An on-farm trail (OFT) is an approach of adaptive research conducted on farmer’s field within their farming system perspective in their active participation and under their management. The objective of OFT is to develop technologies which might help in solving the problems of a group of farmers in a defined study area.
Each KVK operates a small farm to test new technologies, such as seed varieties or innovative farming methods, developed by the universities. This allows new technologies to be tested at the local level before being transferred to farmers.
It is a scientific approach to be carried out by scientists in the farmers field to evaluate the new technologies in different agroclimatic condition so as to increase the production and income over a period of time.
In order to have better adoption of the technologies developed by the research stations, it is better to conduct participatory rural appraisal to identify the problems faced by the farmers and implement OFT based on the priority of the problems.
Technologies assessed under various crops during 2023
Technologies assessed under various crops during previous years
| SNO | Thematic areas | Crop | Name of the technology assessed | No. of trials | No. of farmers | Location Name | Area in ha |
| 1 | IPM | Mite infestation | Monitoring and management of mite pests of almond | 03 | 03 | Patalbagh,Malangpora | .0075 |
| 2 | IDM | Cabbage Aphid | Monitoring and management of cabbage aphid in major cole crops under temperate conditions | 03 | 03 | Patalbagh,Sambora, Malangpora | .025 |
| 3 | Integrated Nutrient Management | Almond | Effect of foliar micro-nutrient spray on fruit set and productivity of almond | 03 | 03 | Newa,Wasoura,Qoil | 0.25 |
| 4 | Varietal Evaluation | Onion | Assessment of onion cv. Brown Spainsh for long shelf life | 05 | 05 | Malangpora,Renzipora, Padgampora,Chakoura, Arigam | 0.05 |
| 5 | IPM | Apiary | Management of Honeybees from diseases & pests | 03 | 03 | Dalipora,Wakerwan, Lajora | 10 colonies |
| 6 | Management Tech. | Apiary | Seasonal management of bee colonies | 03 | 03 | Dalipora,Wakerwan, Lajora | 3 colonies |
| 7 | Production and management technology | Fodder | Yield & nutritional quality of fodder grass in Horti-Pastural systems. | 03 | 03 | Malangpora,Tral,Rajpora | 0.05 |
| 8 | Intercropping | Garlic | Assessment of Garlic as intercrop in high density apple orchard of District Pulwama | 03 | 03 | Gasoo, Koil, Chandgam | 0.5 |
| 9 | Storage loss minimization tech | Walnut | Effect of packaging on quality & shelf life of walnut Kernels | 01 | 01 | Wasoura | – |
| 10 | Orchard Mgmt. | Apple | Weed management in HD apple orchards | 06 | 06 | Koil,Yechgoza.,Kangan, chandgam,chandrigam | 1.5 |
| 12 | Varietal Evaluation | Maize | Evaluation of SKUAST-K released maize varieties in higher altitude areas of district Pulwama | 01 | 05 | Nagristan | 0.25 |
| 13 | Storage loss minimization tech | Capsicum | Effect of packaging material on quality of capsicum | 01 | 03 | Malangpora | – |
| 14 | Production & Mgmt. technology | Landscape plants | Propagation of Landscape plants through cuttings | 01 | 6 | Malangpora | – |
| Crop | OFT Title | Technology emerged/ Best Technology Option | |
| 2014-15 | |||
| saffron | INM for saffron cultivation | N:P:K(90:100:120)+ FYM@ 30MT/ha | |
| Maize | Effect of macro nutrient in Maize under rain fed conditions | N:P:K(100:50:30)kg/ha | |
| Brown Sarsoon | Combined effect of NPK & Sulphur in brown Sarsoon under irrigated condition | N:P:K(100:60:50)kg/ha+ Sulphur @20kg/ha | |
| Cattle | Effect of mineral supplement on milk yield of dairy animal | 50gms mineral mixture(OD) | |
| Cattle | Effect of antihelminthics on the worm load /parasitic load & milk production of cattle | Albendazole(5-10mg/kg) | |
| Quince | Preservation of quince Muraba | Limewater+2-3%alm solution | |
| Crop | OFT Title | Technology emerged/ Best Technology Option | |
| 2015-2016 | |||
| Apple | Management of Russetting in Apple | Sulphur+Boron+Kaolin(7:1:2) | |
| Apple | Prevention of preharvest fruit drop in apple | NAA 20ppm (one month before harvest) | |
| Cattle | Evaluation of production potential of urea molasses mineral brick (UMBB) prepared at FVSC& AH Shuhama on ‘Milk production of dairy cattle’. | UMMB feeding (urea 5%: molasses 25%: mineral mixture 15%) | |
| Crop | OFT Title | Technology emerged/ Best Technology Option | |
| 2016-2017 | |||
| Apple | Improving fruit set in apple | Solobar@1gm/L –At pink-bud stage | |
| Apple | INM in apple for quality | Organic manure @20kg/tree +Urea@ 1.5kg,DAP@0.75g & MOP, &2.5kg per tree each | |
| Apple | Management of canker in apple | Scarifying + application of Copperoxychloride +Carbandazium 2:1.9 | |
| Apple | Management of insect and mite pest complex of apple orchards | · Ist spray: indispensable spray of HMO impregnated with Ethion 50EC @ 1ml/l followed by · 2nd spray with Dimethoate 30EC @ 1ml/l during last week of May (fruit let stage), · 3rd spray with Methyl-O-Demeton 25EC@ 0.8ml/l during last week of June (fruit dev. Stage 1st) and · 4th spray with acaricides like Fenzaquin 10EC @ 0.4ml/l or Propergite 57EC @ 1ml/l during Mid July. | |
| Saffron | Integrated pest management of saffron thrips. | Fipronil 10kg/ha) + Alternate day collection of saffron | |
| Crop | OFT Title | Technology emerged/ Best Technology Option | ||
| 2017-2018 | ||||
| Apple | Soil and foliar application of potassium for color improvement | Two foliar sprays of potassium sulphate @ 1.5% at fruit development stage IV and 15 days interval. | ||
| Apple & Almond | Management of porcupine | Installation of an acoustic device in the area which produces different scaring sounds and makes the wild animals and birds to flee away from the vicinity of the installed area. | ||
| Apple | Management of root rot of apple | Soil Application of bio-agent (Pre-inoculated on FYM) near the affected areas. | ||
| Capsicum | Performance of different varieties of capsicum under open condition | Nishat-1 California Wonder | ||
| Chilli | Popularization & Cultivation of different varieties of Kashmiri Chilli. | Kashmiri Chilli Long-1 | ||
| Kashmiri Chilli Long -2 | ||||
| Crop | OFT Title | Technology emerged/ Best Technology Option | ||
| 2018-19 | ||||
| Almond | Management of short hole disease of almond | Spray Copper oxy-chloride 50WP @0.25% ,Carbendzim 50WP @0.01%,Captun 50WP @0.3%,thropenate methyl @0.5% at bud swell, bud burst, petal fall, fruit let stage and 15 days after fruit let stage respectively | ||
| Apple | Management of borer pests in apple | Stem Borer Plugging of holes with cotton/cloth impregnated with Dichlorovos 76SC @ 3ml/l during June and September. Pin hole Borer:-Plastering of holes with mud mixture (Chloropyriphos dust 0.1% dust + Soil) in the ratio of 1:6) during growing season. Root borer:- Application of Carbofuran 3G @ 100g/tree about 5-10cm deep near crown portion. | ||
| Crop | Title of OFT | Technology emerged/ Best Technology Option |
| 2011-12 | ||
| Strawberry | Evaluation of strawberry varieties | Variety Chandler at 30 cm × 1cm distance |
| Vegetables | Scientific vegetable pickle making | Vinegar based veg. pickle |
| Apple | Fertilizer management in Apple | Fertilizer management as per package and practice of SKUAST-K for fruit crops. |
| Paddy | Management of paddy blast | Tricychlozole-75wp@0.06% |
| Saffron | Management of corm rot in saffron | Corm treatment with carbendazium @ 0. 1% |
| 2012-13 | ||
| Apple | Fertilizer management in Apple | As per package and practice of fruit crops |
| Tomato puree | Determination of keeping quality of tomato puree | Use of sodium benzoate as preservatives @ 1gm/kg of puree |
| Mustard | Management of mustard Aphid | Imidacloprid @0.02% |
| Maize | Management of maize stem borer | Imidacloprid @0.02% |
| Dairy animals | Evaluation of production potential of urea molasses mineral brick(UMMB) on milk production | UMMB feeding Urea-50% Molasses-25% ,Mineral Mix: 15% |
| 2013-14 | ||
| Marigold | Varietal performance of marigold | Pusa Narang |
| Magnoli sp. | Method of propagation in Magnolia sterlita, M.solemgiania and M. liliflora | Mound layering and Air layering with IBA Treatment@1500ppm |
| Apple | Intensity of pruning in Apple | 1/3rd headback |
| Apple | Evaluation of SKUAST-K released Apple varieties | Red delicious |
| Apple | Management of European red mite in Apple. | Technology emerged “Propergite 57EC@0.05%” |
| Paddy | Nutrient management in rice | N:P:K(80:130:50)+10MT FYM/ha |