Technology for Dry Farming: How Do the Scientists, Students & Farmers View the Challenge?

An exploratory study of scientific goal setting in dry farming areas was pursued during 1985. The post-graduate students as well as scientists engaged in dry farming research from a North Indian agricultural university and its regional station were interviewed besides the scientists from All India Coordinated Research Project on Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad. The farmers operating in the hinterland of the university as well as regional station were also contacted to contrast their perception with that of the scientists. Perception of scientists regarding indigenous technology developed by the farmers was studied to understand the match or mis-match existing between their perception vis-à-vis that of the farmers. The post-graduate research pursed in different universities during 1973 to 1983 in five disciplines viz., Agronomy, Genetics and Plant Breeding, Economics, Extension and Sociology was analyzed to understand the type of the skills which are being built up for facing the challenge of 21st century. The policy implications for making dry farming research more attractive for the post-graduate students and the concerned scientists have been given. The need for restructuring the approach to dry farming research management has been underlined. The contribution of ecological variables as distinct from economic variables in the choice of technology by the farmers have also been studied.