♣ Mass communication /ICTs
Developed and maintaining CaneInfo (http://caneinfo.icar.gov.in), a user-centered & database driven website for cane growers and development persoonel.
Led a multi-disciplinary team in conducting over 100 demonstrations in 100 ha spread across three agro-climatic zones, to prove ‘improved yields are possible with optimum usage of irrigation water’.
Conducted an award-winning experimental study with farm women on using communication media for effective farm communication to develop multimedia strategies using traditional and new media, in participatory mode.
Employed ‘Focus Group’ qualitative methodology for assessing sugarcane web-content priorities & effectively used Participatory Action Research approach to sensitize cane growers in five districts of Tamil Nadu on water conservation.
Developed and managing the publications database containing cane research abstracts after digitization, using the relational database management system.
Co-ordinated eleven State-level ‘Sugarcane R&D Workshops’ (a unique initiative of Sugarcane Breeding Institute in bringing together the scientists of Sugarcane Breeding Institute & SAUs and the Sugar Industry of the States) in Tamil Nadu & Puducherry and Karnataka.
Jointly developed and commercialized ‘Soil Moisture Indicator’, a handy device to schedule irrigations in sugarcane farming :
http://sugarcane.icar.gov.in/pdfupload/Files/soil_moisture_indicator.pdf
♦ Jawaharlal Nehru Award for Outstanding Postgraduate Research (Social Sciences) – 2005 of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (https://icar.org.in/node/6396 )
♦ TAMIL NADU SCIENTIST AWARD (TANSA) – 2021 of Tamil Nadu State Council for Science & Technology, Govt. of Tamil Nādu (https://tinyurl.com/5367zjjd )
♦ First Prize for Best Research / Innovation / Adaptation of New Technology for Water Conservation at National Water Awards- 2019, by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, river development & Ganga rejuvenation, Government of India. Team: Dr. K. Hari, Dr. D. Puthira Prathap, Dr. P. Murali, Dr. A. Rameshsundar and Dr. B. Singaravelu (https://icar.org.in/node/13496 )
♦ Winner of TERI-IWA-UNDP Water Sustainability Award 2021 – Excellence in water use efficiency in Agricultural Sector on 22nd March 2022; Team: K. Hari, D. Puthira Prathap, P. Murali, A., Ramesh Sundar, B. Singaravelu and Bakshi Ram (https://icar.org.in/node/14119 )
♦ Chief Editor, Journal of Extension Education (ISSN: 0971-3123). https://www.extensioneducation.org/index.php/jee/about/editorialTeam
♦ Chief Editor, Journal of Sugarcane Research (ISSN: 2249-927X) https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/JSR/about/editorialTeam
♦ Dr. Narasinga Rao’s Founder’s Day Prize for General Knowledge, Annamalai University, 1992-93.
♦ “CaneInfo..all about Sugarcane” website, adjudged the “Best Telecentre Initiative” by eWorld forum (https://icar.org.in/node/5433 ; https://icar.org.in/technologies-and-knowledge-resources and https://agritech.tnau.ac.in/daily_events/2011/English/august/13_aug_11_eng.pdf
♦ Served as “Portal Editor” for International Food Policy Research Institute’s knowledge portal (http://www.ifpri.org/news-release/new-knowledge-management-portal-offers-data-improve-indian-farmers%E2%80%99-practices)
♦ Scientist award-2019 for Commendable Contribution to Agricultural Extension; B V David Foundation,2019
♦ ‘Best instructional module’ recognition for “Managing red rot in sugarcane” multimedia module at NAARM, Hyderabad
♦ Selected to prepare Demand analysis report for Kenya as Individual consultancy for an International Project of MANAGE , Hyderabad during 2016
♦ Part of an International team (India, Jordan, Honduras, Chile and St.Christopher & Nevis) whose accomplishment report was adjudged the best by a jury during the Workshop on Smart Agricultural Applications held in Taiwan in 2018
♦ Best Convener award, International Conference on Sugarcane Research – Sugarcane for sugar and beyond (CaneCon-2021; 19-22 June 2021) organized by ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and Society for Sugarcane Research and Development.
Contact Info
Dr.D.Puthira Prathap
Principal Scientist (Ag. Extension)
ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute,
Coimbatore 641007, India.
Phone : (91)422- 2472621 Extn: 238
Mobile: 91-9443578232
Fax: 91-422-2472923
Email: dp.prathap@icar.gov.in