Tocklai Extension Services to the Tea Industry in Knowledge Management: The Beginning, Present Status and Challenges

摘要

(Tocklai Tea Research Institute (earlier Tocklai Experimental Station) of Assam is the oldest and pioneering tea research institute in the world. Contribution of this over a century old institute in development of the tea industry is very significantnot only to Assam and India, but also to the world tea also as a whole. Advisory department of the institute is involved in knowledge management by undertaking transfer of technology from laboratory to practise in plantation by tea planters. Since establishment of the Tocklai Experimental Station in 1911, the institute has been carrying out research on all the aspects of tea science and the problems faced by the tea industry, and for long term development of the industry. The advisory services from Tocklai was started in 1938, and the advisory department has two main divisions in Assam and West Bengal, with Assam having six advisory branches and West Bengal three advisory branches covering the states of Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, West Bengal and Sikkim. The major objectives are to provide regular advisory service to the industry on the problems faced by them throughout the year, getting feedback for research, creation of data bank, future developmental planning etc. These objectives are achieved by regular garden visit, workshops, seminars, area scientific committee meetings, training to executives and grass-root level workers, demonstrations, field trials, supply of high yielding and quality planting materials, soil testing and other analytical services, and publication of bulletins, etc. The future requirements are challenging which are to maintain the trust and continuous two way flow of information of Tocklai and the tea industry, constant improvement of knowledge management process and to keep in pace with the technological development, sustained improvement of quality and productivity, service to the newly emerging small tea grower sector and to live up to the challenges of necessity of mechanization and climate change, etc.)