<p>The University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UASB) is becoming increasingly popular for a reason that very few will associate agricultural universities with — growing organic vegetables. Its two-acre demonstration plot on organic cultivation has brought urbanites of various backgrounds into its fold.<br /><br /> Be it young parents who bring their kids for a fun-filled learning experience; aware consumers who prefer to buy directly from the source; new-generation farmers who want to assimilate the basics of the occupation; or students who are keen to understand the life cycle of plants and insects — the Research Institute on Organic Farming (RIOF) situated on the university’s campus has something for all. While many universities have been pursuing research on organic cultivation of crops, RIOF has gone a step further by translating research into practice. <br /><br />Focal point<br />Established in 2009, RIOF started reaching out to organic enthusiasts in 2013 by setting up research and demonstration plots. In the 12.5 acres area reserved for this purpose, a vegetable cultivation demonstration plot has been developed in 1.25 acres. An area of 2.5 acres is reserved for related experiments. While the purpose is mainly research, Dr N Devakumar, coordinator of the institute, has made the institute accessible to organic enthusiasts as well. “We want to involve people in the process and help youngsters who want to take up farming. This is the first such effort in the entire country,” explains Devakumar. As a result, both conventional and new-age farmers come here for guidelines and solutions. <br /><br />“I was surprised to see chemical-intensive crops like cabbage and cauliflower being grown here in an eco-friendly way,” says Venugopal C N, a software professional-turned-organic farmer. “While various universities have been researching on organic farming, their extension work is not effective. Thus, much of the good work gets restricted to research papers. Devakumar and his team’s work holds significance against that background.”<br /><br />The main objective of RIOF is to build confidence among organic farming practitioners. It is being fulfilled as many farmers and enthusiasts from across the State visit the institute to understand the basics of farming. In the past three and a half years, over 600 farmers, including 200 new entrants, have sought guidance from the institute. People who seek suggestions also include those from industry and marketing sectors. “We have a database of farmers, bulk suppliers and retailers. This helps people who are new to the field,” says Devakumar. <br /><br />Recently, a directory on organic farming, which contains an exhaustive list of farmers, retailers, resource persons, research institutes, farms, etc has been released. Apart from developing a package of practice that is rooted in field experience for organic crops and validating organic inputs, RIOF has also attracted common people to be part of its initiative. “Though there are full-time field workers, they don’t stop us from getting hands-on experience. Also, exposure to this effort has helped me develop a kitchen garden.<br /><br /> Now, I make it a point to collect heritage seeds from wherever I visit. I have realised that mixed cropping and crop rotation are important for chemical-free management of vegetables,” says Rashmi, who is a frequent visitor. <br /><br />Over 20 varieties of vegetables are grown in 36 blocks of the demonstration plot throughout the year. The focus is more on vegetables as the aim is to change the general belief that it is difficult to grow them without chemical inputs. The vegetables are sold thrice a week. Devakumar has created a WhatsApp group to inform the availability of vegetables to enthusiasts. There are about 200 regular customers, and some of them buy vegetables for their friends and relatives too. “There is no doubt about its quality. Moreover, we get it at a competitive price,” says Krishna Nayak, a consumer. The system is in place for the last three years and many admit that their general health has improved after they started consuming organic produce on a regular basis. <br /><br />Eventually, buying vegetables becomes just an excuse for people to be part of the initiative. “The thought of getting farming experience in the heart of the city thrills me. Interestingly, the atmosphere here is such that we are made to feel that it is our own farm. Our kids also get exposure to the simple pleasures of life,” says Tejaswini, a corporate employee. “It is very rare to see such people-centric projects at research institutes.” General feedback by the visitors indicates that the other objective of the initiative — to show different crops and cultivation methods to people who don’t have exposure to farming — has also been fulfilled.<br /><br />Extension programme<br />A similar effort in Mysuru is showing how need-based programmes can change the fixed notions about farm extension units. “Be it a disease or a new crop, help is just a phone call away,” says P Madappa of Ayarahalli in Mysuru district. Many farmers in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts voice the same opinion. The reach of the Horticulture Extension Education Unit attached to the College of Horticulture in Mysuru is not limited to only these districts that are under its jurisdiction, but extends to districts as far as Bagalkot and Bidar too. <br /><br />The unit has created a couple of crop specific and general WhatsApp groups. The groups, which have farmers, researchers and policy makers as members, discuss micro to macro level issues. If there is any problem, farmers click images and post it on the group. The discussions that follow not only help the concerned farmer but also others. Such platforms have made the lives of farmers a lot easier as they use them to clear doubts, obtain solutions for their problems, get updates on various crops, and even network with like-minded people. “We have formed the WhatsApp group as we believe in collective wisdom,” says Harish B S, extension leader and assistant professor at the college. Though the focus is on eco-friendly cultivation, they suggest both chemical and organic inputs. The themes of the groups include organic horticulture, horticulture solutions and crop solutions . <br /><br />“Each farmer is different and every piece of land is unique. Hence, a general package of practice doesn’t cater to the diverse needs of the farmers. Unless the suggestions are customised, they won’t be of much use to the farmers,” says Harish. <br /><br />Some other unique efforts of the extension unit include engaging experienced and innovative farmers as resource persons at training sessions, constant follow-up with farmers after the training sessions, and demonstration and exhibition on various aspects of cultivating a crop. “We don’t wait for the farmers to approach us. If we come to know about any problem or innovation, we go there and record the experiences,” says Harish. Facilitating networking among farmers is another important effort of the extension unit. Recently, it had organised a farmers’ exposure visit to innovative farmers’ fields. “In this activity, scientists were just facilitators. Farmers interacted with each other and got their doubts cleared,” he says.<br /><br />At a time when farming is at crossroads, such initiatives not only provide technical guidance, but also the much-needed moral support to farmers, particularly freshers.</p>
<p>The University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (UASB) is becoming increasingly popular for a reason that very few will associate agricultural universities with — growing organic vegetables. Its two-acre demonstration plot on organic cultivation has brought urbanites of various backgrounds into its fold.<br /><br /> Be it young parents who bring their kids for a fun-filled learning experience; aware consumers who prefer to buy directly from the source; new-generation farmers who want to assimilate the basics of the occupation; or students who are keen to understand the life cycle of plants and insects — the Research Institute on Organic Farming (RIOF) situated on the university’s campus has something for all. While many universities have been pursuing research on organic cultivation of crops, RIOF has gone a step further by translating research into practice. <br /><br />Focal point<br />Established in 2009, RIOF started reaching out to organic enthusiasts in 2013 by setting up research and demonstration plots. In the 12.5 acres area reserved for this purpose, a vegetable cultivation demonstration plot has been developed in 1.25 acres. An area of 2.5 acres is reserved for related experiments. While the purpose is mainly research, Dr N Devakumar, coordinator of the institute, has made the institute accessible to organic enthusiasts as well. “We want to involve people in the process and help youngsters who want to take up farming. This is the first such effort in the entire country,” explains Devakumar. As a result, both conventional and new-age farmers come here for guidelines and solutions. <br /><br />“I was surprised to see chemical-intensive crops like cabbage and cauliflower being grown here in an eco-friendly way,” says Venugopal C N, a software professional-turned-organic farmer. “While various universities have been researching on organic farming, their extension work is not effective. Thus, much of the good work gets restricted to research papers. Devakumar and his team’s work holds significance against that background.”<br /><br />The main objective of RIOF is to build confidence among organic farming practitioners. It is being fulfilled as many farmers and enthusiasts from across the State visit the institute to understand the basics of farming. In the past three and a half years, over 600 farmers, including 200 new entrants, have sought guidance from the institute. People who seek suggestions also include those from industry and marketing sectors. “We have a database of farmers, bulk suppliers and retailers. This helps people who are new to the field,” says Devakumar. <br /><br />Recently, a directory on organic farming, which contains an exhaustive list of farmers, retailers, resource persons, research institutes, farms, etc has been released. Apart from developing a package of practice that is rooted in field experience for organic crops and validating organic inputs, RIOF has also attracted common people to be part of its initiative. “Though there are full-time field workers, they don’t stop us from getting hands-on experience. Also, exposure to this effort has helped me develop a kitchen garden.<br /><br /> Now, I make it a point to collect heritage seeds from wherever I visit. I have realised that mixed cropping and crop rotation are important for chemical-free management of vegetables,” says Rashmi, who is a frequent visitor. <br /><br />Over 20 varieties of vegetables are grown in 36 blocks of the demonstration plot throughout the year. The focus is more on vegetables as the aim is to change the general belief that it is difficult to grow them without chemical inputs. The vegetables are sold thrice a week. Devakumar has created a WhatsApp group to inform the availability of vegetables to enthusiasts. There are about 200 regular customers, and some of them buy vegetables for their friends and relatives too. “There is no doubt about its quality. Moreover, we get it at a competitive price,” says Krishna Nayak, a consumer. The system is in place for the last three years and many admit that their general health has improved after they started consuming organic produce on a regular basis. <br /><br />Eventually, buying vegetables becomes just an excuse for people to be part of the initiative. “The thought of getting farming experience in the heart of the city thrills me. Interestingly, the atmosphere here is such that we are made to feel that it is our own farm. Our kids also get exposure to the simple pleasures of life,” says Tejaswini, a corporate employee. “It is very rare to see such people-centric projects at research institutes.” General feedback by the visitors indicates that the other objective of the initiative — to show different crops and cultivation methods to people who don’t have exposure to farming — has also been fulfilled.<br /><br />Extension programme<br />A similar effort in Mysuru is showing how need-based programmes can change the fixed notions about farm extension units. “Be it a disease or a new crop, help is just a phone call away,” says P Madappa of Ayarahalli in Mysuru district. Many farmers in Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts voice the same opinion. The reach of the Horticulture Extension Education Unit attached to the College of Horticulture in Mysuru is not limited to only these districts that are under its jurisdiction, but extends to districts as far as Bagalkot and Bidar too. <br /><br />The unit has created a couple of crop specific and general WhatsApp groups. The groups, which have farmers, researchers and policy makers as members, discuss micro to macro level issues. If there is any problem, farmers click images and post it on the group. The discussions that follow not only help the concerned farmer but also others. Such platforms have made the lives of farmers a lot easier as they use them to clear doubts, obtain solutions for their problems, get updates on various crops, and even network with like-minded people. “We have formed the WhatsApp group as we believe in collective wisdom,” says Harish B S, extension leader and assistant professor at the college. Though the focus is on eco-friendly cultivation, they suggest both chemical and organic inputs. The themes of the groups include organic horticulture, horticulture solutions and crop solutions . <br /><br />“Each farmer is different and every piece of land is unique. Hence, a general package of practice doesn’t cater to the diverse needs of the farmers. Unless the suggestions are customised, they won’t be of much use to the farmers,” says Harish. <br /><br />Some other unique efforts of the extension unit include engaging experienced and innovative farmers as resource persons at training sessions, constant follow-up with farmers after the training sessions, and demonstration and exhibition on various aspects of cultivating a crop. “We don’t wait for the farmers to approach us. If we come to know about any problem or innovation, we go there and record the experiences,” says Harish. Facilitating networking among farmers is another important effort of the extension unit. Recently, it had organised a farmers’ exposure visit to innovative farmers’ fields. “In this activity, scientists were just facilitators. Farmers interacted with each other and got their doubts cleared,” he says.<br /><br />At a time when farming is at crossroads, such initiatives not only provide technical guidance, but also the much-needed moral support to farmers, particularly freshers.</p>
