The important role of farmer-scientist communication in technology dissemination… Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Dr. Indra Mani

The important role of farmer-scientist communication in technology dissemination… Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Dr. Indra Mani

 Eighth episode of Online Farmer-Scientist Agriculture Dialogue Program Completed

Correspondent Parbhani

Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University Directorate of Extension Education and Department of Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra in collaboration with Department of Entomology and Cropsap Project of Department of Agriculture successfully started online Farmer-Scientist Agriculture Dialogue Program Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor Dr. Indra Mani  under guidence and Director of Extension Education Dr.Bhagwan Asewar  conceived by and the eighth part of the program was concluded on 23rd August. Honorable Vice-Chancellor Dr.indra mani speaking from the chair of this program. Indra Mani said that in the Parli Vaidyanath state level agricultural festival, the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Hon. Mr. Shivrajsinh Chauhan and State Agriculture Minister Hon.  Mr.  Dhananjaya Munde suggested that there is a need to emphasize the use of drones as well as nano-fertilizers to reduce agricultural input and labor costs.  The university has already been working on this matter and is playing a key role in this regard for the effective use of drones at the national level and setting standardized guidelines in this regard.  Farmers need to get sustainable income and get government help for farm losses but this leads to a double loss as the farm produce received by the government and the inputs used by the farmers, the labor taken by them is wasted. To avoid this, farmers need to have effective access to university developed technology and this Farmer-Scientist Interaction Program is playing an important role for this. This program was started two months ago and is continuously being organized every Friday with guidance on various topics being innovated and enhanced. It has major contribution from Directorate of Extension Education and Department of Agriculture of the University. It was asserted that in the future, an excellent model of extension system for agricultural development will be made by coordinating between the university, state government, as well as the agricultural department of the district council, agricultural science centers, non-governmental organizations, farmer producer organizations.

Introductory Director of Extension Education Dr. Bhagwan Asewar did it. In the technical session, Dr. Kailas Dakhore gave weather advice and entomologist Dr. Baswaraj Bhede and plant pathologist Dr. Chandrashekhar Ambadkar about the difference between cotton blight and sudden blight and its management guided.  A large number of farmers and extension workers from all the eight districts of Marathwada including Chandrapur, Washim, Jalgaon districts participated and they asked various questions about agriculture, the Director of Extension Education of the University Dr. Bhagwan Asewar, Head of Department Dr. Purushottam Neharkar, Scientist Dr.  Arvind Pandagale. Dr. Gajanan Gadade, Dr. Baswaraj Bhede, Dr. Suryakant Pawar, Dr. Anant Lad gave satisfactory answers. Also rooting of mangrove crops in subsequent programs. He gave an enthusiastic response to the program by demanding from the farmers to organize guidance on Mosambi fruit, watermelon cultivation and natural farming.