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Type : Other Article

Success of Zero-Tillage Technology: A Case of Knowledge Management for Sustainable Agriculture

R. K. Singh, A. K. Singh, J. B. Singh and Lakhan Singh

Abstract

Zero-tillage is a conservation technology that has the potential of saving time, energy and inputs for small farmers. But it did not spread as fast as expected during initial years in Pratapgarh due to perseverance of the farmers towards tilling and ignorance about some technical aspects critical to its apt implementation. An effective strategy in knowledge management formed the pivotal force behind large scale adoption of zero-tillage technology among farmers. Successful adoption, continued use and up scaling of zero-tillage technology in the villages in Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh, is an example of effective knowledge management. Zero-tillage in wheat was introduced in rice-wheat cropping systems of Pratapgarh in 2001 in just 0.33 ha and its adoption has expanded to 13,000 ha in rabi 2009 in the district. For the first three years, the spread was quite slow; the acreage reached only 48.5 ha. It resulted in exponential growth of the area under zero tillage and area reached about 1616 hectares in 2005 and numbers of machines reached to 24. New ZT Drills were procured by farmers to meet the increasing demand. The strategy worked well and farmers have tasted the fruits of technology; so adoption of zero-tillage has reached close to 13,000 ha by the end of 2009. The key to the grand success was the knowledge management done by the tractor owners/operators. They convinced the farmers about the efficacy of zero till drill in saving the time, cost and water as well as for getting better yields due to timely sowing of wheat. Thus, zero-tillage gained popularity among the farmers of the district as an appropriate farm worthy, knowledge intensive, eco-friendly, profitable and socially acceptable technology

Keyword: Zero-tillage technology;

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