Agriculture Research:
Agricultural Research is one of the fundamental areas that need to be equipped with the most modernization techniques as it would directly support the well being of the farmer and indirectly, the nation.
The research must ensure quality standards from sowing to marketing the agricultural produce for reasonable rates. The fundamental objective of the research must be to promote and provide advance agricultural methods which could be used in agriculture and agro-forestry.
The research must aim at finding solutions to predominant agricultural problems faced by farmers every day on the fields. There must be a thorough interaction with the farmers across the nation for better outputs. Because unless the problem is examined from close quarters, solution designing would be difficult and less impacting.
The results of the research must ensure good quality of inputs and highly adaptable techniques that should guarantee abundant and quality yields. This is the only way to sustain the agrarian economy and encourage new comers to take up this venture.
The entire process must be centered on new and emerging technology and concepts sufficient enough to provide the food security for the entire nation. The research must size-ably impact on issues impacting the agriculture sector and must ensure overall development.
Agriculture Extensions :
Agricultural extensions are a phenomenon where the research is brought out of the concrete jungle into the farms where actual implementation is needed. The extensions must aim at creating agricultural policies, document the facts faced by the farmers of various regions and develop an advisory group to counsel the farmers.
Agricultural extensions go beyond the designing area into the execution area. The fundamentals of this activity must adhere to operational viability, develop future vision approach, bring all farmers on one podium and utilize the online services to reach more at one point of time. With this fundamentals well guarded the success of this process is inevitable.
Agricultural extensions must work extensively on developing tools that serve the needs of the farmer of a particular area. The awareness and the research must bring in more micro-enterprises to make the deal very lucrative. This is one aspect that is dampening today’s farmer as their hunger is never fulfilled by their present activity and hence they are on the lookout for greener pastures. Once this process is well developed there would arise a situation where even the most educated would like to take a dive into this sector.
Agricultural extensions must work on four pillars of guidance. The first one being the Reach. The project must serve a vast group of farmers for better utility. The second is the Technology that needs to be harnessed resulting in better standards in inputs, process and sales. The third is Human Capital. Farmers empowered with the best standards would strive to deliver the best. Hence it is very important to make the farmer understand the process and enrich them on overall developments.
The fourth is the most important phenomenon for best outputs. That is Interaction, when a meeting is organized with farmers, their interaction between themselves could pave way for designing a better strategy that could benefit the entire nation. Agricultural extensions projects that safeguard these four pillars are sure to thrive and help the farmers better.
On Farm Water Management:
On Farm Water Management (OFWM) is a vital issue that needs to be well-handled by all the stake holders. Because water is the most essential input in farming. Less availability or over supply could either ways be harmful for delivering the desired outputs. Only exact amount of water required as per the crop, would make the process yield optimal results.
OFWM must envisage the modalities like provide farmers with enhanced, consistent and reasonable distribution for water for irrigation. OFWM must concentrate on improving stratum of the water flow while concentrating on the upstream channeling. This would directly impact the farm output while ensuring food security that would aid in providing better living standards for farmers.
OFWM must demonstrate and spread improved water utility processes using modern technology that is easy to install and operate. They must also be very cost effective, to make them ideal to use. The core objective of the process must enhance the efficiency coupled with agronomic water saving measures.
OFWM must encourage the needs of supplements like drip / sprinkler irrigation process while enhancing irrigation schedules suitable to the needs of a particular region. OFWM must develop an ideal lift irrigation design as per the demands after geographical survey of the farming land in comparison to the available water resources at source.
OFWM must also calculate the environments issues in designing water management techniques. The most important aspect is that it needs well guided efforts to conserve the available resource for best outputs.
