Experiments were carried out during three growing seasons of 2011 to 2013 in the farmer's field at village Jamunali of Chhendipada block in the district Angul, Odisha, India. The effect of five different single and double inlet lateral connections with three different commonly available sub-main pipe sizes (40, 50 and 63 mm) on growth characteristics, yield and water use efficiency of drip irrigated brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) crop was studied. Maximum value of biometric observations such as plant height, girth at base, number of branches and leaves per plant, leaf area, root volume, root spreading diameter were found higher in case of double inlet system in comparison to single inlet system. Maximum tap root diameter, rooting depth, fruit length and fruit weight were found to be insignificant irrespective of the size of the submains connected with the laterals. However, except fruit weight all other plant characteristics were significant respective to the type of lateral connections. Water supplied through drip laterals connected with two submains of 63 mm diameter each at both sides of the plot showed better growth indicator parameters amongst the treatments. This performance also reflected in the case of yield and water use efficiency in cultivation of brinjal crop (Solanum melongena L.). Maximum yield (399.48 q/ha) and water use efficiency (880.58 kg/ha-cm) have been observed in case of double inlet system with two sub-mains of 63mm diameter and the lateral connecting to both the sub-mains at two ends (T 15). Minimum biometric values, yield (380.67 q/ha) and WUE (839.11 kg/ ha-cm) have been found in case of single inlet laterals laid on one side of sub main of 40 mm diameter (T 1). Similarly, it is established that when single inlet systems with laterals laid at one side or both sides of the sub-main are converted to the corresponding double inlet systems by looping the laterals (L 1 to L 2 and L 3 to L 4), the growth parameters and yield of the system increases which is very easy to be achieved just by incorporating some minimal cost towards in-line laterals and connectors.

In a long term fertilizer experiment with rice-rice cropping sequence, the changes brought about in the available sulphur status of soil were studied. Available sulphur status decreased from 20 to 9.5 ppm when S-free NPK fertilizers were used for 13 years, whereas it increased to 30.8 and 39.5 ppm, when NPK fertilizers containing 45 and 67.5 kg sulphur were applied per hectare per season, respectively. With the application of S-free NPK fertilizers, there was 21% decrease in grain yield in kharif but no decline in yield was noticed in the summer crop because of the addition of around 10 kg S/ha through irrigation water. Over the period a positive response to sulphur in kharif rice in most of the years was observed and its magnitude increased with the progress of cropping cycles. This indicated that an application of 44 kg S/ha/cropping cycle would be necessary to maintain the sulphur status of the Inceptisol.

Farmers are the primary producers of food and other agricultural goods play a crucial part in the agricultural sector. Farmers need fast and accurate information on a variety of farming-related issues including weather, markets, pests and diseases, farming techniques, and agricultural inputs, to make informed decisions. Farmers’ information-seeking behaviour, however, differs based on several conditions. The proficiency in information-receiving behavior and its interpretation merit humongous importance for the triumph of entrepreneurial success far beyond subsistence farming. The study was conducted in the Nayagarh district of Odisha by selecting one hundred FPO member farmers following multistage and snowballing sampling techniques. A structured interview schedule was prepared and data were collected using the personal interview method. The study envisages that variables viz. age, crop yield, no. of male workers, marketed surplus, and materials possessed and training exposure have significant contributions to the functional contribution of information receiving behaviour of the farmers. The study suggests that improvement of farmers’ network and extension agent farmers’ relationship may be helpful for quick technology dissemination and overall improvement of the farming community.