Extension of Technologies : From Labs to Farms

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Acknowledgment. I. Fundamentals and applications: 1. Introduction. 2. Theoretical orientation. 3. Research methodology. 4. Results, discussions and conclusions. Annexure. References. II. Techniques and implementations: 5. Proven conventional extension techniques and approaches for transfer of technologies/K. Chandrakandan and N. Anandaraja. 6. Modern communication tools in transfer of technology/N. Anandaraja, G. Sujhi, M. Ramasubramanian and G. Gayathri. 7. Technology foresight and rural development/R. Chidambaram. 8. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Services. 9. Video conferencing in technology transfer. 10. Cyber extension approaches in India: an overview/V.P. Sharma. 11. Expert system applications in agriculture/Ahmed Rafea. 12. A study on various expert systems in agriculture/G.N.R. Prasad and A. Vinaya Babu. 13. Precision farming in Indian context: role of remote sensing/S.S. Ray, S. Panigrahy and J.S. Parihar. 14. Information Technology and decision support systems in AGL. 15. A framework of information technology based agriculture information dissemination system to improve crop productivity/P. Krishna Reddy. 16. Mobile map technology/Aymen A. Solyman. 17. Development and dissemination of remote sensing and GIS technologies at SAC/R.P. Dubey. 18. Application of GIS on small farm and dairy management: Sarasa Green, Durgapur West-Bengal/Anit Ghose, Jayeeta Dey and Prasenjit Dwary. 19. Selected success stories on agricultural information system. 20. Rural information and knowledge system: a case study from Russia/S. Janakiram. 21. Information communication technology for women experience of women managed internet Kiosks at Melur, Tamilnadu/K. Narender and N. Anandaraja. 22. Future perspectives of farm extension services for Indian farmers: a holistic approach/K. Chandrakandan and N. Anandaraja.

"The focus of technology development in agriculture in the last half of 20 century was to increase the production efficiency of the farm. For this, the Indian farmers should be updated with latest knowledge to compete for global marketing. They must have the right information at the right time which is possible through new information technologies resulted in many non-agricultural fields. In the world of information of communication technology, the most commonly available IT tools for transfer of agricultural technology in Indian context are radio, television, video, telephone and mobile phone, printed media, computer and internet. This book is an outcome of the rich experiences of research work carried out by the editors and contributors.

Information Technology has rooted well as one of the tools of transfer of technology which are being used by both public and private sectors for the benefit of farmers. Village knowledge centers of MSSRF, E-coupals of Indian Tobacco Company, Kisan Kendras of Rallies, Kisan Bharath Kendras of United Phosphorus Limited, Cyber Extension services of EID Parry's Kisan Call Centers (KCC), AGRISNET AGMARKNET are few good examples to quote. Hence, this book entitled "Extension of Technologies: From Labs to Farms" is an effort to limelight the potentiality of this tool in the field of agricultural extension in general and transfer of technology in particular."