Role of (Kvks) and the Atma in the Transfer of Entomology Based Technologies for Sustainable Agriculture
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/asl.2025.1.03.03Keywords:
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, ATMA, integrated pest management, technology transfer, frontline demonstration, sustainable agriculture, agricultural extensionAbstract
Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) and the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) constitute the two principal district-level pillars of India's public agricultural extension system and jointly mediate the flow of entomology-based crop-protection technologies — integrated pest management (IPM), biological control, pheromone-based monitoring, botanical and microbial biopesticides, and need-based, threshold-driven spray advisories — from research institutions to farmers' fields. This review synthesises the institutional mandates of KVKs and ATMA, the mechanisms through which they transfer entomological innovations (on-farm testing, frontline demonstrations, farmer field schools, farmer interest groups, exposure visits and ICT/SMS-based advisories), and the empirical evidence of impact on yield, pesticide load and farm income drawn from published frontline-demonstration and area-wide IPM studies. Reported yield gains from entomology-linked demonstrations ranged from about 25 to 40 percent over farmers' practice, while area-wide IPM implementation reduced the environmental impact quotient of pesticide use by roughly 30–45 percent relative to conventional practice. The review situates these outcomes within Rogers' diffusion-of-innovation framework, discusses persistent constraints — low farmer awareness, staff and resource shortages, and weak feedback loops — and outlines directions for strengthening entomology-focused extension for sustainable agriculture.
References
Anuratha, A., Ravi, R., & Selvi, J. (2019). Cluster front line demonstration in green gram variety CO 8 at Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. International Journal of Chemical Studies, 8(2S).
Barzman, M., Bàrberi, P., Birch, A. N. E., Boonekamp, P., Dachbrodt-Saaydeh, S., Graf, B., Hommel, B., Jensen, J. E., Kiss, J., Kudsk, P., Lamichhane, J. R., Messéan, A., Moonen, A. C., Ratnadass, A., Ricci, P., Sarah, J. L., & Sattin, M. (2015). Eight principles of integrated pest management. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 35(4), 1199–1215. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-015-0327-9
Dolma, T., Gupta, V., Rafiq, R., Sharma, A., & Iqbal, T. (2024). Impact of Krishi Vigyan Kendra frontline demonstrations on mustard productivity in Jammu region, J&K (UT). Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, 42(12), 1–6.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2021). General guidelines for developing and implementing a regional integrated pest management strategy for fall armyworm control in demonstration countries. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb7549en
Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. (2021). Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) scheme. Press Information Bureau.
Guerrero, A., & Reddy, G. V. P. (2023). Chemical communication in insects: New advances in integrated pest management strategies. Insects, 14(10), 799. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14100799
Kogan, M. (1998). Integrated pest management: Historical perspectives and contemporary developments. Annual Review of Entomology, 43(1), 243–270. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.43.1.243
Li, W., Zheng, T., Yang, Z., Li, M., Sun, C., & Yang, X. (2021). Classification and detection of insects from field images using deep learning for smart pest management: A systematic review. Ecological Informatics, 66, 101460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2021.101460
Liu, Z., Gao, J., Yang, G., Zhang, H., & He, Y. (2016). Localization and classification of paddy field pests using a saliency map and deep convolutional neural network. Scientific Reports, 6, 20410. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20410
Mancini, F., Jiggins, J., & O'Malley, M. (2009). Reducing the incidence of acute pesticide poisoning by educating farmers on integrated pest management in South India. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 15(2), 143–151. https://doi.org/10.1179/oeh.2009.15.2.143
Mancini, F., van Bruggen, A., & Jiggins, J. (2007). Evaluating cotton integrated pest management (IPM) farmer field school outcomes using the sustainable livelihoods approach in India. Experimental Agriculture, 43(1), 97–112. https://doi.org/10.1017/S001447970600425X
Meena, M. L., & Singh, D. (2022). Increasing wheat yield through frontline demonstration in Pali district of Rajasthan. Journal of Wheat Research. https://doi.org/10.25174/2249-4065/2018/76657
Rogers, E. M. (2003). Diffusion of innovations (5th ed.). Free Press.
Shanower, T. G., Romeis, J., & Minja, E. M. (1999). Insect pests of pigeonpea and their management. Annual Review of Entomology, 44, 77–96. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.44.1.77
Sharma, O. P., Bantewad, S. D., Patange, N. R., Bhede, B. V., Badgujar, A. G., Ghante, P. H., Kadam, M., Bhagat, S., & Kumari, A. (2015). Implementation of integrated pest management in pigeonpea and chickpea pests in major pulse-growing areas of Maharashtra. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 6(1), 12. https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmv011
Umale, S. M., Rajput, U. U., & Borde, S. A. (2020). Impact assessment of front-line demonstration (FLDs) on the yield of greengram. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology.
Various authors. (2015–2025). Role of Krishi Vigyan Kendras in technology transfer – district-level studies (Sehore, Sagar, Bargarh, Kannur). ResearchGate preprint collection.
