Programme Coordinator: Dr.P.Muralidharan

Krishi Vigyan Kendra - Alleppey attached to Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, Regional Station, Kayamkulam was sanctioned in June, 2000 under the National Agricultural Technology Project (NATP) of ICAR for the benefit of Alappuzha district and became operational as a permanent KVK since April 2004.
Since then it has been successfully conducting technology assessment, refinement and demonstration programmes in addition to trainings to farmers, farm women, rural youth, and extension officials. Besides, it acts as a source of seeds, planting materials and inputs for agri- based activities, and technology support center including soil testing facilities to the farmers.

Alappuzha – ‘The Venice of the East’ – is blessed with the scenic beauty of its back waters, sea shores, religious, historical and cultural land marks like Krishnapuram palace, Edathua St. George Church, Sri Krishna Temple at Ambalappuzha and snake boat race which emphasizes the natural, social and cultural harmony. It is a typical coastal district of Kerala with 82 km long coastal belt. Major part of ‘Kuttanad’ which is popularly known as ‘Rice Bowl of Kerala’ and situated below mean sea level, is in this district. Alappuzha is distinct with the presence of agricultural problem areas such as the Kuttanad (Kari, Karappadam, Kayal lands), Onattukara (sandy areas) and a part of pokkali lands with a span of crops ranging from paddy to rubber and a variety of enterprises like coir, marine, brackish water and fresh water fisheries, and processing. This background itself offers wide scope for development through technology transfer for the sustained production.

Location:

It is located at Krishnapuram on the side of NH47, between Kayamkulam and Oachira.

Mandate:

• Organize short and long term vocational trainings in agriculture and allied enterprises for practicing farmers and rural youths.

• Conduct ‘On Farm Testing (OFT)’ in farmers’ fields for identifying technologies suitable for location specific sustainable land-use systems.

• Organize Frontline Demonstrations (FLD) on various crops/livestock technologies in farmers’ fields to facilitate adoption and increase production.

• Organize in-service training to extension officials for updating their knowledge and familiarize them with emerging trends in agriculture.

• Function as the knowledge-cum-resource centre for agriculture and allied activities in the district

Facilities/Infrastructure Available

Training hall, Soil-Plant-Water testing laboratory, Bio agent production units, Automatic Weather Station, Incubator, Sprayers, Equipments for value addition.

Demonstration units established

Indian bee hive, Vermicomposting and Earth Worm multiplication units, Medicinal Plants, Kitchen gardening, Azolla, Low Cost Mushroom shed, Sting less bee hive, Rapid multiplication unit of pepper, Low cost spawn production unit, Snow ball tender nut machine, Small holders’ copra drier, Ginger & Turmeric seed multiplication unit, High density planting of banana, Fodder grass unit, Ornamental plant multiplication unit, Fish pond, Insecticidal plant unit, Poultry unit, Ornamental fish unit, Duck and turkey units , Green house, Poly House ,Rain shelter cultivation unit.

Activities during 2012-13

KVK – Alleppey implemented the various mandated programmes like On Farm Testings, Front Line Demonstrations, capacity building activities, extension activities and functioned as the knowledge and resource centre for the district during the period under report. In addition, various externally funded projects and revolving fund activities were taken up. The details of activities are briefly described below:-

I. On Farm Testing (OFT)

1. Assessment of effect of vegetable special in bitter gourd
2. Assessment of effect of PGPR with nutritional inputs in rice
3. Assessment of organic production technology of Turmeric in Onattukara region
4. Assessing the performance of high yielding paddy variety Prathyasa in Onattukara tracts of Alleppey district
5. Assessing the performance of rice varieties in upland coconut gardens under scientific management
6. Assessment of different media for seed ginger storage
7. Assessment of high yielding bacterial wilt resistant tomato variety

1. Assessment of bio-priming in coconut seedlings
2. Modified low cost power operated milking machine for mini dairy unit

Refinement

1. Effect of Trichoderma against stem bleeding of coconut.                                                  

II. Front Line Demonstrations

1. Black gram variety Co – 6 in rice fallows of Onattukara
2. Intercropping Short duration Cassava variety Vellayani Hraswa in coconut gardens
3. Coconut leaf rot management
4. Pest management in mushroom production
5. Use of bio agents against rhizome rot of ginger
6. Management of Sigatoka leaf spot disease in banana
7. Cassava harvester for drudgery reduction of farm women
8. Controlled internal drug release (CIDR) in anoestrus Dairy animals
9. Cage culture of pearl spot fish (Etroplus suratensis)
10. High yielding ginger variety Varada as intercrop in coconut gardens
11. Foliar application of IIHR Banana Special to improve productivity.
12. Udyanamitra for transplanting vegetable seedlings
13. Introduction of high yielding variety Sobha and Improved processing methods in Turmeric
14. Drought Management in Coconut                                                                                  

III. Training programmes

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Alleppey organized 119 training programmes during 2012-13 for a total number of 3147 participants out of which 47 were on campus and 62 were off campus trainings as detailed below. Vocational trainings on mushroom spawn production, coconut product diversification and broiler farming were conducted during the period. In general, the participation of women farmers in the training programmes was high (55%)

IV.  Publications

1. a. KVK newsletter - Published the KVK newsletter for three quarters covering the activities with regular features of major events held, success stories, results of FLD/OFT, important programmes /activities etc bilingually (English and Malayalam)
2. b. Research articles:

1. Sivakumar, T., Chandrika Mohan and Babu, M.2013. Incidence and management of the leaf     hopper, Busoniomimus manjunathi, on Malabar tamarind, Garcinia cambogia. African Journal of Agricultural Research. 8 (1). 145 – 147

2. Sivakumar, T., Muralidharan.P and Anithakumari,P. 2012. Use of division board to reduce wax moth attack in Apis cerana indica hives. Insect environment.18 (192): 22-23

3. Sivakumar, T., Muralidharan.P and Anithakumari, P . 2013. Innovative approaches for implementation of pest management in coconut. Abstracts of the 25th Kerala Science Congress, Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram 29th Jan to 1st Feb.

1. c. Popular articles (In Malayalam)

1.  Bijila,P.V., Sajnanath,K. and Muralidharan.P. 2012. Nutrient rich winged bean.      Karshakan: 20(2):36-37

2. Sivakumar.T. 2012. MET against mango fruit fly. Kerala Karshakan.57 (9): .45-47

3. Sivakumar.T. 2012. Leaf hopper problem in Garcinia. Spice India. 25(3): 29-30

4. Sivakumar.T. 2012. Success story of banana farming from Kadakkarappally.    Kerala Karshakan. 57(12):44-46

5. Sivakumar.T. 2012. Mango-fruit, flowers and the tree. Krishiyankanam17 (1):24            .

6. Rajeev, M.S and Muralidharan, P 2012.Chillies as a companion of coconut. Kerala Karshakan.58 (6):56

d. Extension literature

1. Importance of mushrooms in daily diet

e. TOT including radio talks/TV programme broadcast

1. T. Sivakumar, Agri-Quiz for students (In Malayalam), - AIR Trivandrum, on 30.03.12

2. P.Muralidharan, Friends of coconut training programme – follow up activities and role of   KVK (In Malayalam), - AIR Trivandrum, on 27.02.13

f. Documentation of success stories

1. ‘Integrated duck and fish farming pays rich dividends’ – Published in ‘The Hindu’ in Science & Technology/Agriculture page on October 25, 2012

2. ‘Cage culture of fish’ An FLD programme was Telecasted in the India vision channel under “Business for you” on December 16,2012

3. ‘Integrated duck and fish farming’ Success story of group farming activity was telecasted in Dooradharshan  in the ‘Krishi Dharshan programme’ on 12.03.2012

g. Awards/Recognitions

The research article titled “Innovative approaches for implementation of pest management in coconut” by Sivakumar.T, Muralidharan.P and Anithakumari.P has won the best poster award in the session on “Science and Society” in the 25thKerala Science Congress held at Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram from 29th Jan to 1st Feb, 2013.

V. External funded programmes undertaken

1. National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project

It is a national project funded by ICAR and coordinated by CRIDA,Hyderabad.The technology demonstration component of the project is implemented in 100 districts of the country through the respective KVKs. In Kerala, the project is implemented at Muttar village, Veliyanad block of Kuttanad taluk in Alleppey district by the KVK-Alleppey. About 12 large scale technology demonstrations depicting integrated farming systems are implemented in the village under 4 modules namely: Natural Resource Management, Crop production ,Livestock and fisheries, and Institutional interventions. Till 31.03.2013, an amount of approximately ` 40 lakhs has been spent towards the project.

2. Soil based plant nutrient management for agro-ecological systems of Kerala

This is a state wide network project funded by State dept. of Agriculture and co-ordinated by State Planning board with an outlay of ` 10.68 lakhs. 3645 soil samples from different parts of Alleppey district are analysed and the data generated are being utilized for preparing the nutrient management plan for the district.  The project will be completed in 2013.

3. Externally funded training programmes

The following training programmes were conducted during the year with funds from the respective agencies.

1. 1. Enterprenureship Development Programme in Agriculture sponsored by KSDC for

SC/ST

1. 2. “Friends of coconut tree” training programme sponsored by CDB. So far about 170

rural youths have been trained to became “friends of coconut” to serve the coconut farmers.

 For more details, please contact

 Programme Coordinator,

KVK-Alleppey,

CPCRI (R.S),

Krishnapuram.P.O,

Kayamkulam,

Alleppey District

PIN- 690 533.

E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Phone/Fax: 0479 2449268