Agriculture continues to be a primary livelihood option for a majority of Indian rural population. A greater
percentage of them are small and marginal farmers and they contribute significantly to the country's food
security. However, a large section of them cannot get basic crop health services. Their traditional knowledge
and lived experiences seem to be inadequate to meet some new challenges in crop husbandry. This knowledge
gap needs to be filled in by scientific advisories. Farmers need on spot, timely help and guidance for their crop related problems. In the context of a weak agricultural extension system coupled with adverse impact of
climatic change, a majority of farmers face difficulties in managing crop production and problems leading to
lower productivity and loss.