INTRODUCTION

The courses related to agronomy subject were offered to the undergraduate and diploma students since the inception of the college in 2012, but as an independent full-fledge department it started functioning since 2018. In addition to teaching, the department also deals with research and training for extension workers and farmers. Agronomy, one of the major branches of agriculture, emphasizes the fundamental concepts of crop production and soil management. The practical sessions conducted for the students, researchers, and extension workers aim at providing field-oriented hands-on training on raising different types of field crops with suitable cultural operations. The department has an excellent instructional farm having 12.00 ha of cultivable land including crop cafeteria, vermicompost unit, NADEP compost, Azolla unit, seed production and research farms to expose the students to the practical aspects of agriculture.

OBJECTIVES

• To impart practical knowledge on crop management practices to diploma and undergraduate students in the field of Agronomy.
• To develop appropriate crop production technologies for enhancing the production and productivity of major cropping systems on a sustainable basis.
• To provide practical training to the students under practical crop production programme.
• To undertake agronomical research on various aspects.
• Multiplication of quality seed of released varieties.

FACULTY INFORMATION

ACTIVITIES

TEACHING

The faculty of the Department of Agronomy conducts theory and practical sessions for the polytechnic and undergraduate students. of activities viz; teaching, research and extension. The details of activities carried out by the department are mentioned below

• Other academic activities:

Practical Crop Production programme: The courses on the Practical Crop Production are offered at undergraduate and polytechnic level during Kharif and Rabi seasons to impart practical training on various cultural field operations such as crop planning, field preparation, seed treatment, nursery raising, sowing, nutrient, water and weed management and management of insect-pests diseases of crops, harvesting, threshing, drying winnowing, storage and marketing of produce.
Rural Awareness Work Experience (RAWE) programme: Under RAWE programme, the Department of Agronomy carries out the departmental orientation programme, on-campus training, visits of various research stations/KVKs/villages/agro-industries and progressive farmers.

• EXTENSION

Adaptive Trails: Department of Agronomy conducts adaptive trails on newly released technologies by the university on farmer’s field. Critical inputs and training to the farmers are provided by the department.

Research and Publications

Department of Agronomy is also associated with research activities wherein several field experiments are being conducted round the year. The departmental research as approved by AGRESCO focuses on the refinement of various agronomic practices on regional basis such as optimum sowing schedule, tillage needs, crop geometry, nutrient needs, weed management and irrigation schedules to increase productivity of different crops of the middle Gujarat region. Here is the list of the ongoing research experiments:

Sr. No.

Name of Experiments

Year

Name of the PI & Co-PI

1

Nutrient management in castor (GAC 11)

2019

Mr. M. P. Dohat
Ms. Pushpa Parmar

2.

NEffect of integrated nitrogen management on yield and quality of mustard

2017

Dr. S. B. Patel
Mr. M. P. Dohat
Ms. Pushpa Parmar

Research paper published in NAAS rated journals

13

Popular articles

08

Seminar/webinar attended

08

Convention attended

01

Workshop attended

02

Training attended

04

Conference attended

03

Facilities available

The facilities available with Department of Agronomy are:

1. Laboratory classroom:

The Agronomy department has a well-furnished laboratory classroom with seating capacity of 30 students at a time. It is well equipped with computer, sound system and internet facilities updated with LCD projector for Diploma and UG classes for effective teaching.

2. Instructional Farm:

The Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, AAU, Vaso with the total area of about 20.00 ha out of this 12.00 ha is under the control of thisdepartment.  At present the seed production programme of castor, paddy, soybean, dillseed and cluster bean are taken at instructional farm for demonstration of latest agricultural practices and supply of quality seed to the farmers of the state. The practical’s of diploma and U.G. students are being conducted at the farm. AGRESCO research projects of various disciplines are also being conducted at the farm.

The farm is equipped with modern farm implements essential for various operations. A drop inlet structure for water harvesting is constructed at the departmental building from which the irrigation facility is being provided throughout the year. We adopted scientific approach for cropping system with drip irrigation facility. The farm has two tube-wells for irrigation.Besides encouraging students to involve in practical works in the laboratories, the students are also urged to actively incorporate their theoretical knowledge in the cultivation of crops in the plots allocated to them under PCP course at the Instructional Farm.

3. Crop Cafeteria :

A place having live demonstration of important field crops viz. cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fibre crops, spices, forage crops and commercial crops are commonly grown in the state were selected and grown systematically over an area of one acre including related technologies for the benefit of visiting farmers.

Every year department develops crops cafeteria in kharif and rabiseasons that facilitates conduct of practical classes with live demonstrations for easy understanding of cropping patterns of different crops for under graduate students. Students can learn about different farm operations of various crops like land preparation, seed treatments, sowing, fertilizer application, irrigation and weed management, assessment of maturity signs, harvesting of crop, and observations on growth as well as yield estimation.

4. Departmental Museum:

Department maintains a museum for the benefit of farmers, students and other visitors to the campus. The crop museum has good collection of seeds of different crops varieties, fertilizer samples, implement models, samples of insecticides and herbicides, hand tools etc.

5. Vermicompost unit:

A small scale vermicompost unit having concrete floor with pakkashed on 260 sq meter area with annual production capacity of 2 tonshas been raised as a demonstration unit for the student,and farmer and for students’ practical work giving production of vermicompost which is ultimately used for nursery and other crops grown in the farm. Department also gives training and advisory services to the farming community and students on the production of an unique feature to recycle the agro waste is being demonstrated through the vermicompost production technology.

6. Agro-meteorological Observatory:

7. Azolla Unit :

As Vaso campus is surrounded bymajority  paddygrowing farmers, department of agronomy made an azolla unit for demonstration to promote organic farming for the benefit of farmers, students and other visitors coming to the campus.

8. Advancedinstrumentation facilities:

Department is well equipped with following Instruments/equipments.  Some of the sophisticated equipment and specialized facilities available are presented as below.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Awards Won by the Faculty Members

• Dohat, MP, Patel, GR and Vasava, NM (2020). Felicitated with “Innovative Article Award” for the article entitled “Drought management for sustainable crop production in dry farming area”. Published in Vol.02- Issue 09 in Agriculture and Food: e- Newsletter.
• Patel, GR, Dohat, MP and Patel, HC (2020). Received ‘Innovative Article Award’ for the article entitled “Rain Water Harvesting: Need of the Days”. Published in Vol.02- Issue 09 in Agriculture and Food: e- Newsletter.
• Generated revolving of ₹ 19.00 lakh during last five years.

CONTACT PERSON

Mr. Pratik S. Panchal (M.Sc. Agriculture, NET)
Assistant Professor & Head
Department of Agronomy
College of Agriculture, AAU, Vaso
Mob. No.: +91 – 9426482325
e-mail: pratikspanchal@aau.in