The University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur (UAS Raichur) is a state public university located in Raichur, Karnataka, India. It is one of the agricultural universities established by the Government of Karnataka to focus on education, research and extension activities in agriculture and allied sciences, with a particular emphasis on the agro-climatic conditions of the north-eastern dryland region of the state.
| Name | University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur |
|---|---|
| Type | State public university |
| Focus | Agricultural sciences, research and extension |
| Location | Raichur, Karnataka, India |
| Country | India |
Karnataka has a long-established system of agricultural universities supporting the state's farming sector. UAS Raichur was carved out to serve the dryland and semi-arid tracts of north-eastern Karnataka, an area that includes districts such as Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Yadgir, Kalaburagi and Bidar. The region is characterised by black cotton soils, irrigation from the Tungabhadra and Krishna river systems, and cropping patterns dominated by paddy, cotton, pulses, sorghum (jowar) and oilseeds.
The university was established by bifurcating the jurisdiction of the earlier University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, so that the agro-ecological challenges of the north-eastern districts could receive focused academic and research attention. Like other state agricultural universities in India, UAS Raichur operates within the framework of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) system.
The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in agriculture and allied disciplines. Typical streams at agricultural universities of this kind include:
The university also operates constituent colleges, research stations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) spread across the districts under its jurisdiction.
Research at UAS Raichur is oriented towards the problems of dryland agriculture, irrigated paddy systems in the Tungabhadra command area, cotton cultivation, pulses and millets. Extension activities are carried out through KVKs, frontline demonstrations, and farmer training programmes that disseminate improved varieties, agronomic practices and farm mechanisation technologies to cultivators in the region.
UAS Raichur plays a regional role in strengthening agricultural productivity, training of human resources for the farm sector, and adaptation of crops and practices to local soil and climatic conditions. By focusing on the north-eastern Karnataka belt, the university complements the work of other Karnataka agricultural universities such as those at Dharwad, Bengaluru and Shivamogga.