Ravikishore Modem | Acharya N.G.Ranga Agricultural University (original) (raw)

Papers by Ravikishore Modem

M. Ravikishore1*, G. Narayana Swamy2 and P. Supriya3

Indian Research Journal of Extension Education, 2017

International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management, 2016

It has been suggested that 'agri-expert systems' might have a significant role in the future by e... more It has been suggested that 'agri-expert systems' might have a significant role in the future by enabling large number of people so that they can access human experts. It is, therefore, important to understand how potential users interact with these computer systems. This study investigates the extension professionals' attitude towards the use of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) expert systems for fertilizer recommendation, pest, disease diagnosis, and management of weeds in crop fields. The study also depicts the factors affecting the attitude of extension professionals. A survey was conducted among three targeted segments of Kerala's extension professionals with a sample of 100 respondents actively involved in the field of agriculture to evaluate questions about the attitude of respondent in using agri-expert systems. It also aims to depict the factors which are affecting the attitudes of extension professionals. Results showed that the extension professionals' attitude towards agri-expert systems was generally moderately favorable and the factors such as Training, Innovative proneness and Information content were positively and significantly related with the attitude towards expert systems among all three categories of respondents. In order to improve the extension professionals' attitude towards expert systems, information content available in the expert system should be up to date and addresses the problems which are location specific and need specific. There is also greater need to enrich extension professionals' knowledge about the innovative applications of expert systems by conducting suitable training programmes in a timely manner for the benefit of farming community and effective agriculture decision making.

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2018

Current Science, 2017

This communication focuses on adoption stages of extension professionals in terms of extent of us... more This communication focuses on adoption stages of extension professionals in terms of extent of use of expert systems and factors influencing the extent of adoption of such systems by them, with special reference to agri-expert systems 'KAU-Fertulator' and 'e-Crop doctor' developed by Kerala Agricultural University. A survey was conducted among three targeted segments of Kerala extension professionals with a total of 100 respondents who were actively involved in the field of agriculture, to evaluate questions about the adoption stage of respondents in using agri-expert systems and factors influencing the extent of adoption. Results showed that, extension professionals categorization based on the stage of agri-expert system adoption process. Based on the stage of adoption, respondents were categorized into different adopter categories, which led to comparison with Roger's adopter categorization. Also, innovation proneness was positively and significantly related with extent of adoption expert system among all three categories of respondents. Based on the results, it is imperative to boost the adoption of agri-expert systems by streamlining the basic expert system applications for ease of use.

Journal of Extension Education, 2012

Rice is a traditional staple food crop of India, having high cultural and ecological significance... more Rice is a traditional staple food crop of India, having high cultural and ecological significance in the present global scenario. Tribal labourers in Wayanad district of Kerala had been the traditional labourers in rice farming. The consequent migration of non-tribals to Wayanad district of Kerala had been changed the demographic and cultural entity of the district. The present study was conducted in Wayanad district to compare the work participation between tribal and non-tribal labourers. Twenty tribal and non-tribal labourers were selected from each selected panchayats and a total of one hundred and twenty respondents were included in the study. A well-structured interview schedule was used for collecting the data from the respondents. The data were tabulated and inferences were drawn after appropriate statistical analysis. The results show that majority of the tribal labourers had high work participation than non-tribals. While comparing based on gender, female labourers had high work participation than male labourers both in the case of tribal and non-tribal labourers.

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2017

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMERCE AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, 2016

Microfinance has evolved as a development approach to benefit the socially and economically under... more Microfinance has evolved as a development approach to benefit the socially and economically underprivileged facing difficulty in accessing institutional finance. It is particularly attractive as a tool to help the poor, since it is widely seen as improving livelihoods, reducing vulnerability and fostering social as well as economic empowerment. Financial inclusion can be defined as delivery of banking services at an affordable cost to the vast sections of disadvantaged and low-income and it also covers various other financial services such as savings, insurance, payments and remittance facilities by the formal financial system to those who tend to be excluded like marginal farmers, agricultural labourers, artisans, members of the scheduled tribes and it also helps in accessing institutional credit through commercial banks, cooperative banks, RRBs, NABARD SHG-linkage, other self-help groups and credible microfinance institutions.Analysing secondary data through compound annual growth rate (CAGR), it has been observed that microfinance has emerged as the most effective and successful tool for financial inclusion and it has seen as beacons of hope to help eradicate poverty by providing credit to poor rural households. Microfinance has evolved as a development approach to benefit the economically underprivileged facing difficulty in accessing institutional finance.

International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology, 2016

This research paper focuses on the assessment of the effectiveness index of expert system applica... more This research paper focuses on the assessment of the effectiveness index of expert system applications in agriculture with special reference to ‘KAU-Fertulator’ and ‘e-Crop doctor’, developed by Kerala Agricultural University. A survey was conducted among three targeted segments of Kerala extension professionals with a total of 100 respondents who were actively involved in the field of agriculture. Based on the relevant review of literature and discussion with experts effectiveness index of agri-expert system was developed and standardized using the applications such as quick availability and opportunity of the expert system to programme itself, expert systems ability to exploit a considerable amount of knowledge, reliability, scalability, pedagogy, expert systems ability on preservation and improvement of knowledge and expert systems ability to address the new areas neglected by conventional computing. These applications were ranked based on their mean scores in decreasing order of importance and effectiveness index was calculated to distribute the respondents in different categories. Results showed that the effectiveness index of expert system application in agriculture was generally medium. In order to improve the effectiveness index of agri-expert system applications in agriculture, it is necessary to augment the attributes of expert systems such as accuracy, timeliness, format clarity and relevancy of the information from agri-expert systems.

International Journal of Scientific Research, 2012

The paper focuses on the diffusion-adoption stages in terms of extent of use of expert system tec... more The paper focuses on the diffusion-adoption stages in terms of extent of use of expert system technology vis a vis extension professionals in Kerala. A survey was conducted among three targeted segments of Kerala extension professionals to evaluate questions about the stage of respondent in using agri-expert systems for the benefit of farming community and effective agriculture decision making. The study was conducted among a sample 100 extension professionals actively involved in the field of agriculture. A pre tested and structured questionnaire was administered to collect data. The Diffusion-Adoption Model was employed to categorize extension professionals by stage in the technology adoption process. Based on the stage of adoption, respondents were categorised into different adopter categories which leads to comparison with Roger’s adopter categorisation.

International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management

This research paper focuses on characterization of homegardens in terms of technology needs and t... more This research paper focuses on characterization of homegardens in terms of technology needs and techno-socioeconomic dimensions. The study location was Central Kerala region consisting of Thrissur, Palakkad and Ernakulam districts of India due to the presence of specialized homegarden system. A total of 30 homegarden farmers were selected, to assess the homegardens in terms of technology needs. The study also covered the same Central Kerala region to assess the techno-socioeconomic dimensions as perceived by homegarden farmers, Agricultural Officers and Scientists. With respect to technology needs of specialized homegarden farmers, a Chi square test was performed and the interpretation was that, the distribution, by and large had the same technology needs as far as the perception of the farmer was concerned. In general, technology needs of the farmers had radically changed from the conventional ones to those of technologies like scientific storage, processing and value addition of homegarden produces. Technological, economical and socio-cultural dimensions related to the specialized components in homegardens show a variation in priorities between the specialized homegarden farmers and the Agricultural Officers and Scientists. Some of the dimensions which were of high relevance to the homegarden farmers were considered rather insignificant to the other section. Based on the results, it is imperative to identify the dimensions that were perceived to be important to all categories of respondents for providing economic, ecological, social and cultural benefits to the individual farmer and to the community.

Indian Res. J. Ext. Edu., 2017

The failure of the various extension delivery approaches in our country to effectively engineer s... more The failure of the various extension delivery approaches in our country to effectively engineer significant and sustainable agricultural growth has become a major concern to all stakeholders, including the funding agencies and donor community. The midsts of these challenges extensionists are grappling with the question of how best to harness technology dissemination system of SDA (State Department of Agriculture) to benefit the farming community. There was no scale available to measure extension professionals' attitude towards technology dissemination system of state department of agriculture. The present study was contemplated to develop and standardize the same. Out of 50 statements, 18 statements were retained on the final scale. The reliability and validity of the scale indicates its precision and consistency of the results. This scale can be used to measure extension professionals' attitude beyond the study area with suitable modifications. Transfer of technology to the different levels of farmers is not a onetime exercise because new farm technology is being constantly evolved. A continuous flow of technologies in an appropriate manner is vital to provide quick benefit of such development to the farmers. There has been a technological explosion in the field of agriculture. This demands that the farmer has to know all the aspects of technology prior to its adoption. The concerns have been fuelled lately by the wave of pluralism, market liberalization, globalization sweeping across the world and giving rise to initiatives that will enhance efficiency and effectiveness of not only the sub-components of extension delivery but the entire system of technology generation, dissemination and use. Agricultural extension workers of State Department of Agriculture are personnel who are responsible for meeting the goals of extension system. The effectiveness of extension services is highly dependent on the ability of extension workers who are competent because the entire extension process is dependent on them to transfer information from extension organizations to the clients. Attitudes are acquired through experience and exert a directive influence on subsequent behavior and moreover, help individuals to interpret new information and to make decisions more efficiently than would otherwise be the case (Baron and Byrne 1991). Evaluation of the extension professionals' attitude, in most cases, has focused on performance effectiveness of extension personnel of State Department of Agriculture (Agbarevo et al., 2013). Hence, the present study was contemplated to develop and standardize a scale for measuring extension professionals' attitude towards technology dissemination system of SDA. METHODOLOGY Attitude is an organized predisposition to think, feel, perceive and behave towards a cognitive object. Attitude is the degree of positive or negative effect associated with some psychological object. According to Thurstone, "psychological object" means any symbol, phrase, slogan, idea, person and institution towards which people can RESEARCH NOTE

Research Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2016

Organic farming agriculture is a unique production management system, which promotes and enhances... more Organic farming agriculture is a unique production management system, which promotes and enhances agro-eco system of health including bio diversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It has been suggested that 'attitude' might have a significant role in the farming community to practice organic farming in Banana cultivation. It is, therefore, important to understand how the attitude of Banana growers towards farming is? This study investigates the Banana growers' attitudes towards organic farming. A survey was conducted among thirty targeted respondents of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala banana growers to evaluate questions about the attitude of respondent in practicing organic farming practices and also found out the relationship between attitude of respondents and their socioeconomic and psychological characteristics. Results showed that the Banana growers' attitude towards organic farming was generally medium. In order to improve the Banana growers' attitude towards organic farming, it is necessary to be aware of the benefits of organic farming.

M. Ravikishore1*, G. Narayana Swamy2 and P. Supriya3

Indian Research Journal of Extension Education, 2017

International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management, 2016

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2018

Current Science, 2017

Journal of Extension Education, 2012

International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 2017

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMERCE AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, 2016

International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Biotechnology, 2016

International Journal of Scientific Research, 2012

International Journal of Bio-resource and Stress Management

Indian Res. J. Ext. Edu., 2017

Research Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2016

National Seminar on ‘Contemporary Techniques in Environmental Research and Conservation, 2014

The paper focuses on the ICT (Information Communication Technologies) in agriculture and environm... more The paper focuses on the ICT (Information Communication Technologies) in agriculture and environment.
ICT have the potential to reach many farmers with timely and accessible content. Information and
communication technologies (ICTs) can improve environmental performance and address climate change
across the economy. The challenges of the traditional agriculture are addressed significantly by using information
and communication technologies (ICT) that play an important role in uplifting the livelihoods of the rural
poor. This article explores the role of ICT in agricultural sector in India and transforming the country through
increased growth and sustainable production of agricultural products. To mainstream such ICT efforts and
knowledge management in agriculture for rural livelihoods, it is necessary to put in place a centralized search
engine, or harvester, to access the decentralized and dispersed digital agricultural information repositories and
network of experts.

ESN Publications, 2020

COVID-19 has influenced the world's food supply chains and economies. This has contributed to a d... more COVID-19 has influenced the world's food supply chains
and economies. This has contributed to a direct impact on the dayto-
day activities of people, interrupting the intake of healthy and
appropriate food. Individuals are required to purchase vegetables in
larger quantities. The income of households dependent on daily
wages has been reduced, which tends to increase individuals' food
insecurity.Similarly, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major
impact on both the production and consumption of agricultural
products due to the lack of agri-inputs. Furthermore, the lack of
labour in the lockdown has affected the harvesting, sowing and
transplanting of paddy, which reduced the yield. Commercial
farmers facing difficulties in selling their goods and farm products
are often wasted and rotten on the field.An irreparable loss of
civilization around the world has been triggered by the COVID-19
pandemic.

ESN Publications, 2020

Over the past two decades, the major structural shift in agriculture has been mainly aimed at mee... more Over the past two decades, the major structural shift in
agriculture has been mainly aimed at meeting the demands of the
rising population, especially in underdeveloped and developing
countries such as India. In this process, in its technical and
functional aspects, agriculture became less organic as high input
consumption played a key role in increasing food
production.Currently, agriculture is at crossroads with higher
production is expected to meet the increasing demand for food
commodities and to concentrate on the consumption of natural
resources in order to keep the soil green and safe. There is a growing
knowledge of the quality of food as well as the degree to which
unnecessary and indiscriminate use of chemicals affects the
environment. Organic farming, therefore is gaining greater interest
worldwide. The numerous reasons for the successful adoption of
organic farming in selected areas where they have a competitive
advantage can be examined and research for generating innovations
that help modern organic farming can be improved. This research
may not only lead to improved security of nutrition and the
environment, but may also enhance the export prospects of the
country.

International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), 2020

The results from diagnostic survey show that rice farmers in the district grew only few rice vari... more The results from diagnostic survey show that rice farmers in the district grew only
few rice varieties and hence variety replacement rate might be low. Also, mechanization
in rice crop establishment is nil. For achieving higher grain yield, farmers should
complete transplanting in August and apply 7 to 8 irrigations in the district. The
major rice production constraints and priority research problem areas of rainfed rice
production in Anantapur district are drought, leaf blast, weeds, brown plant hopper and
poor soil fertility. Hence, it would be logical to prioritize rice research on the basis of
prevailing constraints under rainfed areas of Anantapur district.

National webinar on Motivation of youth towards Agri-entrepreneurship and innovative farming, 2020

Third Indian Biodiversity Congress, 2014

The paper focuses on the ICT (Information Communication Technologies) in agriculture and food sec... more The paper focuses on the ICT (Information Communication Technologies) in agriculture and food security. ICT have the potential to reach many farmers with timely and accessible content. ICT can improve food security and address farmers' problems and needs across the economy to increase the agricultural production. The challenges of the traditional agriculture are addressed significantly by using ICT that play an important role in uplifting the livelihoods of the rural poor. An exploratory and desk study was conducted during 2012-2014 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala to inventories and document agri-expert systems evolved worldwide and popular ICT projects in India to increase the agricultural production and enhance the food security across the country. Agri-expert systems explore the role of ICT in agricultural sector and its role for increased sustainable agricultural production aiming at food security.Expert system of extension, which consists knowledge based information, decision rules and inference engine and available on website will help the farmers not only in taking decision to what to cultivate but also the related questions. Based on the review of literature, internet search and discussion with experts 72 agri-expert systems were inventorised and documented. Among these the popular agri-expert systems widely using in Kerala are KAU-fertulator and e-Crop doctor developed by center for e-learning, Kerala Agricultural University for fertilizer calculation and digital plant protection advisor for the crops of Kerala based on the latest recommendations. Kissan Kerala Crop Health Decision Support system is another expert system which works as a digital plant protection advisor for the crops of Kerala. Farm Extension Manager is an expert system to provide comprehensive information on production and marketing of major crops of Wayanad. Software named 'CROP-9-DSS' incorporating all modern features like, graphics, photos, video clippings etc. has been developed by KAU. This package will aid as a decision support system for identification of pest and diseases with control measures, fertilizer recommendation system, water management system and identification of farm implements for leading crops of Kerala. ICT initiatives like e-Choupal began by the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) as a cost-effective means of dealing directly with farmers to buy agricultural products for export. The system is now becoming a meta-market for rural India. e-Sagu (sagu means cultivation in Telugu) uses the medium of digital photos of farmers' fields to provide expert advice. To mainstream such ICT efforts and knowledge management for agriculture and food security, it is necessary to put in place a centralized search engine, or harvester, to access the decentralized and dispersed digital agricultural information repositories and network of experts. Thus the study would help the administrators to make necessary policy interventions for streamlining the development and use of ICT in agriculture.

Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, 2017

Results revealed that half of the respondents i.e. 50 per cent perceived that information content... more Results revealed that half of the respondents i.e. 50 per cent perceived that
information content of agri-expert systems were of high completeness and understandability
followed by medium (34%) and low (16%) respectively. In case of the agricultural officers’
distribution, more than half of the respondents’ i.e. 57.5 per cent respondents marked that
information content of agri-expert systems understandability were high followed by medium
(30%) and low (12.5%) respectively. With respect to front line extension personnel, 40 per
cent respondents opined it as high followed by medium (36.66%) and low (23.33%)
respectively. In case of scientists, half of the respondents i.e. 50 per cent opined that the
same was high followed by medium (36.66%) and low (13.33%) respectively. Hence it was
inferred that 50 per cent of the respondents felt, information content in terms of its
completeness and understandability of agri-expert systems as high. This might be because
expert systems were highly crop specific or technology specific than general packages. They
are providing more information on preventive measures, biological control measures and
cultural practices that too which was very precise. In all categories most of the respondents
felt that information content of agri-expert systems was complete and understandable to the
users.Based on these results, any expert system with reliable, accurate and retrievable
information could be more user-friendly and more interactive to the extension community for
effective agricultural decision making.