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Volume(7) / Issue(2)

Strength in Togetherness: Group Dynamics and the Growth of Farmer Producer Organisations in Odisha

Swagatika Ratha and Jeebanjyoti Behera

Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have become one of the most significant institutional innovations in Indian agriculture, especially for empowering small and marginal farmers through collective action. While policy support, market linkages, and financial assistance are essential for FPO sustainability, the internal strength of these organisations largely depends on group dynamics. Group dynamics refers to the interactions, relationships, participation, leadership patterns, norms, and collective behaviour of members within a group. In states like Odisha, where agriculture is dominated by smallholders, rainfed farming, and socially diverse communities, effective group dynamics plays a decisive role in determining the success of FPOs. This article discusses the concept of group dynamics in FPOs, its key components, relevance to FPO performance, challenges commonly observed in Indian and Odishan contexts, and practical strategies to strengthen group functioning for long-term sustainability. The article is written in a popular and extension-oriented manner for farmers, students, practitioners, and development professionals.

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Seasonal Trends and Risk Factors of Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome in Fish

Soumya Rai et al.

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) is a severe fish disease caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces invadans, affecting both wild and cultured fish in freshwater and estuarine systems. The infection causes skin ulcers, deep muscle necrosis, and granulomatous lesions, leading to significant economic losses, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Outbreaks are influenced by seasonal and environmental factors, including low water temperatures, poor water quality, flooding, low dissolved oxygen, and stress. The pathogen's deep tissue invasion reduces the effectiveness of conventional treatments, and its persistence in sediments makes eradication from natural water bodies difficult. Effective management requires integrated strategies, combining strict biosecurity, environmental monitoring, quarantine of new stock, and enhancement of fish immunity through proper nutrition and stress reduction. Innovative monitoring technologies, including AI-based image analysis and real-time tracking of water quality, enhance the timely detection of EUS and support more effective outbreak management.

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From Fields to Family Health: A Nutrition- Sensitive Farming Approach in Tribal Odisha

Sayeena Biswal and Jeebanjyoti Behera

Tribal regions of Odisha are rich in traditional crops such as millets, pulses, and green leafy vegetables, yet malnutrition remains a serious concern (National Family Health Survey-5). This article is based on a field-based research study conducted in Koraput district of Odisha, a predominantly tribal area. The study explores farmers' awareness, adoption behaviour, and constraints related to nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices. The findings reveal that while tribal farmers produce many nutritious foods, limited nutrition awareness, inadequate extension support, and resource constraints restrict their consumption at the household level. The article highlights how nutrition-sensitive agriculture, through practices such as homestead nutrition gardens, crop diversification, and nutrition education, can improve dietary diversity and family health. It emphasizes the need to integrate nutrition goals into agricultural extension programmes so that farming not only ensures food availability but also leads to better nutrition and healthier tribal communities (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2017).

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Soil Acidity: A Recurrent Soil Constraint in Agricultural Lands of Odisha

Puravi Parismita

Soil Acidity as a Constraint: Soil Acidity is a long-standing constraint being faced by agricultural productivity in the context of the province of Odisha, located in the country of India. Recent estimates have found more than half of the agricultural lands in the province to be soil acidic in nature due to high rainfall, intense weathering, as well as continuous leaching of base cations (Government of Odisha, 2025). Soil Acidity can be defined as soils marked by aluminum toxicity, toxicities of metals such as manganese, phosphorus fixation, as well as low microbial populations (Sharma & Gupta, 2006). The present study compiles existing scientific research work on soil Acidity affecting agricultural lands within the province of Odisha.

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Sulphur Nutrition in Indian Agriculture: Importance, Deficiency and Management

Sraddha Suman Nayak

Sulphur is gradually being identified as the fourth element along with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in Indian farming. The large application of high analysis fertilizer, reduced application of organic manures, and increase in crop intensification have resulted in the deficiency of sulphur, which is an area of grave concern regarding soil fertility resources covering the whole agro-climatic region of the Indian subcontinent. The primary topics that this paper would cover include the application of sulphur in crops, the extent of sulphur deficiency in Indian soils, the effect on crop productivity, and optimal use.

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