Research Extension Farmer

Agricultural extension is in a great transition worldwide. The demand for public extension reform is greater than ever before. The agriculture knowledge infrastructure is evolving in a big way with the emergence of pluralistic extension actors and innovations to cater the needs of the farmeThis book is an attempt to document the past experiences and recent developments in the agriculture knowledge information systems. The compilation of 14 country s such as; Afghanistan, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, India, Iran, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, Philippines, Trinidad and Tobago and Zimbabwe is intended to document the experience of extension systems. The fourteen country s highlight the worldwide agricultural extension reform measures (Decentralization, Privatization, Demand driven and Cost-recovery approaches), Institutional Pluralism (Public, Private, and NGOs) and Innovations (Farmer to Farmer extension, Participatory and Self-Help Group (SHG) approaches and ICT initiatives). The agricultural extension students, academicians, scientist, practitioners, administrators, and policy makers will find this compilation of extension experiences from the fourteen countries relevant for designing future reforms, advancing pluralistic extension system and also to integrating innovations in their extension approaches.

This book provides a detailed history of farming systems research (FSR). While it includes the application of FSR to developed country agriculture, its main focus is on FSR in its original role, with small scale, resource-poor farmers in less developed countries. There are some 40 contributions from nearly 50 contributors from 20 countries, illustrating both the diversity and yet the coherence of FSR. The five parts of the book cover: (1) FSR - understanding farmers and their farming (FSR origins and perspectives; understanding farming systems); (2) the applications of farming systems research (FSR in technology choice and development; FSR in extension and policy formulation); (3) institutional commitment to FSR (FSR: some institutional experiences in national agricultural research; dimensions of the organization of FSR; training for FSR); (4) FSR: the professional dimension (regional and international associations; FSR and the professional disciplines); and (5) cutting edge methods, abiding issues and the future for FSR.

Review of reports from various parts of India.

Agricultural Extension is the application of scientific research and knowledge to agricultural practices through farmer education. It plays a crucial role in promoting agricultural productivity, increasing food security, improving rural livelihoods, and promoting agriculture for the economic growth of every country. The study of Agricultural Extension as a subject is interwoven with different concepts, facts and figures. The objective of preparing this book is to help the readers to quickly grasp the concepts in a comprehensive, systematic and effective manner. The compilation of this book is mainly to present the relevant concepts being asked in various examinations being conducted by ASRB, ARS, SRF, JRF/NET and other entrance examinations. The concepts under each heading gives an overall idea about different aspects of Agricultural Extension. It gives insights and acts as a quick guide on Agricultural Extension. Moreover, the abbreviations given at the end will give the candidates an overall idea about the questions being asked in competitive examinations. Since efforts were made to compile the reliable information, there may be some important concepts be missing. If so, the readers are welcome to give their valuable suggestions and to point out errors, if any, for improving the quality of the book.

This book on Improving Agricultural Extension: a Reference Manual offers a critical review and inventory-analysis of the State of the Art in agricultural extension theory and best practices written by internationally known agricultural extension practitioners, educators and scholars. A total of 38 authors from 15 countries contributed to the 23 chapters of this book and thus they provided broad international perspectives, covering both theory and practice, as well as micro and macro issues related to agricultural extension. It is the third edition of a classic reference manual on agricultural extension published by the Food an Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Aimed at agricultural extension planners, managers, trainers, educators, and field practitioners, this book could be useful in improving the quality of agricultural extension and in generating new ideas and methods for increasing further the cost-effectiveness of agricultural extension programmes. It provides many sound and practical suggestions for developing and improving the conceptual, technical and operational methods and tools in order to strategically plan, efficently manage and scientifically evaluate a problem-solving, demand-driven and needs-based agricultural extension programmes. Contents Part I: Overview of Extension in Agricultural and Rural Development; Chapter 1: The history, development and future of agricultural extension by Gqyn E Jones and Chris Garforth; Chapter 2: Alternative approaches to organizing extension by Uwe Jens Nagel; Chapter 3: The context of extension in agricultural and rural development by Warren Peterson; Chapter 4: The economic contributions of agricultural extension to agricultural and rural development by Robert Evenson; Part II: Improving Extension Programmes and Process; Chapter 5: Assessing target gorup needs by N L McCaslin and Jovan P Tibezinda; Chapter 6: Using rapid or participatory rural appraisal by Jules N Pretty and Simplice D Volouhe; Chapter 7: Developing and delivering extension programmes by Artur Christovao, Timothy Koehnen and Jose Portela; Chapter 8: Selecting appropriate content and methods in programme delivery by Dunstan A Campbell and St Clair Barker; Chapter 9: Improving Women Farmer Access to Extension Services by Janice Jiggins, R K Samanta and Janice E Olawoye; Chapter 10: Implementing strategic extension campaigns by Ronny Adhikarya; Chapter 11: Evaluating extension programmes by David Deshler; Part III: Improving Extension Management; Chapter 12: Formulating extension policy by Tito E Contado; Chapter 13: Improving the Organization and Management of Extension by M W Waldron, J Vsanthakumar and S Arulraj; Chapter 14: Managing human resources within extension by K Vijayaragavan and Y P Singh; Chapter 15: Training and professional development by Abdul Halim and Md Mozahar Ali; Chapter 16: Acquiring and managing financial resources by Robert P Bentz; Chapter 17: Monitoring extension programmes and resources by D C Misra; Chapter 18: Establishing a Management Information System by A Ramesh Babu, Y P Singh and R K Sachdeva; Chapter 19: Strengthening research-extension-farmer linkages by Burton E Swanson; Part IV: Current Trends and Development; Chapter 20: Extension s role in sustainable agricultural development by Niels Roling and Jules N Pretty; Chapter 21: Establishing and strengthening farmer organizations by Shankariah Chamala and P M Shingi; Chapter 22: Privatizing agricultural extension by William M Rivera and John W Cary; Chapter 23: The role of nongovernmental organizations in extension by John Farrington.