A B Rai

Perceived Effectiveness of Indigenous Technological Knowledge (ITK) of Insect and Vertebrate Pests Management in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract Indigenous technological knowledge is considered as a traditional knowledge that inherited from their ancestors, unique to a culture, society and environment. In this article we documented uses of such local knowledge used by the local farmers of seven villages form Varanasi, Deoria and Mirzapur districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India for their crop protection. Data were collected from 140 respondents (twenty from each village) and 60 respondents who had visited the institute from these three districts during farmers’ fair and farmers’ training and whole making a total of 200 respondents. The farmers in the study developed notable innovations to control major pests of agricultural and horticultural crops such as use of ashes to control vegetable insect pests; use of onion/garlic bulbs, neem leaves, salt crystals, wheat straw, brick kiln powder etc. to prevent store grain pests of cereals; ash and kerosene mixture to repel the sucking pests of rice at milky stage; well-rotted fish scales against Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus); red chilli pods against bruchids in pulses; salt and turmeric powder mixture against ants; use of neem cake to repel termite and other soil insects etc. The local farmers were following these practices because of easy availability, eco-friendly, easy to handle, do not leave any harmful residue, pose any threat to develop resistance and resurgence of secondary pests, easy to apply and compatible with other pest management techniques and socio-cultural situation of the farmers.

e-Readiness: Its Relational Perspectives with Profile of Extension Functionaries

ICT can play an important role in some of the important areas especially agricultural extension activities, promoting market-led extension, sustainable agriculture development and participatory researches in extension services, are Information technology can help by enabling the extension workers to gather, store, retrieve and disseminate a broad range of information needed by farmers, thus transforming the extension workers into knowledge workers. There are many factors that contribute to the e-readiness of a nation, but it is important to determine through data-based investigations the factors that actually contribute to the e-readiness progress of a nation, particularly in the developing countries. An attempt has been made to study the variables influencing the e-readiness at the individual and the institutional level of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in Uttar Pradesh. Functionaries of the KVKs were selected as respondents of the study based on the whole enumeration method. Variables like experience, innovation proneness, organisational climate and decision-making pattern were found to be correlated with the overall institutional e-readiness of KVKs. The variables age, job performance and mass media exposure were found to be highly correlated with e-readiness as compared to others variables. It was found that less experienced and young professionals are more e-ready compared to old and experienced professionals. Job satisfaction was found to be a more influencing variable having positive significant correlation with ereadiness of NGO KVK professionals. Variables like age, experience, job satisfaction, job performance, organisational climate, decision-making pattern and mass media exposure were correlated with the overall individual e-readiness of KVK respondents.

e-Readiness 4D: An Analysis

e-Readiness (electronic readiness) assesses the quality of a countrys information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and the ability of its consumers, businesses and governments to use ICT to their benefit. In the context of agriculture, an effort was made to conceptualise the issue at individual and institutional level. The pre-requisite for incorporating ICTs in agricultural development is e-ready extension educationist (EE), e-ready extension service provider (ESP) and e-ready farmer (EF). The e-ready EEs can cater to the information needs of ESPs and farmers. They can be pivotal agents in transforming the farmer EF. The EF thus can have access to the ‘information’, the key input for agricultural production process. Keeping the issues associated with Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and e-readiness, a study was planned with the objective of analysing the extent of e-readiness of KVK functionaries. The extent of e-readiness of the respondents becomes basic indicator of future possibilities. The study was conducted in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Whole enumeration method was adopted. A total of 268 functionaries constituted sample of the study. Correlation and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse relational perspectives with profile of functionaries of KVKs. The study reveals the readiness of functionaries with respect to five elements of e-readiness. It is evident from the study that 81.06 per cent of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) KVKs were e-ready followed by 78.37 per cent of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) (KVKs) and 75.38 per cent had of State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) (KVKs). On the contrary, in case of e-readiness gap, a maximum gap of 24.61 per cent was found in SAU KVKs followed by 21.65 per cent in ICAR KVKs and 18.94 per cent in NGO KVKs. The e-readiness of KVKs revealed that 78.25 per cent were found to be e-ready, and 21.74 are having e-readiness gap.

e-Readiness for Agricultural Development

Experiential acquisition of knowledge is the most proper form of information attainment. Information seeking is thus a natural and necessary mechanism of human existence. The present era is the era of information and knowledge revolution. Many electronic resources are available. The increase in information availability on the web has affected information seeking behavior. To provide empirical evidence to the concept, an attempt was made to understand the process of ‘m-learning’ of farmers in Shivarajpur block of Kanpur district. The respondents (75) were analysed using before after method of experimental design. The study revealed that there was significant difference in gain in knowledge in seeds and sowing, plant protection measures and harvesting and marketing aspects. Extension professionals were ready to provide services and at the same time farmers were ready to accept services which are of their need. All these aspects where the difference was significant in the areas which are directly related to market. The study indicates that farmers are becoming e-ready, the beginning is through mobile services. In due course of time they will be prepare themselves for e-mediated extension services. Hence, the study conceptualized e-readiness as “e-readiness is the degree to which an individual is able to afford information and communication technology tools and techniques, possess Skill of application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and techniques for his/her development and he/she can access the communication tools and has the necessary infrastructure and policy support to exploit the potentials of ICT”. The primary level of readiness includes the individual e-readiness, then the institutional, the state or the nation will automatically become in the “ready”.