In this article we will discuss about how to impart agricultural education using some useful modes.
Mode # 1. Communication:
1. Teaching and learning is the process of communication.
2. Teacher acts as catalyst.
3. Communication means sharing of ideas and feelings in a mood of mutuality.
4. ‘Communication’ is derived from latin word ‘communis’ meaning ‘common’. It means to establish commonness between sender and receiver of message is termed as communication.
5. It is a two way or Double way Process.
6. Communication Involves:
(i) Source and his message.
(ii) Receiver and his response.
7. The chief emphasis in communication on Target Audience (not on material or medium).
8. Communication Systems:
K → Knowledge,
S → System,
C → Consuming,
G → Generating,
D → Disseminating.
9. Key Elements of Communication:
(a) Sender
(b) Message
(c) Message Treatment i.e. encoding
(d) Communication channel/Medium
(e) Receiver – It is the most important element because every element is directed towards receiver.
(f) Receiver’s response.
10. Communication Process:
11. Ingredients in Communication:
12. According to Berlo (1960):
Classification of Communication (Ext. Teaching Methods):
A. According to Use and Nature of Contact:
On the basis of use and nature of contact, the extension teaching methods are categorised under three groups:
(i) Individual Contact Method (or Interpersonal Channel of Communication):
Here contact is face to face or person to person. It is very effective in teaching; quantum of feedback available is very high but slow communication.
(ii) Group Contact Method:
Group means a group of 2-30 persons but usually consists of 20-25 persons. Group is usually formed around common interest. Here is face to face contact.
(iii) Mass or Community Contact Method:
It is more useful for making people aware of the new agricultural technology quickly.
B. According to Equipments i.e. Projected and Non-Projected:
1. Projected Aids:
Here projection is controlled by motor and electricity e.g.:
(i) Film projector
(ii) Slide Projector – Slide is of 35 mm. and direct projection.
(iii) Overhead Projector- It is indirect projection and transparencies are used.
(iv) Epidiascope/Opaque Projector – There is no need of transparency. Epidiascope means both transparent and opaque materials can be seen (or focused) on the screen by magnifying. The image of a picture is made on the screen directly and indirectly. One additional mirror is required in it.
2. Non-Projected Aids:
Here no machinery is required e.g. Flash cards, Graphs, Charts, Leaflets, Folders, Blackboard.
C. According to Audio – Visual Aids:
Examples are:
(i) Audio – Radio, Tape recorder
(ii) Visual – Flash cards, overhead projector, slides etc.
(iii) Audio -visual – Puppet, Drama, Television, Cinema etc.
Mode # 2. Demonstration:
Demonstration means showing by doing. The basic principle of Demonstration is learning by seeing and doing.
There are three types of demonstration, namely:
(i) It is short -type demonstration.
(ii) It’s main purpose is to provide only skill.
(iii) It does not compare between the old and new technique or skill. It means comparative study cannot be done.
(iv) It is the oldest form of teaching.
(v) The father of method demonstration was Dr. Seeman. A. Knapp.
(vi) It is a single practice demonstration i.e. how to operate tractor, how to apply fertilizer in the field. In this demonstration any process is shown and made clear to the people by doing in a sequence starting from the beginning to the end and zealous person is given opportunity for doing.
(b) Result Demonstration:
(i) It is long type demonstration.
(ii) It shows the value or worth of the (new) practice.
(iii) Comparison between two practices i.e. old and new is always done.
(iv) Results of both practices are shown.
(v) It is very effective in adoption.
(vi) It is conducted by a farmer under direct supervision of an extension worker.
(vii) It is used to show the superiority of practices.
(c) National or Composite Demonstration:
(i) It is a composite of both method and result demonstration.
(ii) It is first line demonstration or Front line extension project.
(iii) It is conducted by the researchers on the farmer’s field.
(iv) The main objective is to show how production can be increased per unit area and per unit time.
(v) Multiple cropping system are usually followed and High yielding varieties (HYV) are used in this demonstration.
(vi) National demonstration was first time started in 1965 by Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
(vii) This programme was given to ICAR in 1967.
(viii) Now it has become part of agricultural production programme.
Mode # 3. Training and Visit System:
1. T and V system is a new extension service approach. The concept of T and V system was evolved in 1973 by Israeli extension expert Daniel Benor who was consultant on extension programme in World Bank. This system was first tried in seyhan irrigation project in Turkey.
2. T and V system is also called Baster and Benor Scheme and firstly evolved in Turkey by incidental learning.
3. T & V system has two phases/ stages:
(i) Training and
(ii) Visit.
(i) Training:
Training is imparted for transfer of technical knowhow from subject matter specialist (SMS) to extension worker.
(ii) Visit:
Extension worker has to visit to the farmers for transfer of knowhow obtained at the training.
4. It is Govt., sponsored rural development programme.
5. It is also called Reformed Extension or Intensive Agricultural Extension.
6. T and V system is introduced in India in 1974 in Rajasthan canal area and Chambal command area in M.P. to improve the effectiveness of agricultural extension.
7. According to Benor et. al. (1984) T and V system is an effective management system of known extension principles.
8. Systematic programme of In-service training of village extension workers and planned schedule of visit to the farmer’s field is the basic feature of T & V system.
9. In brief; under T & V programme extension workers are imparted training of the latest agricultural technology by the agriculture experts and the trained worker after visiting the village diffused the obtained knowhow to the selected farmers and instigate them to adopt it. Besides, the problems of the farmers are brought to the agriculture expert during the next training where the solution is to be found out.
Mode # 4. Lab to Land Programme:
Lab to land programme was launched in India on the occasion of ICAR golden jubilee celebration year in July 1979 for only one year. But later on this programme was extended further year after year. The objective of LLP is the transfer of proved and viable low cost agricultural technologies to small and marginal farmers and landless labours to improve their overall socio-economic condition.
The benefits of new technology or technical knowhow of agricultural production were being utilised by the big and rich farmers. Therefore it was felt that for holistic developmental approach of agricultural sector, the evolved technology in the laboratory (or at the agriculture farm) would be stretched out to the lands of small and marginal farmers. That’s why lab to land programme was launched.
Under lab to land or land to lab programme, the problems related to the agriculture were brought to the laboratory where the particular solution was to be found out or searched out and later on were communicated to the farmer.
But due to agro- climatic regional differences lab to land programme has been changed into Farmer’s First Programme where the agricultural problems are sorted out and are solved at the farmer’s field itself.
Mode # 5. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Farm Science Centre):
1. Education committee (1964-66) recommended to establish agricultural polytechnique.
2. Finally ICAR mooted the idea to establish Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) and Mohan Singh Mehta Committee was appointed in 1974 by ICAR to formulate KVK scheme.
3. First KVK was started at Pondicherry in 1974 under the administrative control of Tamilnadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. With the aim of transfer of technical literacy to increase agricultural production. The teaching design is based on philosophy of teaching by doing and learning by doing.
4. The main objective of KVK is to impart training (or vocational training) at the Kendra (centre) or out of the centre i.e. in the village to the people according to their needs about the Agriculture and allied subjects viz. Animal husbandry, Fisheries, Horticulture, Agriculture Engineering, Home Science etc.
5. In the initial five years financial assistance was given to KVK by the Indian Agriculture Research Institute (IARI) and for the next five years it was availed by IARI and State Govt., or State Agriculture University in the 50:50 ratio. There was a plan to finance full assistance by the state govt., or state agriculture university after the lapse of initial ten years. At present ICAR provides 100% financial assistance.
6. There were 500 KVK in number by the year 2006 and the plan is to establish one KVK in every district of India.
7. The credit for the success of KVK goes to Dr. Chandrika Prasad.
Mode # 6. Technology Transfer:
The essential and major part of technology transfer is extension. lt means technology transfer is broader in meaning than extension i.e. –
Technology Transfer <> Agl. Extension or Extension.
Technology Transfer includes the additional functions of input supplies and agri-services.
Technology Transfer = Agl. Extn. + Input supplies and agri-services
= Ext. + Supplies & Services.
Mode # 7. Etawah Pilot Project:
1. Under the leadership of Albert Mayer, the office (or centre) of Etawah Pilot Project was established by the U.P. Govt. in Oct. 1948 at the place called Mahewa in the Etawah district.
2. Initially 64 villages were selected around Mahewa for the development.
3. It was also called ‘Average District Plan’ because the project was initiated in the normal environment. Everything like climate, soil, fertility etc. was normal.
4. ‘Pilot’ means doing a thing in a particular area.
5. This project is called pilot project because Community Development Programme has been initiated or launched in India due to success of Etawah Project. Therefore Etawah Pilot Project was the forerunner of CDP.
6. Village Level workers (VLW) were appointed in this project who become very much helpful in the development works. Hence Multipurpose Concept of VLW is the outcome of Etawah pilot project.
Mode # 8. Community Development Programme:
1. CDP was a programme/project/method/ or a process means it may be called community development project or CD Method or CD process.
2. In the formulation of CDP major role was played by Grow More Food Campaign.
3. Initially 15 pilot projects were launched in 1952 with financial assistance from Ford Foundation.
4. On 2nd Oct, 1952; 55 Community Development Projects were started in different parts of the country with Indo-USA agreement for three years.
5. This project covered nearly 25,260 villages and a population of 6.4 millions.
6. At outset, each project was consisted of 300 villages. 400-500 square miles area and a population of 2 lakhs.
7. Later on, the project area was divided into three development blocks and thus the whole country has been divided into Development Blocks.
8. Each development block consists of 100 villages, 60,000-70,000 people and 150 square miles area.
9. Again each development block has been divided into groups of 5- 10 villages and the charge for development has given to multipurpose VLW.
10. In each block, there are 15 VLWs. VLW is now called VDO i.e. Village Development Officer.
11. The basic idea and concept of Community Development was borrowed from USA.
Mode # 9. National Extension Services:
1. Due to success of Community Development Project. People demanded more of CDP. Therefore National Extension Service was inaugurated on 2nd Oct. 1953 owing to limited financial and technical manpower resources.
2. Under CDP, intensive development work was required in all fields but scheme of National Extension Service (NES) was to provide essential basic staff and a small fund for people to start development work essentially on the basis of self-help.
3. The operational unit of NES block was 100 villages comprising of 60,000-70,000 people.
4. Later on, NES block was converted into Community Development Block with higher budget to take up more intensive development programmes.
5 Under the chairmanship of Blawantrai Mehta one committee was formed in 1957 to revise CDP and the committee was called Committee on Plan Project. And the pattern of CDP was revised with effect from 1 April 1958.
6. A block is the Unit of Planning & Development.
7. The entire country has been covered with CDP by the year 1963.