PATNA: The state government has started ‘kisan pathshala’ (farm school) at the field level across the state to educate the farmers about the modern techniques of farming, pest management and assess the yield from the farm after use of hybrid seeds.
The ‘pathshalas’ have been started at the block level across the state under the extension programme of the district level Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) for disseminating knowledge of modern farming to farmers on their farms, said deputy director, agriculture, A C Jain. The ‘pathshalas’ would not be convention schools having classrooms.
Jain said that around 136 agriculture scientists posted at the 34 KVKs in the state have been deployed for running ‘pathshalas’ by visiting the agriculture farms to train the farmers directly about modern farming methods.
He said that the field training programme of the farmers has also been christened as ‘Seed to Seed Programme’ which entails imparting training to them in sowing seeds, integrated pest management and harvesting of grains (seeds).
Under this programme, four agriculture scientists posted at every KVK have to visit the agriculture fields at the villages four days a week to impart training to the farmers about modern farming method, use of improved varieties of seeds, and right pest management to get high yield of grains and other agriculture produce.
At the ‘pathshalas’, the farmers are also advised to use particular dose of fertilizer for getting high yield on the farm. The entire exercise involves crop demonstration during which farm inputs, including improved varieties of seeds, are given to the farmers.
During harvesting, experiments are made to make assessment of the crop yield under the ‘Seed to Seed Training Programme’ on the farms.
A field day is organized on the farms to show to the farmers the results of the practice adopted by them on their farms.