Inauguration of 3-Day Training Programme on On-Farm Water Management at ICAR–RCER, Patna

 A three-day training programme on “On-Farm Water Management Strategies for Enhancing Land and Water Productivity”, organized by the Division of Land and Water Management (DLWM), ICAR–Research Complex for Eastern Region (RCER), Patna, and sponsored by ATMA, Samastipur, commenced on 28 January 2026 at ICAR–RCER, Patna.

In the inaugural session, Dr. Anup Das, Director, ICAR–RCER; Dr. Ashutosh Upadhyaya, Head, Division of Land and Water Management; and Dr. Ujjawal Kumar, Head, Division of Socio-Economics & Extension (DSEE), were present. A total of 31 participants from Samastipur district of Bihar are taking part in the training programme. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Anup Das emphasized the urgent need to adopt sustainable soil and water management practices to ensure long-term agricultural productivity, particularly under increasing climate variability. He highlighted that efficient on-farm water management, combined with modern technologies, is crucial for improving water-use efficiency, enhancing crop productivity, and ensuring farmers’ livelihood security. He also reaffirmed ICAR–RCER’s commitment to promoting resilient and climate-smart agricultural practices in Bihar and encouraged participants to effectively transfer the scientific knowledge gained during the training to the field level.

In his address, Dr. Ashutosh Upadhyaya underlined the importance of integrated land and water management approaches for enhancing land and water productivity at the farm scale. He stated that convergence of natural farming, integrated farming systems, micro-irrigation, sensor-based technologies, and weather-informed decision-making can significantly improve resource-use efficiency. He said that the training would empower field functionaries to guide farmers in adopting practical, cost-effective, and farmer-friendly water management solutions. The programme will provide exposure to natural farming, integrated farming systems, advanced land and water management practices, IoT and AI/ML applications in agriculture, crop diversification, farmer-friendly tools and farm equipment, and weather-based agricultural water management. The training also includes hands-on learning through visits to research farms and soil laboratories.

During the inaugural session, a Hindi leaflet titled “Application and Benefits of Drone Technology in Agriculture” was released. The training programme is being conducted with the collaboration of Dr. Pawan Jeet, Dr. Arti Kumari, Dr. P. K. Sundaram, Dr. Rakesh Kumar, and Dr. Kirti Saurabh, sponsored by Dr. Sumeet Saurabh, Project Director, ATMA, Samastipur, with support from Dr. Manibhushan, Dr. Ajay Kumar, and Dr. Bikas Kumar, under the guidance of Dr. Ashutosh Upadhyaya, Head, DLWM.