भा.कृ.अनु.प.- भारतीय चरागाह एवं चारा अनुसंधान संस्थान, झाँसी

Major Research Achievements

• Technology impact assessment: The impact of 13 leading and popular varieties of forage crops, namely IGFRI-727 (Anjan grass), BD-2 (Dinanth grass), Wardan, BL-10 and BB-2 of Berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum), JHO-822 and UPO-212 of oat (Avena sativa), African tall and J-1006 of maize (Zea mays), EC-4216 of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and AL-3, RL-88 and Ananad-2 of Lucerne (Medicago sativa) have been assessed. The total green fodder biomass produced from these varieties is estimated to the tune of 175.09 million tons per year that translates into 4.54 million tones gain in milk per year. Net Economic Impact of 13 forage varieties during the period 1999-2023 is estimated to the tune of Rs 49639.59 Crore, which translates annual benefit of Rs. 2090 Crore. Among the selected varieties; African Tall demonstrates the highest benefits (Rs 33846.06 Crore).
• Climate sensitivity of dairy breeds in Indo-Gangetic plains: Using daily milk productivity data from ICAR-NDRI, Karnal (2014–2024), the heat stress sensitivity of three dairy breeds—Karan Fries (KF), Murrah, and Tharparkar—was evaluated. Threshold levels of the Comprehensive Climate Index (CCI) were identified as 24.22 for KF, 25.93 for Murrah, and 26.40 for Tharparkar. KF animals experienced the greatest heat stress impact, with a maximum daily milk decline of 1.25 litres, an average daily loss of 0.81 litres, and an annual reduction of 140.30 litres, causing the highest economic loss of approximately Rs. 8,937 per animal per year. Murrah showed moderate sensitivity, with a maximum daily decline of 1.05 litres and an annual loss of 115.60 litres (around Rs. 7,364). Tharparkar demonstrated the highest resilience, with the smallest maximum decline (0.81 litres), lowest average daily reduction (0.50 litres), and the least annual loss (74.25 litres), resulting in the lowest economic loss (Rs. 4,729). These findings underscore Tharparkar’s heat tolerance, moderate vulnerability of Murrah, and the critical need for targeted heat-mitigation strategies for KF herds.
• Livestock-Based Integrated Farming System (LIFS) project in the selected villages of Jhansi district, boosted productivity by 3.3-4.5 times. Farmers achieved 520 q/ha/year in wheat equivalent yield, generating Rs. 11.0 lakhs/hactare/year in gross returns and Rs. 4.6 lacs/ha/year in net returns, under livestock dominant (6-8 ACU/ha) IFS over the traditional Groundnut-Wheat cropping systems. Soil fertility was also improved by 11-16%, and fodder deficit decreased by 22% over 3-5 years. Efficient farm residue recycling (>95%) enhanced economic and sustainability benefits.
• Ex-post impact of Model Fodder Villages (Adarsh Chara Gram) on the livelihood security of dairy farmers in the Bundelkhand region of central India was conducted. The study used cross-sectional data from 437 farmers and employed the inverse-propensity-weighting regression adjustment (IPWRA) method for impact evaluation and verified the robustness of our results through matching methods. The estimated impact reveals that dairy farmers from the model fodder villages have a 14-19% greater likelihood of improving habitat security, while economic and food security improvements range from 19-21% and 13-16%, respectively. Findings also indicate that factors such as age, education, household size, dependency ratio, off-farm income, adult cattle units, and access to roads, markets, credit, and training significantly affect the adoption of improved forage technologies among dairy farmers.
• KISAN Mitra project for doubling farmer’s income in Bundelkhand region enhanced fodder availability and livestock productivity in Jhansi, Lalitpur, Jalaun districts through over 2,200 fodder and 50 livestock demonstrations, farmer-scientist interactions, trainings, and exposure visits. Improved fodder crops like multicut sorghum, berseem, oat, cowpea, guar, and BN Hybrid were promoted under the project. With an additional expenditure of 9%, technological interventions enabled 19 % more green fodder yield as compared to the traditional practice. As per impact analysis of interventions, adoption of fodder and grasses increased cow milk yield by around 58 % and buffalo milk yield by around 27%. Technical efficiency (TE) for adopters ranges from 0.68 to 0.72 and that of for non-adopters from 0.52 to 0.65, depending on how biases are controlled. The study highlights participatory training, improved forage technologies, credit support, and FPO promotion as key strategies for sustainable dairy productivity in semi-arid regions.
• Economic analysis of developing common pasture lands: The study analyzed the environmental and economic feasibility of developing common pasturelands in Tonk district, Rajasthan. Financial viability was assessed using standard project appraisal techniques, including Net Present Worth (NPW), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR), and Payback Period (PBP). Environmental benefits were quantified in terms of carbon sequestration, measured through total soil organic carbon concentration using an Isotopic Mass Spectrometer. Assuming a project life of seven years and a discount rate of 10.5%, the analysis showed that the NPW of the project is approximately ₹32.28 lakh, the PBP is 6 years, the IRR is 74%, and the discounted BCR is 2.17, indicating strong financial viability. The study also found that carbon concentration in the intervened pastureland increased by around 10% compared to untreated land, due to improved grass development in the top 15 cm of soil. By monetizing the carbon sequestration through carbon credits, an additional benefit of approximately ₹1,016 per hectare (equivalent to $12.24 per hectare) was obtained, further enhancing the economic justification for pastureland development.

Awards

Technology / Methodology Developed

• Farmer’s technical efficiency estimation in green fodder production
• Impact evaluation of improved forage cultivation on milk productivity
• Assessment of factors determining multiple adoption of technologies

Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC)

The Agricultural Technology Information Centre (ATIC) undertook a wide range of farmer-oriented activities, serving as a hub for guidance, capacity building and knowledge sharing. It regularly facilitated visits from farmers, students, officials and various organizations, offering access to agricultural information, advisory services and farm resources.

The Centre conducted farmer trainings and responded to numerous phone enquiries, ensuring continuous support to the farming community. It actively disseminated agro-meteorological advisories and crop-related guidance through multiple platforms, including in-person interactions, online meetings and messaging services.

ATIC also organized and participated in agricultural fairs, exhibitions and interactive sessions, helping farmers stay updated on modern technologies and best practices. Additionally, it distributed informative materials and publications, contributing to awareness creation and improved decision-making among farmers while promoting seeds and other useful products.

No. of Villages and Farmers Covered

Outreach programmes

• Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP)
• Tribal Sub Plan (TSP)
• North Eastern Hill (NEH) Plan
• Farmer FIRST Programme (FFP)

Ongoing Research Projects

Externally Funded Research Projects

Success Stories

Staff Position

Scientific Staff

S. No.	Photo	Name	Designation	Subject	Email
1		Dr. Sadhna Pandey	Principal Scientist & Head	Agricultural Extension	headss.igfrijhs@gmail.com
2		Dr. Ashok Rai	Scientist	Agricultural Extension	ashokraibhu@gmail.com
3		Dr. B. B. Choudhary	Scientist	Agricultural Economics	bishwa606@gmail.com
4		Dr. Samir Barman	Scientist	Agricultural Statistics	samir.igfri@gmail.com

Technical & Supporting Staff

S. No.	Photo	Name	Designation	Email
1		Dr. Avinash Chandra	CTO	avinashicar68@gmail.com
2		Sh. Atul Saxena	CTO	aksaxena.igfri@gmail.com
3		Sh. Neeraj Dubey	ACTO	Neerajdubey.igfri@gmail.com
4		Sh. Prem Chand	PPS	prem_88@rediffmail.com
5		Sh. Priyanshu Anand	Technical Assistant	Priyanshu.igfri@gmail.com