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Abstract
The North Eastern region of India is generally featured by enormous biodiversity, forest cover and clean environment. But, in the recent past the region has encountered numerous environment related issues, mainly due to encroachment, deforestation and indiscriminate jhuming. To contain the degraded environment a centrally planned and strategic change in farm practices considering natural resource management, recycling and environmental protection had been increasingly felt essential. The present study aimed at finding out whether the public agricultural extension system in the region while applying technologies in the farmers' fields for transfer and wider dissemination, had been taking into due consideration the environmental issues or not, and if so, then what was the pattern of shift. A technology application index (TAI), comprising of six different indicators, was developed for the same purpose and the required data were extracted from relevant secondary sources. The findings of the study indicate that there has been a visible shift in thrust in agricultural technology application from field crop production oriented technologies to resource management and horticultural production technologies. Although a shift in relative thrust has been observed in technologies related to small scale enterprises, some more emphasis is required to integrate the small scale enterprises to farm based livelihood options, exploiting natural resources in a sustainable manner and following scientific soil health management practices.
Highlights
* Development of a holistic measure- Technology Application Index (TAI) to understand the pattern of shift in technology application by the KVKs in North East Region.
* An observed shift in technology application by the KVKs in compliance with environmental issues.
Keywords: Environmental degradation, technology application, Krishi Vigyan Kendra, public extension, north east India
In the grim context of climate change, environment friendly practices in all spheres of life have become the major thrust all over the world for environmental protection, sustainable future and quality of life (Josheph 2013). The North Eastern region of India, although is highly rich in biodiversity, having enormous forest cover and natural resou rc e s, has c ountered nume rous environment related issues in the recent past. The age old practice of Jhum cultivation in the region is believed to have damaged the environment to a very high extent in the region (Choudhury and Sundriyal 2003; Rathore...