Progress 01/01/07 to 06/30/07
Outputs
The PD completed the site visit at PNSAF, Bangalore (Dec. 14-Jan 20, 2007). Visited the NGO aided and Government supported projects in the State of Karnataka that focused on nature/organic farming, integrated and multiple cropping systems and seed saving community agencies and collected relevant information and publications to be used in the course development. The PD is in contact with Dr. Chandre Gowda (Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Bangalore, India) and Dr. Prem Nath (Chairman of the PNASF, Bangalore) in collecting the case studies of the indigenous farmer practices. Also visited some commercial gardens and diversified farming systems in the State of Karnataka in India. The PD submitted a proposal for the formation of the VEGINET-USA chapter which was approved by the PNASF committee. The PD sent out information of the project to the PNASF newsletter and also gave presentations and public lectures at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India
(Dec. 16 and 18, 2006) and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore (Dec. 22, 2006 and Jan 3, 2007). Upon return to the US end of January the PD worked on screening, selection and compilation of case studies from the site visits. Currently engaged in the process of planning the site visit to ICRISAT, Hyderabad, India.
PRODUCTS: The collected literature will form parts of the 2 academic courses being developed under the International farming systems theme.
OUTCOMES: The case studies of diversified farming practices and successful rainfed farming practices, nature farming and integrated farming as well as changing farmer views, profiles and farming patterns in response to call for sustainable farming will be unique additions from this site visit. The VEGINET-USA chapter has been formed at the PNASF Headquarters, in Bangalore with the PD serving as the major contact for this chapter in the USA.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: A newsletter entry in the PNSAF current newsletter, departmental and university-wide circulars and memos at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS, Bangalore), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU, Coimbatore). Coverage of PD's talk in the local Coimbatore edition of India's national newspaper- The Hindu, Jan 18, 2007. The PD also was invited to lecture at the Departments of Horticulture and Extension, at the UAS and the TNAU. Internal memo to all the NGO who hosted the PD at their project sites, and the Central Food Technological Laboratory, Mysore, India.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: PD made contacts with a number of NGO, grass-root organizations (AME foundation, GREEN foundation, ATREE), scientists at CFTRL and progressive farmers during this site visit and is planning an integrated grant proposal/project program on biodiversity for submission to the USDA competition in 2008. The PD will recruit members to participate in and benefit from VEGINET-USA Chapter for knowledge sharing and discussion groups during the working group meeting of the Association of Horticultural Scientists of Indian Origin (AHSIO) and during the poster session (July 16-18, 2007). The PD accepted a position as Chair, Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Excelsior Collge, Albany, NY in April, 2007. Upon this move the PD has successfully identified interested partners in the Biology Department, University at Albany. The PD plans to increase the number of partnering academic institutions in NY area who can benefit from the academic courses developed.
Impacts
This will add to the 2 undergraduate courses being developed to include international content and enhance research and teaching opportunities between India and the USA.
Publications
- Peer-reviewed Abstract: USDA/CSREES International Science and Education (ISE) Competitive Grants Program-2006 Funding to Establish Strong Network for Vegetable Improvement Vegetable Science International Network (VEGINET)-USA Chapter. Will be presented as a poster at the American Society for Horticultural Science National meeting and conference (July 16-19, 2007) Scottsdale, AZ and published in the conference proceedings, abstracted in CABI and AGRICOLA database.
|
Progress 05/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
The PD completed the site visit to the International Rice Research Institute, (IRRI, Philippines) for curriculum development July-August 2006. Held meetings with the various department and program heads collecting information and grey literature related to course design and development. The PD also visited the fields, a few provinces nearby the IRRI and other areas of interest such as the local vegetable markets and larger mixed markets to describe the lifestyle, social and economic status of the local people in the country that hosts a major CGIAR center. Curricular design efforts using the grey literature provided by IRRI as well as the PD's observations are in progress. Tentative titles of courses being designed include: Agricultural Resource Economics for Growing Rice in Unfavorable Environments in Asia; Sociology and Genetics of Biodiversity Preservation in Asia. For each of these courses a syllabus and course content areas are being developed and a website that
will link the course syllabus and the proposed content materials is being designed. Due to conflicts in schedules and the fact that Dr. Prem Nath was not available in India during Summer 2006, the PD could not plan the second site visit to the Prem Nath Agricultural Science Foundation (PNASF, Bangalore) in Summer 2006 as per the original plan, but had to postpone it to occur during the semester break (December 2006- January 2007). Currently the PD (Dec. 16 onward) is on the second site visit at the Prem Nath Agricultural Science Foundation, Bangalore, India, studying the VEGINET concept and how to get such networking available to the researchers in the US. In addition to the activities described in the original proposal, for professional development related to the project proposal activities, the PD also attended the Interactive Video-conferencing in Education (IVIE-2006) conference at IUPUI, Indianapolis (Oct, 2006) to gain technical knowledge and greater understanding of how
interactive technology fits into political, curricular, pedagogical, cultural, ethical, and instructional issues in international education. Attending this conference has been very helpful in learning about the current efforts in distance education, use of technology in education and models of video conferencing learning modules that are being developed at a national and international level with a global learning perspective.
PRODUCTS: Activities that occurred from May 2006-December 2006 will result in the production of two courses specific to the site visit to IRRI: Agricultural Resource Economics for growing rice in unfavorable environments in Asia; Sociology and Genetics of Biodiversity Preservation in Asia. A syllabus and course content areas for both courses will be developed and a website that will link the course syllabus and the proposed content materials will be designed.
OUTCOMES: The new course content developed is derived from actual real-life working models of research outside the United States in developing countries. This will be a unique component in the courses. The interactive websites for the courses will encourage students to combine learning in classroom with "out of classroom" and individual learning experiences.
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: Dissemination activities included: a newsletter entry of the activities appeared in the Fall issue of the Asian American Studies Institute, University of Connecticut regarding the grant activities; an entry in the IRRI Website for the duration of the PD's site visit as a Visiting Research Fellow of the Institute; two invited guest lectures at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU, Coimbatore) on Dec. 18th and Dec. 19th 2006. The PD also held interactive meetings with students and faculty of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS, Bangalore) Dec. 22nd and a second meeting on the curriculum development activities with the faculty and students of the UAS is planned for Dec. 28th 2006. A PNASF newsletter entry is also planned for the upcoming issue.
FUTURE INITIATIVES: Additionally, the PD made contact with a number of scientists interested in plant biodiversity, natural resources management and extension education. The PD is planning to build upon previous relationships and made new connections at the IRRI Philippines, and held meetings with scientists from India (University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore), to initiate a proposal submission to the USDA-CSREES-NRI- Plant Biology integrated program on biodiversity preservation and enhancement. A submission for funding was made this current year. Other future initiatives planned include increased interaction and sharing resources and course teaching possibilities, team teaching, sharing students for mutual exchange between the Universities in India and the mainstream US universities. This is in line with the recent Presidential initiative on knowledge sharing between India and the US.
Impacts
This will add 2 undergraduate courses to the list of courses available to students majoring in food and agricultural sciences, international studies and area studies. The content of the courses will have a greater international content and examples of real-life situations. More interdisciplinary content in courses in agricultural and food sciences will be designed to include research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. A greater interaction with the scientists at IRRI and active engagement of students from the US in their research projects can be expected.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|