DASP  (Diversified Agricultural Support Project)
Preamble
In spite of its vast wealth of natural resources, U.P. remains one of the least developed States in the country. In order to exploit the potential of these vast natural resources, i.e., varying soil, water, climate, and human resources, UPCAR and GOUP in collaboration with the World Bank conceived the U.P. Diversified Agricultural Support Project (UPDASP), which aims at intensification and diversification of agriculture for raising farm income and sustainability of farm produce. UPCAR initiated the activity of preparing the concept paper on Diversified Agriculture in 1993-94 in consultation with FAO, WHO, World Bank, and the project proposal thus prepared was sent to World Bank for consideration, which was duly accepted by the World Bank. On the basis of this concept paper, the experts under the auspices of UPCAR prepared following documents with the financial assistance of Japanese Grant, which was submitted, to the World Bank for consideration.

Project Objective and Design
The project objective is to promote sustainable agricultural livelihoods by intensification and diversification of agriculture through a participatory approach involving farmers and groups taking into account the comparative advantage of different agro-ecological zones and greater private sector participation.

Design
The design of UPDASP takes the regionally disaggregated view of poverty and gender imbalance into account. It focuses on diversification and commercialisation of agriculture in the state. The thrust is on addressing weak technology, under developed support systems, production practices, post harvest technologies, skill shortages, policy and institutional constraints which discourage private sector participation and infrastructure limitations. The research and extension systems are to be strengthened to take on a more focused mandate.
The project components are implemented in the selected blocks, which have the potential to serve as growth centres, and where infrastructure and institutions are well developed and scope for private sector investments is high. The farming community is mobilised for issue identification, joint problem solving and efficient technology dissemination.
For implementation of the project, while the respective line departments are the implementing agencies, a Project Co-ordination Unit (PCU) has been set up under the APC's office. The PCU's role is to manage the project activities and liaison with various stakeholders. The PCU is headed by Secretary Co-ordination who is supported by the Technical Co-ordinator and various Technical Experts. At district level for managing the project activities, the District Project Co-ordinators are responsible.

Project Components
The project has five main components, which are technology development (research), establishment of a demand driven technology dissemination system, increased private sector participation and public/ private partnerships, development of rural infrastructure and economic policy analysis activities. The UPCAR has been assigned its technology development component. This component has five sub-components viz. (i) Competitive Agriculture Research Programme (CARP), (ii) SAU Research Management and Strengthening, (iii) Integrated Pest Management (IPM), (iv) Research and Extension Linkages, and (v) Adaptive/ Validation Trials.

Competitive Agriculture Research Programme (CARP)
Project is financing CARP for taking up the problem-oriented, multi-disciplinary research programmes specifically aimed at addressing key production and processing constraints. Looking to this objective, the UPCAR has funded 44 research projects to different research organisations viz., SAUs, ICAR and CSIR institutes, and NGOs operating in U.P.

Completed  Research Projects under CARP
SAU Research Management and Strengthening
This Component is basically aimed at upgrading the skill, efficiency and capability of the staff engaged in teaching, research and extension activities at different research organisations, and for facilitating research management. The Directorate of Research of two agricultural universities of the state namely, NDUAT, Faizabad and CSAUAT, Kanpur have been given financial support for this purpose.

Integrated Pest Management
The IPM includes integration of biological, chemical, and cultural approaches of pest control. This is one of the important components, which includes survey for characterization of diseases and pests under different nutrient and crop management systems, production of bio-agents, conducting Adaptive Trials on IPM, development of IPM Modules and their Validation on farmer's field and Human Resource Development in IPM technology. Four centers, SVBPUAT Modipuram, NDUAT Kumarganj, CSAUAT Kanpur and Allahabad Deemed Agricultural University are involved in generating technology related to IPM.

Research and Extension Linkages
Strengthening of KVKs & KGKs
Skill Upgradation
Infrastructure
Farmer's Training

Adaptive/ Validation Trials
Trials on Farmer's Field in Rabi, Kharif & Zaid seasons.
Cereals
Pulses
Oilseeds
Vegetables
Mostly Varietal & IPM based.

UPSLRP  (U.P. Sodic Land Reclamation Project)

Preamble
On the basis of Technical Bulletin entitled "Making Usar Bloom" published by UPCAR during 1989, GOUP conceived a developmental project entitled "U.P. Sodic Land Reclamation Project" (UPSLRP) which was launched in the State on August 4, 1993. Uttar Pradesh Bhumi Sudhar Nigam (UPBSN) is the Nodal Organisation to operate this project.
UPCAR is playing primary role in co-ordination and monitoring of the research activities funded under the project.
The adaptive research component of the project was conceived and developed with a view to transfer field worthy research/ technologies developed by the SAUs and other organisations on farmer's fields and to modify them as per their needs such that the farmers and village community may adopt the tested technologies in a sizeable area of reclaimed sodic land. Several areas of research such as (1) Food Cropping System, (2) Horticulture Tree Crop System, (3) Aromatic and Medicinal Crop System, (4) Fuel and Forage Production System on Community Sodic Land, and (5) Exploratory research were identified for study with a view to develop suitable technology for sustainable production both on agricultural and non-agricultural lands.

Project Funding
The Competitive Agricultural Research Programme (CARP) concept has been introduced in the sub-component "Adaptive Research of U.P. Sodic Land Reclamation Project". The research may be strategic or applied and the competition for funding is open to all institutions, universities and the private sector including NGOs having the capacity and expertise needed to conduct the research.

Nature of Research Supported
(i) Location-specific and programme-mode research to improve/ increase productivity and sustainability of the major production systems of sodic land.
(ii) Mission mode (time-bound) research programme having wider application across one or more production systems to provide the prospect for enhancing the economic benefits to farmers and sustainability of the production system e.g., low cost-method of soil reclamation, soil and water management and post-harvest technologies.
(iii) Strategic research involving frontier sciences cutting-edge technology which may be crucial to addressing research at the production system level.

Project Invitation, Processing and Award
The research proposals are firstly invited in the form of synopses through print media on a prescribed format. After the screening, the full research proposals are solicited for the short list synopses.
To facilitate the preparation of detailed project proposals, a workshop is organised where the Principal Investigators (PIs) whose proposed synopses qualify are invited.
The detailed proposals are evaluated by the Peer Reviewers followed by interaction of PIs with Peer Reviewers. Satisfactory Project Proposals are submitted before Competitive Grant Committee (CGC) for final approval for the funding. Finally the projects approved by CGC are reviewed by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC).
For each approved project, a Memorandum of Association (MOU) is signed in between UPACR and the PI/ Project Leader/ Head of the Institute concerned. The MOU includes commitments on the part of the host institution, that (i) the funds will be utilised for the approved purposes and be released in a timely manner to the Principal Investigator, and (ii) the concerned research proposal will not be submitted to other funding agencies unless specifically indicated in the proposal.
Soon after the finalisation of the MOU, requisite fund for the first year of the project is released. Further instalments are released on satisfactory performance of the research work.

Monitoring
Working of the project is evaluated through quarterly, six monthly and annual reports submitted by the PI as well as through field visits. UPCAR also arranges for the review/ evaluation of progress reports and takes follow up action as and when necessary with the host institution and PI. The progress of the projects is reviewed by the RAC once a year and by the World Bank Mission twice a year. In such reviews, the progress report of each project is presented by the PIs concerned. The action taken on the suggestions/ observations contained in the Aide-Memoire and salient achievements in adaptive trials are presented by the Nodal Officer of the UPSLRP-II.

Publications and Dissemination of New Technology
The UPCAR encourages PIs/ Scientists to publish their results in scientific journals, bulletins and pamphlets to disseminate the significant research findings. The findings of the research are also incorporated in Package of Practices prepared by Department of Agriculture and Horticulture for different agricultural and horticultural crops, respectively.

Ongoing Adaptive Research Projects        

Completed Adaptive Research Projects