12/ 1/ 1, Palace Cross Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka- 560020
Ph. No. 080- 23343425/ 23368272
Email: apedablr@apeda.gov.in

Regional Centre of Organic Farming (RCOF)

National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF), a central sector scheme was started in the 10th Five Year Plan, in order to facilitate, encourage and promote organic farming in the country. To implement the NPOF in the country, a National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF) at Ghaziabad and its six Regional Centres at Bengaluru, Bhubaneshwar, Panchkula, Imphal, Jabalpur and Nagpur were established on 1^st October, 2004 (The seventh centre at Bihar will be established in the year 2017). The Regional Centre of Organic Farming, Bengaluru, is engaged in promotion of organic farming in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Lakshadweep & Islands under its jurisdictions.

Objectives:

• Technical capacity building of all the stakeholders including human resource development, transfer of technology, promotion and production of quality organic and biological inputs
• Creation of awareness through publicity, print and electronic media
• To act as a nodal quality control laboratory of biofertilizers and organic fertilizers
• Revision of standards and testing protocols of organic inputs
• Promotion of technology development through support to research and market development
• Maintenance of microbial culture of biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, waste decomposer for supplying to production units
• Promotion of low cost certification system: Participatory Guarantee System
• Promotion and establishment of agro-waste compost, bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides production units through Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) under NPOF

Present activities:

• Farmers training and demonstration of organic farming practices in Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana villages
• Quality testing and analysis of Biofertilizer and organic manures
• Maintenance and distribution of biofertilizer/ biocontrol/ cellulose degraders microbial cultures
• Promotion of PGS-INDIA organic certification
• Training to department officers/ Extension workers/ NGOs/ Specialists
• Demonstration of new Waste Decomposer Technology
• Participation in Seminar/ Conference/ Meetings/ Exhibitions
• Publication of literatures
• Effective implementation of Paramparagath Krushi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) scheme
• Research and innovations

Research Institute on Organic Farming (RIOF), Bengaluru

The Research Institute on Organic Farming (RIOF) was established with the financial assistance of Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) during 2007-08 at the University of Agricultural Sciences, UAS, Bengaluru, with nine sub centres.

Sub Centres of Research Institute on Organic Farming

1. i) ARS Arasikere ii)ARS- Balajigapade, iii) ARS- Chinthamani
2. iv) ARS Gunjevu v) ARS- Madenur vi) ZARS Mandya

vii) ARS- Naganahalli viii) ARS- Pavagada ix) ARS Tiptur

Objectives:

• Scientific validation of organic farming practices, farmers knowledge and local wisdom
• Developing package of practices for various organic crops
• Developing various production technologies of producing FYM, compost, enriched compost etc., for efficient recycling of organic wastes
• Developing diversified cropping systems based on resource base of the farms
• Developing and promoting suitable bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides for organic farming
• To identify and promote suitable integrated farming systems for different agro climatic zones
• To identify /develop alternate land use systems for degraded resource bases
• To provide value addition and market linkage for organic products
• To provide quality assessment and sustainable indicators for organic farmin
• To promote capacity building to organic farming stakeholders

The main Research Issues focused in the project are:

• Scientific validation of various systems of organic farming
• Developing Integrated Farming Systems (IFS) to achieve farming sustainability
• Establishment/development of suitable methods of composting solid and liquid farm waste.

Organic Farming Research Institute (OFRI) Raichur

Organic Farming Research Institute, Raichur, was established during 2013 at Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, with five sub centres located at Agricultural Research Stations, Bidar, Kalburgi, Bimarayanagudi, Gangavathi and Hagari

Objectives:

• Survey, documentation and scientific validation of existing organic farming practices followed by farmers

• To carry out long term location specific, demand driven, farmers oriented research so as to assess productivity, profitability and soil health and standardize the protocol for organic production of different crops and cropping systems under rain fed and irrigated ecosystems of the region

• To diversify cropping systems and also develop and promote suitable integrated organic farming system modules for varied agro-climatic zones (Zone-1, 2 and 3) in the region

• To develop efficient/novel microbial strains, establish the mass production units of bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and organic manures for large scale multiplication, demonstration and supply

• To develop cost effective new techniques for rapid composting of farm wastes for resource recycling

• To provide interventions, support and solutions to problems which may arise from time to time for effective implementation of the Karnataka State Policy on organic farming

• To develop human resources to meet the needs of organic sector

• To promote the farmers groups to facilitate certification, market linkage and awareness

Infrastructure facilities developed and services being offered:

1. Institute office building with multi discipline research laboratories.
2. Bio-farm with Integrated Organic Farming System Module for demonstration and Research block, as per NPOP standards in 20 acres.
3. Mass production and supply of bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and organic manures.
4. Capacity building for all organic stake holders through various extension services, apart from educating UG and PG agricultural students.

Research accomplishments:a). Organic production technologies for Greengram, Rabi Sorghum, Redgram, Sunflower, Chickpea and Paddy. b). New composting techniques for efficient utilization of red gram and cotton stalks.

Institute of Organic Farming (IOF), University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad

University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad is the first state agricultural university in the country to initiate comprehensive organic research programmes for development of organic package of practices in different crops/ cropping systems in diversified cropping situations as early as 2000 through establishment of UAS- Network Project on Organic Farming in its 22 Agricultural Research Stations in Northern Karnataka region.

The Organic Farming Institute was established at UAS, Dharwad, during 2007- 08 under the financial assistance of Rashtriya Krishi Vikasa Yojana (RKVY).

Objectives

• To study productivity, profitability, sustainability, quality and input use efficiency of conventional and organic production systems across different agro-climatic regions of Northern Karnataka
• To standardize protocol for organic agriculture production
• To develop beneficial microbial strains, to mass produce, popularize and supply quality organic manures bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides quality analysis and their improvement
• To survey and document existing knowledge on organic farming practices followed by farmers through the validations of indigenous practices
• To promote the farmers groups to facilitate certification, marketing and consumer awareness to develop human resources to meet the needs of the organic farming sector.
• To standardize the protocol for organic production practices for different crops and cropping systems

The Institute has a state of the art laboratory facilities and field facilities with multi-disciplinary faculty drawn from Agronomy, Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Soil Microbiology, Agricultural Entomology and Plant Pathology. The IOF has ICARs Network project on organic farming, Bio-Resource Farm, mass production units of bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides and other bio-inputs supported under Government of Karnataka through ICAR programmes. These programmes enabled the Institute of Organic Farming to develop organic package of practices in several crops of northern parts of Karnataka state. The Institute also supplies required bio-inputs which play a great role in conversion to organic farming. It has a laboratory for analysing research soil, water, plant and organic manure samples. Laboratory facility is also available for quality analysis of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides and for mass production of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides. To support the research activities in the agricultural university, the Bio-Resource Farm with an area of 16 hectares has been established at the Main Agricultural Research Station, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad.

Organic Farming Research Centre, Navile, Shivamogga

Model organic farm was started in 2007-08 at ZARS, Navile, funded by NCOF, Govt. of India and later, it was converged with Research Institute on Organic Farming funded by RKVY, Govt. of India. The centre is located in Navile campus, Shivamogga District, which lies in southern transitional tract with sub centres at ZARS Bramahavara, ARS Ponnampete, ARS Kathlagere, ARS Bhavikere. The activities of the centre are spread over different agro climatic zones of the state which includes dry and irrigated areas of transitional tract, hilly and coastal areas.

Objectives:

• To document existing organic farming practices, traditional wisdom on organic and other related practices and local biodiversity.
• Scientific validation of different organic farming practices
• To promote integrated farming systems suitable for drylands, irrigated, hilly and coastal regions
• To upgrade technical capacity building for farmers, line department staff, master trainers, NGOs and traders etc.

Important activities of the centre

1. Scientific validation of different practices of organic farming, which are already in vogue with farmers are carried out in farmers field itself. While, technologies developed at research stations are being tested both at University and at farmers’ fields. The research activities pertaining to the local need and also for technology up-gradation will be conducted at main centre.
2. Experiments were conducted at the centre for development of package of practices of organic Redgram, Fieldbean, Groundnut, Chilli, Tomato and Paddy.
3. Demonstration of organic crops: Paddy, Redgram, Fieldbean, Groundnut, Ragi, Chilli, Tomato, Brinjal, Cowpea and Niger
4. Research being conducted on organic nutrition, comparison with the Palekar’s method, method of Zero Budget Organic Farming, Liquid Organic Manures, Mulching and development of Package of Practice.
5. Conservation of traditional crop varieties: The centre has collected about 217 traditional Rice varieties, 30 Brinjal varieties, 14 Ragi varieties and minor millets from different parts of Karnataka and neighboring states