Kisan mobile advisory service (KMAS) was launched for sending agricultural information through Short Message Service (SMS). The content of message was typed in Punjabi language by using English language alphabets and information related to agronomy of crops, insect pest control, horticulture, dairy farming and weather forecasting etc was sent to the end users. 150 farmers were randomly surveyed to know their reaction about the KMAS. Results of the survey showed that majority of the farmers found agricultural information in the form of SMS through mobile phone as useful (69.3%), comprehensible (74.7%) and timely (64.7%). About 15 per cent farmers who registered for KMAS did not utilize the availed service. About nine per cent of the users could not decode SMS due to language barrier. Lack of the interest of the beneficiary due to excessive length of the content was reported by 12.7 percent of the farmers.

The present paper deals with four horticulturally less known Luisia Orchid species diversity resources, distribution and present ecological status in Darjeeling Himalaya of India. Of them, two are sparse, one is rare and another one is threatened status at present in study regions. This attempt is the first step to correct taxonomic identification to workout currently accepted botanical names with ecological status, voucher specimen numbers, habitat, altitudinal ranges, phenology and local and geographical distribution of Luisia species in the regions.

An on-farm study was carried out at six farmers’ field in Roopnagar (Punjab) district during rabi 2010–11 to determine the effect of age of seedlings and lag period to first irrigation on yield, seedling mortality rate, bolting and bulb weight of onion (Allium cepa L.) var. Punjab-Naroya. The trial was conducted in randomized block design. The treatments consisted of transplanting 45 and 60 days old seedlings and application of first irrigation; immediately after transplanting, 2 days after transplanting and 4 days after transplanting. The results showed that seedling mortality rate increased significantly with delay in first irrigation after transplanting and the highest seedling mortality rate was recorded in plots irrigated at 4 days after transplanting irrespective of age of seedlings. Bolting was more in the treatments having 60 days old seedlings as compared to the 45 days old seedlings. However, the effect of different time lags of first irrigation on onion bolting was non-significant. No significant effect of age of seedlings and different lags of first irrigation on bulb weight was observed among all the treatments. The highest yield (326.0 q/ha.) was recorded in fields with 45 days old seedlings irrigated immediately after transplanting while it was the lowest (227.3 q/ha) in the plots having 60 days old seedling irrigated after four days of transplanting. Thus, it was concluded that transplanting of 45 days old seedling of onion crop and applying irrigation immediately after transplanting helps in reducing bolting, seedling mortality and results in significantly higher economic yield.

The present investigation was carried out in rabi 2010–11 at farmers’ fields of District Ferozepur. The intercropping system involved cultivation of summer squash, chilly, capsicum and squash melon as main crop along with cucumber as intercrop under low tunnel technology. These vegetables were also grown as sole crop under transparent polythene sheet by forming low tunnels. Intercropping of chilly and cucumber was the most beneficial treatment to enhance the yield and economic returns of the farmers under low tunnel technology. The next best treatment was cultivation of chilly alone followed by intercropping of capsicum and cucumber. Transparent polythene sheet having 72 inch of width advanced first picking of squash melon by 10.3 days and increased the yield by 41.8 q/ha as compared to 53 inch wide polythene sheet.

Acyclic frost occurs in potato growing belt of Punjab i.e. Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala and adjoining districts which causes huge losses to potato. It severely affects the formation and development of potato tubers. The present study was conducted during the year 2011–12 to find solution of this region specific problem. Three practices evaluated in this study were i) irrigation irrespective of the frost, ii) light irrigations on occurrence of the frost and iii) covering the crop with non-woven polypropylene film after 50 days of sowing and the film was removed after 40 days. The parameters studied were crop damage due to frost, grade of tubers and total yield. The yield was significantly higher (301 q/ha) in covered potatoes as compared to plots without covering (255 q/ha and 225 q/ha). The covering also affected the size of tubers as higher quantity of medium and large sized tubers (83%) were obtained with covering while out of total tubers only 64 to 69 per cent tubers fell in these two categories where potatoes were left uncovered.

The present study highlights useful ethno-botanical information about the uses of plants by the rural population of Jammu province. The study was conducted in eight tehsils of five districts of Jammu province. This folk wisdom, if subjected to scientific studies, could benefit humankind in many ways. The present paper provides information on the indigenous therapeutic application and other traditional uses of 40 plant species belonging to 27 families that are used by the natives of these areas. Information provided includes scientific name, family name, vernacular names and ethno-botanical use clubbed with the common uses. Ethno-botanical plant species were recorded for their medicinal uses and for other remedial purposes by the local inhabitants.

Integrated Disease Management (IDM) is important for reducing threat to environment and for sustaining higher yields. There is need to test and demonstrate IDM technique at farmers’ field for their wide adaptability. On-farm trials and frontline demonstrations were conducted by Krishi-Vigyan-Kendra Anantnag to popularize IDM module to boost, rice production in blast prone area of district Anantnag. Yield improved to the tune of 36 per cent by IDM module over farmers practice plots. Net returns (Rs.47,952/ha) and benefit cost ratio (1.5) were also higher in same practice. An additional income of Rs.16,589/ha was obtained over the farmer\\\’s practice.

The investigation was undertaken among 120 on-campus trainees and 120 off-campus trainees among six purposively selected villages from three blocks The trainees were selected randomly from each selected villages. Two variables namely respondents socio-economic status and their levels of knowledge about the training programme were measured by utilizing pre-structured and pre-tested interview schedule. Findings of the study showed that 42.0 per cent of oncampus trainees had medium socio-economic status followed by low (35.0%) socio-economic status and only 23.0 per cent had high level of socio-economic status. However in case of offcampus trainees, 57.0 per cent had low socio-economic status followed by 40.0 per cent medium level and only 3.0 per cent possessed high level of socio-economic status. The study revealed considerable difference on and off-campus trainees regarding their socio-economic status. It was also found that 26 per cent respondents had medium and low level of knowledge (1.0%), wereas in case of on-campus trainees, 74.0 per cent respondents had medium level of knowledge, 17.0 per cent had high level of knowledge followed by 9.0 per cent who had low level of knowledge about the KVK training programme. This indicates that there has been significant difference between the on and off-campus trainees with regard to this knowledge about KVK training programmes.

India has registered substantial progress in agricultural development. Besides, remarkable growth in food production, improvement in socio-economic life of farming community can also be observed. Population explosion, illiteracy, malnutrition and environmental degradation have become the problems requiring much attention. In this scenario, the focus of development should be shifted to the grass root level, where the farmers need to involve themselves in the process of defining their problems and selecting alternatives based on their own knowledge and resources. This can only be achieved by the participatory communication, the essence of success of which depends on the participation of people starting from needs identification to media utilization. Participatory need based trainings lead to skill development and adoption of new skills whereas horizontal spread of technology between farmers depends upon its usefulness and ease of adoption. Therefore, an attempt has been made to analyze the lessons of participatory communication for development and their implication.

The present study was based on 300 agricultural scientists selected from the three agricultural universities viz. PAU, GBPUAT and HAU. A structured questionnaire was prepared for collecting the relevant data. The data were tabulated and analyzed with the help of appropriate statistical tools by using SPSS. The components of job performance like administration, knowledge of work, communication, team work, employee responsiveness and grand total of the entire component in case of HAU were significantly different from GBPUAT and PAU whereas in decision making, expense management, human resource management and managing change HAU was significantly different from GBPUAT and PAU. GBPUAT and HAU showed significant difference in respect to personal appearance and dependability (p<0.05) and safety (p<0.01) and in between PAU and GBPUAT, teamwork and expense management (p<0.05) and safety p<0.01) showed significant difference with respect to their job performance. In GBPUAT, it was noticed that there was positive and significant correlation between the age of the respondents and job performance and also significant difference was found between males and females job performance where males (131.38) reported higher job performance than females (117.3). In PAU, there was significant difference in job performance of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors and it was positively correlated with their service experience. In HAU, it was observed that there was negative and significant correlation between respondent\\\’s job performance and family income which revealed that as the income increases, job performance declines. In GBPUAT and HAU, the agricultural scientists residing with their families showed significantly (p<0.01) more job performance in comparison to those who were not residing with their families. Greater insights on the relationship between agricultural scientists and their job performance will assist university professionals as they strive to enhance the essentials of agricultural universities in a highly competitive, global arena.

The study was undertaken in Tapi district of South Gujarat. It was observed that initially 78 per cent farmers were possessing low, 16 per cent medium and 6 per cent high level of knowledge whereas after acquiring training the values were 8 per cent for low, 10 per cent for medium and 82 per cent for high level of knowledge regarding gram cultivation. It was noticed that 87.0 per cent of the farmers adopted new high yielding variety followed by land configuration (81.0%), integrated nutrient management (83.0%) and used recommended seed rate (82.0%) after acquiring trainings from the KVK. It was also noticed that due to enhanced knowledge and adoption of scientific practices, the yield of gram increased by 36.7 per cent, 45.8 per cent and 46.2 per cent over the yield obtained under farmer\\\’s practices during the year 2008–09, 200910 and 2010–11, respectively. Thus, study suggests the need of conducting intensive trainings, FLDs and effective use of all means of extension education to educate the gram growers for achieving higher production of gram in the district.

The present study was undertaken in Kheda district in Gujarat with the objectives to study the knowledge and socio – economic status of the dairy farmers in adoption of some improved animal husbandry practices. It was observed that 52 per cent dairy farmers belonged to middle age group, 60 per cent obtained secondary education, 80 per cent had membership of social organisation, 32 per cent possessing marginal land holding and 70 per cent were dependent upon canal irrigation. Fifty four per cent of farmers had big size family (more than five members) whereas 60 per cent had one earning member in a family and 78 per cent were engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. Seventy to ninety per cent of dairy farmers had high level of knowledge regarding breed improvement, nutritional management, water management, improved animal husbandry practices of milking management and disease control practices. Thus, it was concluded that dairy farmers of Kheda tehsil possessed medium to high level of knowledge regarding improved animal husbandry practices.

White root rot caused by Dematophora necatrix is the major threat to apple in Kashmir valley especially in south Kashmir. The moist conditions of the orchards, faulty irrigation system and conversion of paddy fields into orchards were the factors found giving fillip to the disease in the area. To test and popularize the university recommended integrated disease management (IDM) module for apple root rot management, On farm research trials (OFT\\\’s) were conducted during the kharif season of 2007–2008 in farmers participatory mode at three locations in the high altitude area of south Kashmir of Jammu and Kashmir. The experiment consisted of two treatments viz., recommended practice (Pruning of rotted roots and pasting of cut ends with a disinfectant paste + proper drainage + adding more organic matter + Basin irrigation system + drenching with carbendazim 50 WP @0.1%) and farmers practice (which varied from location to location however, exposing the roots of affected plants to sunlight was common). The recommended practice (RP) recorded 56.6 per cent recovery percentage as against 1.66 per cent in farmers practice (FP). Survey conducted during 2010 in 40 villages of district Anantnag and Kulgam on the impact of awareness/training programmes on IDM of apple root rot revealed that out of 81 affected orchards, 60 were treated with RP which showed recovery of 51.6 per cent.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate five varieties of Kiwi viz. Allison, Bruno, Hayward, Monty and Abbott at Dirang, Bomdila and Salari areas under the district in the year 2011–12. 50 per cent leafing was observed after 87, 72, 78, 82,83 days in Abbott, Bruno, Monty, Hayward and Allison varieties respectively after pruning in the first day of February. The 50 per cent flowering was observed in Bruno in 42 days and the Hayward taking the longest time of 46 days. Bruno and Abbott varieties took 14 days to fruit set after flowering while minimum days for fruit set (13 days) was recorded in Allison. The maximum number of fruits per variety, average weight of fruits, fruit yield per plant, number of fruits per plant and fruit yield per ha, highest T.S.S. were recorded in Allison variety. Higher fruit diameter and maturity days were observed in Bruno. Highest fruit length was recorded in Hayward variety. The higher score for appearance, taste, flavour and over all acceptability was accorded to Allison followed by Hayward. Thus, on the basis of yield, taste, flavour and overall acceptability, Allison is the best under West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, India.

A total of 120 farm women belonging to 40 self help groups located in 8 different villages were selected randomly for the collection of required information for the study. It was observed that rural women were able to increase their savings and income with the help of SHGs. The study emphasizes the importance of the self help promoting institutions like banks and the NGOs. The NGO intervention was the major motivating factor for the women to join the SGHs. The women opined that these institutions were initiators for starting income generating activities and their guidance is needed for the smooth functioning of SHGs. Therefore, there is a need to encourage and establish SHGs in all the villages for the betterment of poor particularly the women.

An experiment on recycling of saloon wastes (hair) by vermicomposting has been completed successfully at CSKHPKV, HAREC, Dhaulakuan, District Sirmour (HP) during summer months of May to August, 2010. A good quality compost was obtained in about hundred days using 1 kg culture of African Red Worms (Eudrilus eugeniae), a widely adapted species of earthworms in 10x3x2 ft surface vermibeds of cow dung and human hair mixed in 2:1 (v/v) ratio. These were sprinkled with water twice a week at alternate days. pH and temperature were recorded at weekly interval. The physico-chemical properties and nutritional status of human hair vermicompost, the final product was found equivalent to that of general vermicompost.

The study was conducted on 240 respondents of four panchayat samities of Jaipur and two of Sikar districts of Rajasthan. Two gram panchayat samities from each panchayat samities were selected to know the factors which hinders the adoption of drip irrigation technology. It was concluded that economic motivation, size of land holding, mass media exposure and socioeconomic status were found positively and significantly associated with the extent of adoption of drip irrigation by the farmers while irrigation potentiality found negatively associated with the adoption of drip irrigation technology. Experience in farming was non-significantly associated with the adoption of drip irrigation technology.

The creation, growth and decay of any social system, retaining myriads of life forms, have basically been the concerns and exposition of energy. Social Metabolism envisages a natural connectivity amongst physical, biological and social systems ad their under lying cybernetics. It is the flow of energy that drives the social systems generating information, applying information and transforming the present social process in to a desired social out come. Energy remains retained, shelved and configured within a cell and within a social capsule and also is subject to a ruptured release for unlashing motivations and psychological capabilities. The present paper examines the collision and collusion between imposed technologies vis-a-vis extraneous knowledge vs. intrinsic vis-a-vis in situ knowledge. The rejection of innovation, prescribed by experts, has got a reverse osmosis impact in the entire technology socialization process.

The experiment was conducted at Students’ Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab) during kharif 2009 to study the effect of crop establishment methods and weed control methods on growth and yield. The rice seeds should not be drilled beyond 2 cm depth in the soil regardless of soil type for optimum crop stand. Weed dry matter accumulation, effective tillers and grain yield did not vary significantly among establishment methods. The maximum grain yield (71.06 q) was recorded in weed free treatment which was at par with integrated use of pendimethalin 0.75 kg/ha with bispyribac 0.025 kg or azimsulfuron 0.02 kg/ha.

The Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are now seen as an important tool for development in agriculture. These can play a big role in pushing the agriculture development in Punjab beyond the plateau on which it seems to stuck during last few years. In a study conducted in district Kapurthala, it was emphasised to numerate the availability of such ICT tools with the farmers and their use in agriculture. This study was conducted using sample survey method and farmers were interviewed to collect data. It was found that 41 per cent farmers had landline phone but only 47 per cent of them used it for agriculture purposes. Similarly, 98 per cent farmers possessed television set but only 49 per cent of them used for watching the agriculture related programs. The mobile phone ownership among farmers was more than 98 per cent which are mostly used by them as a social communication tool, whereas, 78 per cent of farmers said that once in while they use their mobile phone for agriculture advisory liking calling agriculture departments or relatives or commission agents to enquire about the rate of produce. Mobile phones were found to be the most powerful means of communication among farmers for exchanging agriculture information. This was probably due to cost affordability, better network, easy availability and cheap tariff rates. Further, the farmers were observed to be dependent on their large social network and took advice from the agricultural scientists, fellow farmers, relatives, commission agents, pesticide dealers and friends. Interestingly, most of the farmers showed their inability to use the agro-advisory received through short message service (SMS) as they were not able to read those SMS. Eighty nine per cent households subscribe to newspaper and read it regularly but were of the view that the information in newspaper related to agriculture and its subsidiary fields is limited. The radio has far less popularity among the farming community. The various other factors which affected the use of such tools in agriculture were age of the farmer, size of the land holding, educational qualification and the cropping system.