Research Priorities

Major Research Areas

1. Catalyze direct outreach interface of agricultural technologies for their application, climate action and feedback.
2. Skilling and capacity development through need-based training of farmers, farm women, youths and extension functionaries; and develop suitable convergence and partnerships for reaching the unreached.
3. Act as an information, knowledge and Innovation Hub to collate, compile, publish and disseminate useful agricultural knowledge and providing farm advisories through digital platforms.
4. Complimenting locally relevant critical inputs for accelerating adoption.
5. Leverage and strengthen innovative non-linear extension through online data capture system for double feedback loop, public-private partnerships and other media.
6. Refining agricultural technologies, practices and policies with gender perspective for nutrition, health and livelihood strategy.

Key Challenges Addressed

1. Technology Adoption Gap: Bridging the gap between agricultural research and field-level application through effective technology assessment, demonstrations and farmer feedback.
2. Skill and Capacity Need: Addressing the need for continuous, demand-driven skill development among farmers, farm women, rural youth and extension functionaries.
3. Knowledge and Information Gaps: Ensuring timely access to reliable agricultural information, digital knowledge resources and location-specific farm advisories.
4. Limited Reach and Inclusion: Reaching unreached and underserved farming communities through innovative extension approaches, convergence and multi-stakeholder partnerships.
5. Inadequate Access to Critical Inputs and Resources: Facilitating access to locally relevant critical inputs to accelerate adoption of improved agricultural practices.
6. Climate Vulnerability and Gender-Insensitive Technologies: Promoting climate-resilient agriculture and refining technologies, practices and policies with a gender perspective to improve nutrition, health, livelihoods and the empowerment of farm women.

Emerging/Future Areas

1. AI-Enabled and Data-Driven Agricultural Extension: Leveraging artificial intelligence, digital platforms, precision technologies and real-time feedback for personalized, location-specific farm advisories and efficient technology dissemination.
2. Market-Led Extension and Agri-Entrepreneurship: Strengthening FPOs, value chains, public–private partnerships, value addition and agribusiness opportunities to enhance farmers’ profitability, rural employment and youth entrepreneurship.
3. Impact Assessment and Outcome-Based Extension: Moving beyond activity-based monitoring towards measurable outcomes in technology adoption, farm income, productivity, sustainability and farmer empowerment.