KrishiVigyan Kendra (Farm Science Centre) is an innovative institution of ICAR established at district level. The first KVK was established during 1974 and has grown as a largest network in the country with more than 650 KVKs. KVKs are funded by ICAR and administered by ICAR institutes / SAUs /Deemed Universities / Non-government Organizations or State Department of Agriculture.

KVKs play a vital role in conducting on farm testing to identify location specific agricultural technologies and demonstrating the production potential of crops at farmers’ fields through frontline demonstrations. They also conduct need based training programmes for the benefit of farmers and farm women, rural youths and extension personnel to update their knowledge and skills and to orient them in the frontier areas of technology development

KVK are creating awareness about improved agricultural technologies through large number of extension programmes. Critical and quality inputs like seeds, planting materials, organic products, bio-fertilizers and livestock, piglet and poultry strains are produced by the KVKs and made available to the farmers. Agricultural Knowledge and Resource Centres are set up at KVK to support the initiatives of public, private and voluntary sectors at district level.

The mandate of KVK is

• On-farm testing to assess the location specificity of agricultural technologies under various farming systems.

• Organize frontline demonstrations to establish production potential of technologies on the farmer’s fields.

• Capacity development of farmers and extension personnel to update their knowledge and skills in frontier agricultural technologies and enterprises.

• Work as Knowledge and Resource Centre for improving overall agricultural economy in the operational area.

Major Schemes operated in KVK:

• Cluster frontline demonstrations on pulses and oilseeds

• National Innovation on Climate resilient Agriculture (NICRA)

• Tribal Sub Plan (TSP)

• Seed Hubs for Pulses

• Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA)

• Skill Development courses

1. Cluster Frontline Demonstrations on Pulses and Oilseeds:

In order to show the potential of the technologies generated in the Research system and also to increase the area yield per unit area of pulses and oilseeds, the Zonal Directorate of ICAR-ATARI is allocating the Cluster frontline demonstrations on pulses under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) and on oilseeds under Nation Mission on Oil seeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) to almost all the KVKs. Single component and whole package were demonstrated on the farmers fields in 2-3 clusters. During the year 016-17, these demonstrations were conducted in the area of 1030 ha covering eight crops.

2. National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture(NICRA):

Technology Demonstration under NICRA: In order to deal with climatic change under technology demonstration component of NICRA, extensive demonstration of location-specific best practices contributing to climate resilience were organized in 5 districts in Andhra Pradesh. The scheme is implemented at Three (3) KVKs of ANGRAU viz., Amadalavalasa, Srikakulam district, Undi, West Godavari district and Reddipalli, Anantapuramu district.

Objectives:

• To enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture covering crops, livestock and fisheries to climatic variability and climate change through development and application of improved production and risk management technologies.

• To demonstrate site specific technology packages on farmers’ fields for adapting to current climate risks

• To enhance the capacity building of scientists and other stakeholders in climate resilient agricultural research and its application.

Under this component, an integrated package of proven technologies would be demonstrated in one village panchayat in each district for adaptation with an aim to mitigate the ill-effects of climate variability in crop and livestock production systems.

The technological interventions were implemented on participatory mode. The team in each KVK documented the impact of modules with measurable indicators. The progress of the project activities in all NICRA villages was monitored by ATARI, Hyderabad and monitoring cell at CRIDA. The interventions at each NICRA center cover the following four modules:

Module I: Natural Resource Management:

This module consists of interventions related to in-situ moisture conservation, water harvesting and recycling for supplemental irrigation, improved drainage in flood prone areas, conservation tillage where appropriate, artificial ground water recharge and water saving irrigation methods.

Module II: Crop Production:

This module consists of introducing drought/temperature tolerant varieties, advancement of planting dates of rabi crops in areas with terminal heat stress, water saving paddy cultivation methods (SRI, aerobic, direct seeding), frost management in horticulture through fumigation, community nurseries for delayed monsoon, location specific intercropping systems with high sustainable yield index.

Module III: Livestock and Fisheries:

This module consists of use of community lands for fodder production during droughts/floods, improved fodder/feed storage methods, preventive vaccination, improved shelters for reducing heat stress in livestock, management of fish ponds/tanks during water scarcity and excess water, etc.

Module IV: Institutional Interventions:

This module consists of institutional interventions either by strengthening the existing ones or initiating new ones relating to seed bank, fodder bank, commodity groups, custom hiring centre, collective marketing and introduction of weather index based insurance and climate literacy through a village level weather station.

Details of NICRA villages in Andhra Pradesh

Successful technologiesKVK-wise of NICRA scheme:

1. KVK, Srikakulam:

• Zero tillage maize

• Direct seeding of paddy with ferti cum seed drill

• Flood tolerant Paddy varieties – PLA 1100, MTU 1061

• HYV green gram LGG-460

2. KVK, Undi:

• Flood tolerant varieties like MTU 1061, MTU 1064 and MTU 1121

• Direct seeding with drum seeder/ broadcasting in paddy

• Mechanical transplanting in paddy

• Cultivation of summer pulses

• Soil health improvement green manure crops and bio-fertilizers

• Water quality monitoring and disease management in fish ponds

3. KVK, Reddipalli:

• Spraying of fungicide at pod filling stage in Groundnut + Redgram intercropping system

• Groundnut improved variety Dharani for drought tolerance

• Insitu moisture conservation practices – Conservative furrow and deep ploughing with sub soiler/chisel plough.

• Farm Pond technology

• SRI / semi dry rice followed by zero tillage maize under wells and borewells in Anantapuramu district

3. TRIBAL SUB PLAN (TSP):

The strategy of Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) has been in force since 1974 to ensure adequate flow of plan resources for bridging the gap in the socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes for ensuring faster, sustainable and more inclusive growth. Funds from plan are allocated under TSP in proportion to the Tribal population of the country which is 8.2 % as per 2001 Census. Guidelines on formulation, implementation and monitoring of TSP have been issued by the planning commission time to time to the 62 central ministries / departments implementing TSP.

OBJECTIVES OF TSP

The primary objective of TSP is to bridge the gap between ST population and others by accelerating development by securing them to,

• Enhanced access to education and health

• Providing basic amenities including housing

• Reducing poverty and unemployment through creation of productive assets and income generating opportunities

• Enhanced capacity to avail opportunities , gain rights and entitlements and improved facilities at par with other areas

• Protection against exploitation and oppression

This scheme is implemented at KVK, Rastakuntubai, KVK, Amadalavalasa, KVK, Darsi

4. Seed-Hubs for Pulses:

To make India self-sufficient in pulses production, availability of quality seed is one of the most crucial factors which ensures enhanced per unit yield of pulses in farmers’ fields. For augmenting the availability of quality seeds of pulses, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India, has sanctioned a project on “Creation of seed hubs for increasing indigenous production of pulses in India” for a period of two years (2016-17 and 2017-18). This project aims at establishing 150 seed hubs across the country in State Agricultural Universities/KrishiVigyanKendras/ /ICAR Institutes and will be coordinated and monitored by ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research (IIPR), Kanpur.

The project is implemented at three (3) KVKs viz., Reddipalli, Amadalavalasa and Ghantasala.

5. Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA):

• Youth plays vital role in meaningfully transforming Agriculture in India. According to national youth policy, youth in the age group of 15-35 are defined as young. The youth population is estimated to be 57 corers by 2016. At present, 35 % of the total population is in the age group of 15-35 years, out of which 75 % live in rural areas.

• In order to create interest and confidence among rural youth in agriculture, there is a need to make agriculture more profitable. Retaining youth in agriculture and making agriculture more profitable are thus, big challenges.

• Thus, realizing the importance of rural youth in agricultural development especially from the point of view of food security of the country, ICAR has initiated a program on “Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture” (ARYA).

Project Objectives:

• To attract and empower the Youth in Rural Areas to take up various Agriculture, allied and service sector enterprises for sustainable income and gainful employment in selected districts,

• To enable the Farm Youth to establish net work groups to take up resource and capital intensive activities like processing, value addition and marketing, and

• To demonstrate functional linkage with different institutions and stakeholders for convergence of opportunities available under various schemes/ program for sustainable development of youth.
The scheme is implemented at KVK, Nellore.

6. Skill Development Courses:

India has about 161 million hectares of arable land of which 55 million is irrigated. With the increase in population the demand for food and agri produce is increasing, but the supply is constant due to low agricultural productivity. This is predominantly due to improper farm management practices and loss in post harvest handling. There is a requirement for specific set of skills in the field of Agriculture.

Considering the above factors, Agriculture Skill Council of India was set up in January 2013 as a ‘Section 25’ company under Companies act of Ministry of Company Affairs.

The ASCI is targeting to touch/ upgrade skills of about 56.49 Million of Cultivators, Agricultural Labours and Direct and Indirect labour engaged in Organized and Unorganized Agriculture Industry viz,. Farm Inputs, Procurement, Supply Chain, Warehousing / Logistics etc. The Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI) is being designed to cater to the following customers of the Agriculture Industry:

Farmers

Farm & Wage Workers

Self Employed

Extension Workers

Skill Development courses for not less than 200 hrs were organized at KVK, Undi, West Godavari District during 2016-17. Other KVKs Viz.., Amadalavalasa, Garikapadu, Nellore, Kadapa and Kalyandurg are also selected by the ICAR for conducting these type of courses.

Other Activities:

1.World Soil Health Day on 5th December every year

2. Training cum awareness programmes on Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Act (PPV & FRA)

3. Awareness programme on PradhanaMantriFasalBeemaYojana (PMFBY)

4. One year course of DAESI (Diploma in Agricultural Extension for Service input dealers)

5. Training Programmes for strengthening the role of VittanaMitras

6. Vocational training programmes for Entrepreneurship Development

Strengthening of KVKs with external funding:

Other Activities:

1.Electronic Media Centre was sanctioned for Rs.13.40 crores

2. Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Extension (4.60 crores)

3. Training cum Demonstration Centres at 3 KVKs (7.30 crores)

4. Post Harvesting and Value Addition units at 4 KVKs (4.00 Crores)

5.Storage Godowns at 8 KVKs (2.00 crores)

6. Integrated Farming System Complex at 7 KVKs ( 3.50 Crores)

7.Strengthening of Soil Testing Laboratories at 4 KVKs (1.00 Crore )

8. Millet and Tomato processing units at 5 KVKs (0.22 crore)

9. Poultry Hatchery Units at 12 KVKs (0.12 crore)

2. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

An amount of Rs. 3.66 crores was sanctioned(2016-17) for strengthening the KVKs with farm mechanization for demonstration and custom hiring, spawn and mushroom production units, vermicompost units, seed processing and storage godowns, information centres, integrated farming system, micro irrigation, value addition units.

AWARDS RECEIVED:

1. ICAR ZONAL BEST AWARD

• KVK,Amadalavalasaof Srikakulam district has received the ICAR Zonal BEST KVK among the 78 KVKs functioning in the States of AP, Telangana and Maharashtra for the year 2015 from the Union Minister at New Delhi on ICAR FOUNDAITION DAY

• First time the KVK of ANGRAU has received the ICAR award.

• The award consists of memento, certificate and a cash incentive of Rs. 4.11 lakhs

2. MAHINDRA SAMMAN INDIA AGRI AWARD:

• KVK, KADAPA received NATIONAL BEST KVK award and received from the Union Agricultural Minister Sri K. Radha Mohan Singh at Hotel Ashoka for the Year 2015, New Delhi for its great service done on women empowerment

3. BEST KVK AWARDS:

• The University has initiated the Best KVK and Best DAATTC awards during the year of 2015 and certificate and memento are given to the institute. These are presented in the Research and Extension Advisory Council meetings. The applications are evaluated with a committee appointed by the Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of the University.

• KVK, Amadalavalasa received BEST KVK during the Year 2015

• KVK, Kadapa has received the BEST KVK during the Year 2016

Krishi Vigyan Kendra Portal:

• Union agriculture ministry launched an exclusive portal for the existing KrishiVigyanKendras (KVKs) - http://kvk.icar.gov.in - which are established in rural districts of the country to have direct interface with farmers.

• It will work as a platform to provide information and advisory to farmers on real-time basis. Weather and market-related information can also be accessed by the farmers and others through this portal.

Innovations:

• Farm Science Clubs to transfer the technology through students to the parents in the tribal areas

• Tribal Youth Network for promoting the farmer to farmer extension

• Pocket cards (Pocket calendar type) with critical interventions to the target farmers

• Krishi Vigyan Mobile App on major crops (more than 10000 farmers downloaded)