Outreach of KVK in Ahmednagar District

Special Activities Conducted to Increase the Outreach of KVK

KVKs has given major focus to bridge the gap between National Agriculture Research System (NARS) and the farming community by conducting various mandatory activities assigned by the ICAR.  With the increasing activities of the KVK, there were increasing demands for various technologies, inputs, services and other innovative concepts from the farming community.  This has helped to increase the outreach of the KVK in the district. Ahmednagar is the largest district in the state and divided in north and south district.  As the KVK is located in the north part of the district, farmers from the northern parts of the district have taken more benefits of the KVK activities.

            To increase the outreach of KVK in the district, different concepts and programmes were implemented.  For agriculture transformation in the district, KVK has taken the help of three basic concepts i.e. Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), use of Applied Agriculture Biotechnology and use of Group Dynamics in Agriculture. This has helped to involve the different sectors of the farming and rural community besides involving different supporting institutions required for agriculture development.

No. of  Beneficiaries and Villages Covered under Major Mandates and Activities

Under National Agriculture Technology Project (NATP) Farmers Information Advisory Center (FIAC) were established.  KVK has also helped to network these FIACs directly and networked them with the farmers of that particular tehsil and also with KVK indirectly. Quality inputs and services as per the demand of the farmers is also an important activity of the KVK to increase the outreach of the KVK.  Networking and linking of the various institutions with the KVK as well as farmers groups, implementation of the projects of various funding agencies and giving maximum publicity to success stories have also helped to increase the outreach of the KVK.  There are total 1,62,344 direct beneficiaries of the various activities from the 14 blocks of the district.

KVK has focused on major mandates benefiting 54 per cent farming communities.    Innovative concepts and other programmes implemented by the KVK have helped 46 per cent farming community of the district. 

No .of Beneficiaries under Various Activities Besides Major Mandates 

Outreach of Inputs and Services

             Imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers along with flood irrigation in command area has resulted in soil degradation. Similarly indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides has led to build up of resistance among insect pests and diseases. The technologies like INM, IPM, water management are being disseminated by the extension agencies like state agricultural department and SAUs to avoid further problems of crop production. The awareness about all these activities among the farmers is increasing, however for adoption of these technologies they are facing the problems of input supply and services.  During the problem diagnosis it was observed that non-availability of the required inputs and services at local level was one of the major factor for poor adoption of these technologies. Thus for faster adoption and wide scale spread of these environment friendly technologies, the KVK has taken an initiative to provide the quality inputs to the farmers in the rural area along with advisory services.

            Area under horticulture is increasing in the district. In order to get good quality seeds and seedlings, KVK has started a horticulture nursery. At the same time for balanced crop nutrition as well as to maintain good soil health, KVK has started a plant nutrition diagnostic center that extends soil, water, tissue and micronutrient testing facilities. The inputs like bio-pesticides, pheromone traps, botanical pesticides, bio-fertilizers, vermicompost, foliar plant nutrients which are important components of the IPM and INM were also made available at KVK. For up-gradation of poultry and goat, improved breeds were also made available. Therefore to provide all the inputs and services to the farmers, a common service center was started in KVK campus. 

Seeds and Seedlings

Impact

v    Drumstick and fig were introduced in the district by KVK

v    Introduction of dry land horticultural crops has helped to generate sustainable income to the farmers

v    Varietal dissemination of drumstick (PKM), soybean( MACS124, JS 335,PK 472 335 DS MACS 450, DS228), begal gram (Vijay,Vishal, PKV 2,Virat,Digvijay), groundnut (ICGS 11,TAG 24,TG 26),wheat(NIAW 301,NIDW 295,Tapowan,GW 496,Trimbak) was taken up on large scale.

 Plant Nutrition Diagnosis Center

Total 12500 samples were analyzed in this diagnosis center benefiting 10341 farmers over 7891 ha area.  These samples were received from 338 villages of 57 tehsils of 18 districts and 6 states.

Impact

v     Increased the awareness about ill effects of chemicals on soil health and environment.

v     Concept of soil test as well as tissue analysis based nutrient management was introduced in the KVK operational villages.

v     Tissue analysis services were started for first time in the district and the adoption is more with respect to the cash crops i.e. grapes 60-70 per cent, pomegranate 40-45 per cent.

v     Grape and pomegranate farmers have harvested the export quality fruits and secured the 20-25 % higher market price.

v     Micronutrient and heavy metal analysis facility was introduced for first time in the district.

v     Saving in the cost of fertilizers of about Rs1000-1200/ha along with avoiding the pollution of soil / water with10-15 % increase in crop yield.

v     With the visible benefits of nutrition diagnosis, the farmers from KVK operational villages are regularly approaching the KVK for seeking the nutrition diagnosis services.

v     HRD to all KVK’s staff in Maharashtra about soil laboratory establishment, sample analysis and report preparations were also done.

v     Six entrepreneurs have started the services of soil/water diagnosis with Soil/Water testing kits in the field.

Bio-pesticides

As per the problems of the major crops and the available technology to control the pests and diseases, KVK has started the production of bio-pesticides like Trichoderma, Verticilium, Paecilomyces, Nomuraea and  HaNPV on large scale. Good quality, fresh bio-pesticides have helped to give effective control of pests and diseases. This has resulted in increasing demand of bio-pesticides from the farmers.

Total 27200 kg bio-agents were made available to 3872 beneficiaries on 8772 ha area. Total 377 villages from 37 tehsils of 7 districts have benefitted under this activity.

Impact

v     Production and supply of bio-pesticides through KVK could eliminate almost 20 tonnes of toxic chemicals in agriculture land thus ensuring a saving of Rs 50 lakhs against toxic chemicals.

v     An effective solution against pomegranate wilt was provided through supply of Trichoderma and Paecilomyces.

v      Regular adoption of Trichoderma, Verticilium and Paecilomyces by fruit and vegetable growers in the KVK operational villages due to wide awareness.

v     Seedling damage in the vegetable nurseries due to harmful fungi has been minimized by 90 per cent.

v     Application of Verticilium for mealy bug management has become a regular practice among the horticultural farmers.

v     KVK has for the first time introduced Nomuraea for Spodoptera management in soybean.

Bio-fertilizers

With increasing awareness among the farmers due to various programmes implemented by KVK, State Agriculture Department and SAU, there was a higher demand from the farmers for bio-fertilizers. However availability of fresh and good quality bio-fertilizers in rural area was a main problem. Therefore the KVK has started the production of bio-fertilizers like Azotobacter, Rhizobium, PSB, Composting culture and Acetobacter. During the last eight years, the KVK has produced 32795 kg bio-fertilizers and made available to 7124 farmers from 329 villages of 69 tehsils and 22 districts.

Impact

v     Utilization of almost 50 tones of environmental nitrogen and 30 tones of fixed phosphorus through use of bio-fertilizers thus saving Rs.12.5 lakhs  against  chemical fertilizers use.

v     Regular use of PSB by vegetable and grape growers particularly in the calcareous soil in order to release the soil fixed phosphorus

v     Use of composting culture has become regular practice in ratoon sugarcane for early decomposition of trash.

v     Introduction of nitrogen fixing bacteria for sugarcane growers in the form of Acetobacter.

v     Effective solution provided to increase the germination of soybean, gram and groundnut through regular supply of Rhizobium.

v     The adoption of rhizobium for soybean is about 60-65 % and 50-60% for Bengal gram.

Spray Grades and Soluble Fertilizers

The concept of fertigation through and foliar feeding was introduced in the district by the KVK .Tissue analysis nutrition management as well as nutrition management in problematic soil was predominantly disseminated due to introduction of inputs like soluble fertilizers and spray grades. These inputs were also made available in the district for the first time.

Impact

v     Initially these fertilizers were only used for horticultural crops but later on farmers have started to use them for field crops, vegetables and fodder crops also.

v     The wide adoption of the spray grades were noticed i.e. grape 60-65 per cent, pomegranates 30-35 per cent, soybean 45 per cent cotton 40 per cent, wheat 30 per cent, vegetables 25-30 per cent and sugarcane 20 per cent. Farmers have reduced the soil application of chemical fertilizers by 20-25 per cent with 15-20 per cent increase in the crop production.

v     Farmers have reduced the soil application of chemical fertilizers by 15-20 per cent with 20-25 per cent increase in the crop production.

v     Due to high demand of these fertilizers almost all the agro service centers have started the supply these inputs in the district.

       The decline in the sale of soluble fertilizers through KVK is due to availability of these inputs in the agro service centers due to high awareness among the farmers. Spray grade demand has also increased but remained constant. The adoption of spray grade is much more but now available in different agro service centers.

Vermicompost

Impact

v     Employment generation to 378 rural youths in the KVK operational villages through production of vermicompost and vermiwash.

v     Saving in cost of chemical fertilizers by Rs. 3000 to Rs. 4000/- per ha along with improvement in soil health and providing additional income by selling the earthworms.

v     Annually 50 to 60 tons of vermi compost is being produced by the KVK benefiting 30-40 farmers annually.

v     Due to the KVK’s intervention annually 800 to 1000 tons of vermi compost is produced at the farmer's field, which is worth Rs. 20 to 25 lakhs. 

v     One farmer has developed commercial production unit of 100 to 150 tons per year and will be exporting the vermi compost to Malaysia.

Neem Oil and Pheromone Traps

Impact

v     Introduction of water traps and sticky traps for first time in district

v     The problems like shoot and fruit borer in brinjal, sucking pests in cotton and fruit flies in important fruit crops have been effectively managed through traps.

v     Neem oil could be effectively manage Flea beetle problem in grapes.

v     Supply of these eco-friendly inputs has helped in promoting the concept of organic farming.

v     Initiation of home scale production of botanical extracts among farm women.

SPIRULINA

Impact

v    Introduction of protein and vitamin rich biofood for the first time.

v    KVK has helped in providing effective and long term solution for the anemic, diabetic and heart patients

v    Contribution in the balance diet of 400 families through continuous production and supply of Spirulina.

v    Beneficiaries from different fields like physicians, engineers, lawyers, SAU scientists, businessmen, CA, social workers, housewives, rural youth and farmers have participated in the training programmes.

v    TV programme on spirulina telecasted in 14 different regional languages in India.

v    Employment generation for 24 no. of youths.

v    Increased awareness among the rural people regarding health and nutrition.

Transformation

Soil Testing Services: Soil and nutrients management is the key for sustainability of the soil fertility and productivity. Considering the importance as well as the demand of the farming community the plant nutrition diagnosis center has been started in 1996-97 in the KVK system for the first time in Maharashtra and later on in 2004 all the KVKs have started the soil/water testing laboratories .The tissue analysis based nutrient management technology was popularized by the KVK in the district especially for the export oriented fruit crops like grapes and pomegranate. Considering the demand from the farmers, now the District Soil Testing Laboratories has also proposed to start these services. The KVK has also developed “Vasundhara“ soil/water testing software for report and data generation for automation of the Soil Testing analytical services in KVKs and State Departments soil testing laboratories. The Micronutrients and Heavy metals analytical services was started first in the KVK system as a future need and demand from farmers as well as inputs producers. Private Agri Clinic Centers have also started the soil /water diagnostic services with the help of soil/water testing kits in the field.

Soluble and Spray grades: The KVK has first time introduced and popularized soluble fertilizers and spray grades among the farmers of the district. Initially these fertilizers were used for only horticultural crops but later on farmers have started using them for field crops, vegetables and fodder crops also. The spray grades were initially called “Poshak” but now the farmers know the details about the spray grades and its use according to the stage of the crops. Due to high demand of these fertilizers almost all the agro service centers have started to supply these inputs in the district.

Water traps- The KVK undertook the demonstrations continuously for two years on water traps and after assessing their favorable results against shoot and fruit borer management in brinjal, the state agricultural department has accepted this technology and accordingly they have disseminated it to other brinjal growing villages by conducting the demonstrations. Thus the technology has been widely adopted by the brinjal growers in the district and will be replicated henceforth on large scale through the state department of agriculture as it has included it in their extension programmes.

Seeds and seedlings- KVK for the first time has introduced drumstick as a dry land horticulture crop in the resource poor zone of the district and has generated an assured income for the farmers. One of the beneficiaries from Chinchpur village of Sangamner tehsil took initiation in production and sale of drumstick seeds on his farm and has supplied almost 100 kgs of drumstick seeds to the farmers of the district.

Bio-pesticides- In the year 1998 the KVK has started the production of Bio-pesticides and conducted the demonstrations on use of Trichoderma, Paecilomyces  Verticilium, Nomuraea and HaNPV on different crops for prevention of certain fungal diseases and insect pests. The timely and quality supply of bio-pesticides has resulted in their regular adoption of among the farmers of the KVK operational villages. Besides, five  pomegranate growers from Nasik district have become regular users of Trichoderma and Paecilomyces for prevention of pomegranate wilt due to Fusarium and root knot nematodes.

Bio-fertilizers- After making the local availability of bio-fertilizers at KVK level, the soybean growers in the KVK operational villages are regularly using Rhizobium for seed treatment. Similarly the sugar factory has accepted the trash mulching technology in sugarcane and accordingly promoting the use of composting culture for proper and early trash decomposition. Vegetable and fruit growers of the district have become familiar with application PSB for releasing the soil fixed phosphorus as well as on application of Azotobacter for fixing the atmospheric nitrogen and thus they are helping to reduce up to 20% chemical fertilizers.