PARBANI, 11 October 2016 : Taking a cue on how to manage drought for farmers, Parbani based university, Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University  has introduced a model training course in drought management.

This is first of the kind in the country that any university has launched such a course.

Under the cource, the university aims to provide knowledge about different stress management techniques for crops in case of water scarcity and effective water management among other lessons.

Speaking on this B V Asewar, chief scientist at the Parbhani-based university told a national daily that the university has launched this programme, after consulting the ministry of agriculture.

Asking on why the university felt the need for such a course, the scientist said that locking at the last two years of drought and huge water scarcity across the country, there was the need of such course.

The main aim of designing the training course is to make stakeholders acquainted with various methods and measures to cope with drought for sustainable agriculture. The knowledge of drought management could give an edge to stakeholders, especially farmers, while battling out crisis times, he adds.

Asewar stressed that climate change, monsoon behaviour, types of drought, rainwater harvesting and stress management in crops are some of the key topics that have found place in the course.

The course will lay emphasis on mulching practices, protective irrigation, integrated farming, soil health management, fodder and livestock management, integrated nutrient and pest management, he explained.

The first batch of will start from October 13 and the university is targeting state government officials in the agriculture ministry to enroll.

The university feels that these are the officials that can take the drought management model training to the roots and between farmers.

D P Waskar, director of research at Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Agricultural University, and vice-chancellor B Venkateswarlu were also instrumental in designing and developing the course.

The university was set up in the year 1972 and is one of the four agricultural universities in the state.