MP Vyapam AEO key terms

A district-level farm science centre, usually hosted by an agricultural university or NGO, that transfers technology to farmers through training, demonstrations and front-line trials. In Madhya Pradesh, KVKs also run farmer advisory and soil-testing outreach.

A field trial laid out on a farmer's plot using a recommended practice alongside the farmer's own practice, so the yield gap is visible. FLDs are a core extension tool for convincing growers to adopt new varieties or inputs.

The extension step in which a new technology is tested under local farm conditions before wide recommendation, checking suitability for the area's soil, climate and labour. It precedes refinement and large-scale popularisation.

The difference between the yield obtainable with recommended practice and the yield actually harvested by farmers in the same area. Extension programmes aim to narrow this gap by removing knowledge, input and market constraints.

A block-level official of the rural development department who guides gram panchayats on scheme implementation, records and reporting. The post is distinct from the agricultural extension staff who advise farmers on crops.

The body of all registered voters residing in a village, whose approval is required for the panchayat's annual plan and budget. It is the constitutional forum for direct village-level participation under the 73rd Amendment.

The lowest tier of the three-tier panchayati raj system, elected at village level for a fixed term. It levies local taxes, executes village works and is accountable to the gram sabha.

The intermediate, block-level tier of the panchayati raj structure, composed of indirectly elected members and chaired by a president. It coordinates block plans and supervises gram panchayat activities.

The district-level apex tier of the panchayati raj system, chaired by an elected president. It approves district plans, allocates funds across blocks and coordinates with line departments.

The 1992 amendment that gave panchayati raj constitutional status, mandating three tiers, five-year terms, reservation for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and women, and a State Election Commission and Finance Commission.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005, which guarantees at least 100 days of unskilled wage employment per rural household per year on demand. Wages are paid through bank or post office accounts.

A public review of scheme records and works carried out with villagers present, used to check whether funds were spent as reported. Under MGNREGA it is mandatory and is conducted by the gram sabha.

The relative proportion of sand, silt and clay particles in a soil, determined by particle size and expressed in a textural class such as sandy loam. Texture governs water holding, drainage and workability.

The arrangement of soil particles into aggregates or peds, described by shape and stability. Good structure improves aeration, root penetration and infiltration, and is improved by organic matter.

The water content remaining in a soil after excess gravitational water has drained away, usually about two to three days after saturation. Irrigation scheduling often uses it as the upper limit of available moisture.

The soil moisture level below which a plant can no longer extract water and remains wilted even in a humid atmosphere. The water held between field capacity and this point is available to crops.

The total quantity of exchangeable cations a soil can hold per unit weight, expressed in centimoles of charge per kilogram. Clay and organic matter raise it, improving nutrient retention and buffering.

A measure of soil acidity or alkalinity on a 0 to 14 scale, based on hydrogen ion activity in the soil solution. It controls nutrient availability, so liming or gypsum is used to correct extremes.

The combined use of chemical fertilisers, organic manures, biofertilisers and crop residues in balanced proportions to sustain yields while protecting soil health. It relies on soil test values to set doses.

A report issued after soil testing that lists nutrient status and crop-wise fertiliser recommendations for a holding. It is meant to prevent over-application of nitrogen and urea.

Growing a quick-growing legume such as sunhemp or dhaincha and ploughing it into the soil before flowering to add nitrogen and organic matter. It is suited to irrigated or moisture-retentive fields.

A strategy combining cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical methods so that pesticides are used only when pest populations cross an economic threshold. It aims to cut costs and avoid resistance and resurgence.

The pest population density at which control measures should be applied to prevent the pest from reaching the economic injury level. It is the decision point for spraying under IPM.

Suppression of a pest using its natural enemies, such as predators, parasitoids or pathogens. Examples include Trichogramma egg parasitoids against stem borers and Bacillus thuringiensis against caterpillars.

A fungal disease of wheat caused by Tilletia indica, which partially converts grains into a black powdery mass and gives off a fishy smell. It is a quarantine concern because it spreads through seed and soil.

Photosynthetic nitrogen-fixing organisms such as Anabaena and Nostoc used as biofertiliser in flooded paddy fields. They fix atmospheric nitrogen and add organic matter to the soil.

A soil bacterium that forms root nodules on legumes and fixes atmospheric nitrogen in symbiosis with the host plant. Seed treatment with the right strain is a standard practice for pulses.

Deposition of collected and processed semen into the female reproductive tract by a trained technician, avoiding the need to keep a bull. It is the main route for cattle and buffalo genetic improvement in India.

The recurring reproductive cycle of a non-pregnant female, marked by a period of sexual receptivity called heat. In cattle and buffalo, heat recurs roughly every 18 to 21 days and lasts about a day.

Bull semen diluted with extender, packaged in straws and stored in liquid nitrogen at about minus 196 degrees Celsius. It allows one ejaculate to serve many females and permits transport over long distances.

The first milk secreted after calving, rich in antibodies, protein and vitamin A. It must be fed to the newborn calf within the first hours of life to confer passive immunity.

Inflammation of the udder, usually caused by bacterial infection entering through the teat canal, leading to clots in milk and reduced yield. Hygiene at milking and dry-period therapy are key controls.

A winter-season leguminous fodder crop, also called Egyptian clover, grown under irrigation and cut repeatedly. It is highly digestible and supplies protein-rich green fodder to dairy animals.

Removal of unwanted shoots, branches or roots to shape a plant, balance growth and improve light penetration. In horticulture it is used to regulate fruiting in mango, guava and grape.

Joining a scion of one plant onto the rootstock of another so they unite and grow as one. It is used to propagate fruit trees, obtain disease-resistant roots and shorten the juvenile phase.

A small underground or covered rainwater storage tank built in courtyards or fields, common in the dry regions of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. It provides drinking water and supplementary irrigation.

Treating a drainage basin with contour bunds, check dams, afforestation and pasture development so that rainwater is retained and groundwater recharged. It links soil conservation with rural livelihoods.

The two main Indian cropping seasons: kharif crops such as paddy, soybean and maize are sown with the monsoon, while rabi crops such as wheat, gram and mustard are sown in winter and harvested in spring.

Growing different crops in sequence on the same field to avoid nutrient depletion, pest build-up and soil structure decline. Alternating cereals with legumes is the commonest example.