University during 2008

4 KISAN MELA Farmers Fair at KVK Dariyapur during 1996 Sri Som Pal Shastri, Agril. Minister being explained at a stall by Director Extension & Jt. Dir. Research at Farmers Fair Chief Guest Sri Shyam Bihari Misra discussing with Dr. Ram Nath, VC at Farmers Fair Sri Ramesh Yadava, Secretary Agriculture visiting stalls at Farmers Fair during 1991 Sri Rajnath Singh, Chief Minister, UP visiting CSAU stall at New Delhi Exhibition during 2002 Sri AP Singh, Chief Secretary, UP with Dr. S. B. Singh, VC visiting stalls at Farmers Fair during 2002 State Agriculture Minister, Central Government visiting Farmers Fair at CSAUAT, Kanpur Principal Secretary, Agriculture, UP Govt. visiting CSAU stall with Director Extension Dr. Daulat Singh at New Delhi Exhibition

5 KISAN MELA Director Extension Dr. Daulat Singh showing exhibits at New Delhi Exhibition Sri Shiv Pal Singh Yadav, Agriculture Minister, UP being welcomed by Dr PK Singh, VC at Farmers Fair during 2004 Sri NC Bajpai, APC and Sri Ramesh Yadava, member, BOM visiting plant pathology stall at Farmers Fair during 2006 Sri Yog Raj Singh, State Agricultural Minister visiting Home Science stall at Farmers Fair during 2011 Sri Shyam Bihari Misra with Sri RA Kushwaha visiting Vegetable science stall at Farmers Fair during 1998 Sri Ashok Bajpai, Agriculture Minister, UP being honoured by Dr PK Singh, VC at Farmers Fair during 2005 Sri Yog Raj Singh, State Agriculture Minister, UP inaugurating Farmers Fair during 2011 Farmers carrying CSAU seeds

6 M E M O I R S Directorate of Extension Directorate of Extension pursues three mandates: Imparting training to farmers, farmwomen and rural youths in the areas of agriculture and animal husbandry Conducting on-farm trials and demonstrations for technology assessment, refinement and furtherance of technologies Providing diagnostic, advisory and input related services to farmers and other stakeholders To fulfill these mandates, 15 projects on T. and V. project, Centre of excellence in training, In-Service training programme, Collaborative programmes with UP land development corporation project, Krishi vigyan kendras (KVKs), Krishi gyan kendras (KGKs), Farmers-scientists interaction programme, Extension activities through promoting farmers' organizations, Institution-village linkage programme, Kisan call centre/ krishak help line services, Agricultural information bureau, All India farmers' fair and agricultural industrial exhibition, Agriculture technology information centre (ATIC), Publication and printing and Agri-clinic and agri-business centers schemes were implemented. Impact Assessment: The continuous efforts through extension programmes, the university has helped the adoption of following technologies by the farmers. Introduction of Zaid sunflower for raising the productivity and income, keeping in view that the fields are generally kept fallow during Zaid in the Central Plain Zone. ZnSO has become a part of the fertilizer application recommendations in paddy due to wide spread zinc deficiency in soils. 4 Introduction of intercropping system in the existing cropping system. Potato + rai (3+1), wheat + Rai (9:1) are the prominent systems accepted by the farmers. Application of Butachlor in paddy and Isoproturon in wheat has become common among various categories of farmers. The adoption of weed management technology by the farmers against obnoxious weeds like Kans (Saccharum munja) and Motha (Cyprus rotundus) in Bundelkhand. Diffusion and adoption of low cost and indigenous mushroom production technology by small, marginal and landless farm households in natural conditions. Introduction of late sown technology with the acceptance of Halna variety of wheat by the farmers particularly after digging of potato and harvesting of pigeonpea. Introduction of vegetable pea in place of potato in the areas where water table has gone lower over the years.