DIRECTORATE OF EXTENSION
The Agricultural Technologies developed at this university and elsewhere are demonstrated to the farmers under “Transfer of Technology Programme”. Directorate organizes regular farmer’s training programmes, field day, demonstration for rural men and women in various disciplines of Agriculture and allied sectors. Orientation programmes for line department officers are organized at the Directorate of Extension under Inter-action programme.

Kisan Mela (Farmer’s Fair) and Exhibitions are organized in the Kharif and Rabi seasons by the Director Extension also monitors and administer Krishi Gyan Kendra (sponsored by State Government) and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (sponsored by ICAR, Govt. of India).

OBJECTIVE:
MANDATE OF DIRECTORATE OF EXTENSION
The Directorate of Extension is privileged to have the mandate of promotion of agriculture development in the seven districts of its area jurisdiction:
KRISHI VIGYAN KENDRA AND KRISHI GYAN KENDRAS
Presently the University has one KVK in Allahabad District and one Krishi Gyan Kendra each in Pratapgarh, Kaushambi and Sant Ravidas Nagar, Bhadohi. These centers are well equipped and have been instrumental in bringing a remarkable progress in agricultural technologies in increasing agricultural production and transforming rural life in their district of operation. The government of Uttar Pradesh is not providing contingency funds for functioning of Krishi Gyan Kendra Centers so university has suspended these centers from 5th April, 2013.  

PROGRAMMES CONDUCTED
DETAILS OF ASSOCIATED AGENCIES

RESEARCH PAPER PUBLISHED

ACTIVITIES / ACHIEVEMENTS
(a) TECHNICAL TRAINING & GOSTHIES

(b) POPULAR ARTICLES PUBLISHED : Twenty Two

(c) DEMONSTRATIONS (KHARIF, RABI & ZAID)




Govt. sponsored training programmes conducted by Directorate of Extension :            

Special Event:
Directorate of Extension organized a FARMERS’ GOSTHI under ‘KRISHI UNNATI MELA – 2018’ for listening of live telecast of HON’BLE PRIME MINISTER SRI NARENDRA MODI from Pusa Campus on 17th March 2018.

Participation in Agricultural Department’s Training / Gosthies / Meeting : 150 (Approx)
(at Allahabad, Bhadohi, Kaushambi, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra & Lucknow)

T.V. & Radio Programmes
a) Dr. Shailendra Kumar Singh – Radio Talk – 04, T.V. Talk – 01 
b) Dr. Shishir Kumar – Radio Talk – 03, T.V. Talk – 05
c) Dr. Yogesh Chandra Srivastava – Radio Talk – 01
d) Dr. Madan Sen Singh – Radio Talk – 03
e) Dr. Manish Kumar Kesarwani – Radio Talk – 02
f) Dr. T. D. Mishra – Radio Talk - 02

Farmers’ Helpline Service No. : 18001805309
Presently the Helpline is functional and approximately 15 - 30 farmers per day are benefited with the service.

Adoption of technology:
The major components of the development of the village taken up included:
In last three years of extensive agriculture and farm related developmental work by the Directorate, a survey conducted in the village to ascertain the adoption of different agriculture based technologies provided by the Directorate of Extension, SHUATS.
1. Intensification and diversification of agricultural activity through integrated farming system approach comprising varietals improvement, seed replacement, farm-based enterprises for self employment etc.
2. Livestock improvement, increasing per unit profitability and integration.
3. Soil health improvement by promoting organic production system, IPM, mass composting, encouraging use of homemade bio-pesticides, bio-fertilizers etc.
4. Human resource development for sustenance of the proposed activities.

15. Livelihood Analysis :
The major livelihood systems in the area were agriculture-based and include crop-based, livestock-based and part time rural employment. Migration of youth in search of job is another phenomenon mostly observed. Average land-holding per family is below 1.00ha and majority of population is either landless or have very poor holdings.

Crop:
Traditionally the farmers were dependent on cultivation of paddy, wheat, pulses (mainly Arhar), oil seeds (mustard) and have densely planted or old mango orchards. Mentha cultivation was practiced by few farmers as cash crop in the village. Vegetables were grown only for home consumption or as subsidiary income by few farmers and not at commercial scale. The irrigation source was mini tube wells and mini canal. The productivity of the crops was very poor. Many farmers were not able to afford the high input costs of fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation.

Livestock:
Livestock was only grown as subsidiary income source, except by few farmers having herd size (bovine) of 2-5 animals. The animals reared for livelihood were cattle, buffalo and goat. Poultry units on commercial scale were absent. Some farmers started the venture with government support but found it uneconomical and closed it. The livestock breeds were nondescript and low producing. The average milk production per lactation was 300-500 liters in cattle whereas 450-700 liters in buffaloes. Inter-calving period was very high (average 28.4 months in cattle and 32.6 months in buffaloes). The growth rate in goats was poor and one year body weight (pooled) was around 13 Kg. The green fodder availability was poor and concentrate feeing, even in commercial units, is either not practiced or is inadequate.

Livelihood status:
The scenario is comparatively safer in the families having higher land holdings or employment in organized sectors. However, it was highly unsatisfactory with landless or small holder families.

Strength:
Traditionally strong agriculture base, equipped with traditional agricultural practices, marginal use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, comparatively better soil health and mini canals for irrigation.

Weaknesses:
Mostly agriculture is rain-fed. Poor land holding, poor per hectare productivity, inability to afford high input, high unemployment rate leading to higher vulnerability and lack of industrial base.

Opportunities:
There was good scope for increasing the per-unit productivity of land and livestock. Proximity to big city and national highways and diversification of agriculture (including organic production system) were opportunities in the village.

Threats:
Land Fragmentation owing to increase in family size result in dire consequences. Absence of sustainable and profitable livelihood system for lower strata of the society was another threat. Blue bull (scheduled animals) was major threat to agriculture.

Interventions undertaken:
1. Economic and nutritional security through establishment of normal and high density systems of guava, mango, aonla and bel in the barren lands.
2. Zero tillage and resource conservation technologies for sustainable wheat production.
3. Agronomical interventions as SRI in paddy to resist draught and increasing profitability.
4. Commercial honey production through bee keeping.
5  Commercial production of cut flowers like gladiolus.
6. Intervention of suitable high yielding varieties in vegetables.
7. Establishment on farm production organic inputs model involving traditional knowledge pertaining to organic farming for cultivation of agri-horti crops.

Participatory approach through formation of different committees :
The farmers were involved in all the development activities and were motivated to work in groups to share the benefits of the resources generated in the project. Small farmers groups were formed to inculcate the group and social response for them.

Results:
(a) SRI in paddy and zero tillage in wheat
The SRI method in paddy was introduced and this served as a great relief for farmers to cope with initial deficit in rain that occurred during the growing season of paddy. The yield of paddy, in spite of drought conditions was 8.0 t/ha compared to 2.2 t/ha with traditional method. Apart from this the zero tillage in wheat was successfully taken up by the small and marginal farmers which saved them the cost of diesel for one initial irrigation and also the charges for ploughing with the tractor.

(b) Training of farmers :
Three on-farm and eleven off-farm trainings were conducted on various aspects for capacity building as well as human resource developments.

(c) Field camps
More than 50 field camps on various aspects including IPM, IPNM, livestock diseases etc. were conducted.

(d) Plantation of fruit crops
In the previous years, grafts of improved varieties of mango (Dashehari, Chausa and Amrapalli) guava (Lalit, Allahabad Safeda, Sweta and Sardar), Aonla (Krishna, Kanchan, Chakaya, Lakshmi-52 and Narendra-7), Bel (CISH –B1 and B2), banana (Grand Naine), citrus (Pant lemon-1) were provided with the effort of Directorate and transplanted in the farmers field for nutritional and economic security. Vegetables, though conventional methods clusters at limited scale, was found to be not economically viable as a source of income due to high seed and input cost and low production. This was addressed by replacing the traditional varieties with breeder and foundation seeds of released ruling varieties of the agricultural universities and ICAR. Moreover the farmers were being imparted knowledge on seed production of the same to use their own seeds and save the cost of input. Apart from this the fertilizer and pesticide use was minimized by introducing organic farming systems like Biodynamic, Rishi Krishi, Panchgavya and Zero Budget Natural Farming.

(e) Vaccination:
Apart from regular health camps the vaccination of the animals for the various diseases like FMD etc were also taken up with the efforts of the Directorate of Extension.

(f) Commercial horticulture for economic livelihood generation
Several technologies like apiculture, commercial cut flower production, vegetable production and guava cultivation were integrated with the composting technologies and livestock based farming systems for providing economic and nutritional security.