Description

The BGREI Programme made certain innovative beginnings for the first time in the history of technology transfer for crop production in India. These included the provision of "cluster approach" for organizing "Block Demonstrations. Another landmark comprised provision of cash doles to the beneficiary farmers to support the instant expenditure towards land preparation & deep ploughing and direct seeding/transplanting in lines in rice and line sowing in wheat as a component of the Block demonstrations of these crops. Deep ploughing and direct seeding/transplanting in rain-fed upland/lowland/irrigated rice cultivation and line sowing in wheat crop are recommended agronomic practices for improved productivity. These operations were hitherto not practiced by the farmers due to various pecuniary/structural reasons such as absence of financial inclusion, inability to repay loans, small size of holdings and lack of knowledge vibrancy. Besides these interventions, provision of flexibility in the form of "site specific needs" also helped the farmers as well as implementing departments in completing the agriculture operations most efficiently.