Farmer’s Producer Organization (FPO) based extension delivery model performs better than the conventional extension delivery model. For assessing the efficiency of FPO based extension model, an initiative was taken at ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi by conceptualizing ‘Training to Marketing Model’ in mushroom production.   A three-day residential training programme on Nutritional security and women empowerment through mushroom production was organised during last week of August, 2021. Among 20 farm women participants, 10 were FPO members and rest 10 were not associated with any FPO. Hands on training was provided through learning by doing approach. Post training, participants were encouraged to prepare mushroom bags and start mushroom production at their household level. After one month, during last week of September 2021, team of scientists from ICAR-IIVR visited the villages to see the progress in mushroom production. The team found out that...

A collaborative work between ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal and ICAR-CAZRI KVK, Pali was undertaken to enhance the livelihood resilience of a resource-poor farming community- increasingly grappling with multiple stressors- in Pali district of Rajasthan, India. The aim was to align the proven institutional technologies with the time-tested local practices to sustain the crop production and enhance the farmers’ income in the salt-affected soils. Although open-well irrigation system has been quite effective in sustaining the crop production in the study area, a set of factors- silting, poor upkeep and strong climate variability- have caused appreciable degradation in water availability and quality over the past decade. A total of 86 farmers from five villages (Rampura, Rupawas, Dholeria, Mukanpura and Hemawas) of Pali district, facing soil and water salinity problems, climate change impacts and poor access to institutional knowledge, were mobilized through applying different extension tools...

India is the largest producer of millets in the world, and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) accounts for about two-thirds of millet production in the country. Dual-purpose crop pearl millet is grown in light to medium textured soils of dry regions of arid and semi-arid areas for food grain and green/dry fodder in India. Pearl millet has now been emphasized as nutri-cereal food for resource-poor villagers. Fortunately, the farmers in these areas practice livestock-based farming systems wherein they feed pearl millet straw to the livestock. It was grown with traditional practices in undulated land in rainfed areas. This resulted in low productivity, profitability, and rainwater erosion in the rainy season.   The pearl millet crop is mainly grown during the rainy season on marginal lands with low inputs, and efficient weed management is a significant challenge. There is a need to acquire an energy-efficient and eco-friendly methodology for weed management, including...

Cultivation of traditional rice cultivars and poor farm mechanization in low lying rice monoculture often restrict the net system productivity and reduce farmers’ profitability in Mizoram as compare to other parts of our country. Being the principal food crop, state has expanded low-lying areas of 16,166 ha with average wetland rice productivity of 2.27 t/ ha. However, poor irrigation infrastructure restricts the scope of practicing rabi agriculture. In order to improve the net system productivity through introduction of high yielding varieties, cropping intensification and farm mechanization, ICAR-ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Mizoram Center initiated community based farm technology demonstrations in five different locations at Mizoram under Tribal Sub Plan. (2016-2021; Table 1). Table 1: Details of selected sites for technology demonstration under Tribal Sub Plan. Sl. No. Name of the farmers’ Group Village...

Water spinach is commonly used as a food plant. The leaves are a good source of minerals, vitamins and is considered a possible source of food protein. It also possesses several medicinal properties. Water spinach is rich in fiber and aids in digestion. Being rich in iron, its beneficial for people with anemia as well as for those who require iron in their diets.   All parts of the young plant of water spinach are edible. Water spinach is commonly grown in waterlogged areas. However, such cultivation requires cumbersome practices for plant protection measures and harvesting. This also invites water pollutants harmful for human health. Therefore, an attempt was made for scientific cultivation of Water spinach in upland field conditions by ICAR-Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi and promising results were obtained for the same. The technology is simple and can be cultivated round the year which can be boon for the socio-economic upliftment of the growers...