About Department

Agricultural extension is the application of scientific research and new knowledge to agricultural practices. The Department of Agricultural Extension under M. S. Swaminathan school of Agriculture was established during 2013. Since then, it has been playing an important role towards progression of extension science with specific reference to research, education and training. The field of extension now encompasses a wider range of communication and learning activities organized for tribal/rural people from different parts of Orissa and Andra Pradesh states to deliver the knowledge on various disciplines including agriculture, agricultural marketing and business studies.

Objectives

The department aims to produce agriculture graduates who are able to:

  • Act as a Change agent: change in behavior of the people and improving their knowledge, skill and attitudes.
  • Practice in planning, organizing, implementing and evaluating of agricultural education programmes.
  • Managing the educational and agricultural organizations.
  • Design and conduct research in agricultural education and agricultural extension.
  • Develop and conduct training in agricultural education and agricultural extension.
  • Pursue further training in agriculture, agricultural education, agricultural extension and related disciplines.

Functions

The department impart democratic methods in educating the students which facilitates in educating the farmers as well as tribal people. The department adopts new innovative technologies in order to help farmers and prepare them for future challenges in the field of agriculture that in turn, addresses several rural problems. The department play a major role in improvement of student’s communicational skills with farmers vernacular languages to reach them.

Achievements

Publications
406 Journal Articles (2016-2020)
Subjects offered in the graduate studies include

  1. Dimension of Agricultural Extension
  2. Fundamentals of Rural Sociology and Educational Psychology
  3. Entrepreneurship Development and Communication Skill
  4. Extension Methodologies for Transfer of Agricultural Technology

Research work

In addition to teaching, the department focuses on indigenous knowledge and activities that majorly include tribal farmers. In this direction, the department has imparted a model system of tribal village in the campus.

Seminars & Workshops

Teaching

The faculty members of the department are engaged in teaching to the under-graduate students under the semester system. The quality of good teaching for the students to equip themselves with the sound knowledge of the subject and applying it in practical field towards the direction of understanding the society, culture of farmers and to communicate with people for social development as well as their personality development.

Extension activities

The students are oriented towards the agriculture fields in their practical classes and encouraged to visit the rural areas and interact with farmers to understand the cultivation patterns, societal cultures, agriculture practices and established social institutions in the villages. The students are also facilitated to visit Krishi Vigyan Kendra at different places, Sericulture farm, Agricultural research stations, paddy field at R Sitapur and encouraged to learn the intercultural operations. A routine (in the seasons of Rabi and Kharif) cultivation of paddy would be executed by students under the guidance of respective faculty members and is practiced in the area of 45 acres at R Sitapur.

Training

The Department has conducted various Workshops, Seminars, Group Discussions, Role Playing, Socio-drama and Training Sessions for students as well as farmers for increasing the knowledge, capacity building skill and creating awareness on personality development.

Infrastructure

Infrastructural facilities