|
Organisation
|
Six
projects under the Sukhi Baliraja Initiative
(SBI) |
| |
Dr.
Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth
(PDKV), Akola |
| |
Maharashtra
Institute for Technology Transfer for
Rural Areas (MITTRA), Nashik |
| |
DILASA,
Yavatmal |
| |
Chetana
Samaj Seva Mandal (CSSM), Yavatmal |
| |
Vikas
Ganga Samajsevi Sansthan (VGSS), Yavatmal |
| |
Swayam
Shikshan Prayog (SSP), Mumbai |
|
Project
name
|
Dissemination
of integrated pest management (IPM)
techniques in cotton, soybean, red gram
in six distress districts of Vidarbha |
|
Grant
operationalised
|
November
2010 |
|
Duration
|
3
years |
|
Grant
amount sanctioned
|
Rs36.38
million |
Activities within
the grant:
The project aims to disseminate validated
integrated pest management techniques in
cotton, soybean and red gram, obtained from
PDKV, to 18,600 farmers across six distress
districts of Vidarbha with the help of 189
village-level workers called ‘Krishi
Doots’ and Village Information Centres
(VIC). IPM involves regular on-field pest
surveillance and consequently, undertaking
pest control measures based on the economic
threshold level (ETL) of the crop. Since
farmers lack the necessary technical know-how
vis-à-vis pest surveillance and control,
these 189 ‘Krishi Doots’ will
become an important medium to disseminate
effective IPM techniques to them. Moreover,
186 VICs would be set up to disseminate
IPM technologies for cotton, soybean and
red gram and relevant material for promoting
better agricultural practices will be displayed
in local language i.e., Marathi. The Krishi
Doots will be trained through four trainings
per year conducted by PDKV and will be adequately
equipped as village-level resource persons.
The Trusts also propose to develop 20 demonstration
plots in 10 villages of Akola district with
the help of PDKV in the first year. Consequently,
these villages would develop into farm-based
knowledge centres.
Key components of the project include:
|
|
Dissemination
of IPM technologies in cotton, soybean
and red gram to 18,600 farmers of 186
villages through Krishi Doots and field
officers and setting up of VICs in 186
villages |
|
|
Conducting four
training and capacity-building workshops
for 189 village-level Krishi Doots and
20 implementing organisational level
field officers / staff at PDKV |
|
|
Adoption of 10
villages by PDKV for validating and
demonstrating improved package of practices
(PoP) for cotton, soybean and red gram |
|
|
Carrying out soil
testing for farmer’s fields. |
The IPM project is expected to enhance yields
by one quintal per acre worth Rs3,000 per
acre and reduce input costs by 20 per cent
in the first year and subsequently by a further
10 per cent in the second year through decreased
use of pesticide sprays1. Overall, considering
the average farm area under cotton, soybean
and red gram to be four acres, the IPM project
would lead to an increase in income of approximately
Rs16,000 per farmer. A 30 per cent reduction
in use of pesticides through adoption of IPM
technology over an anticipated area of 74,000
acres would lead to cost saving as well as
reduce environmental pollution. The expected
impact shall be an increase in farmer’s
knowledge base on IPM and validated package
of practices. The demonstrations plots with
the PDKV will be developed into farm-based
knowledge centres for farmers from all six
districts to witness, learn and adopt successful
agricultural practices.
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