Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (SDAU) is a state public university located in the Banaskantha district of northern Gujarat, India. It is one of the four state agricultural universities (SAUs) of Gujarat and is engaged in teaching, research and extension activities in the fields of agriculture, horticulture, veterinary science, dairy science, agricultural engineering and allied disciplines, with a particular focus on the agro-climatic conditions of the arid and semi-arid northern Gujarat region.
| Type | State public university (agricultural) |
|---|---|
| Location | Sardarkrushinagar, Dantiwada, Banaskantha district, Gujarat |
| State | Gujarat, India |
| Affiliation | Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) |
| Focus areas | Agriculture, horticulture, veterinary & animal science, dairy science, agricultural engineering, home science |
SDAU was established as part of the reorganisation of agricultural education and research in Gujarat, when the erstwhile Gujarat Agricultural University was split into separate state agricultural universities serving different agro-climatic zones of the state. The university takes its name from the campus locality of Sardarkrushinagar, originally developed as a centre of agricultural research and education in the region, and from Dantiwada, the taluka in which the main campus is situated.
The Banaskantha region, in which the university operates, is characterised by semi-arid conditions, dependence on groundwater irrigation, and a strong base in dairying and livestock, factors that have shaped the institutional emphasis of the university.
The university operates through several constituent colleges and research stations. Its principal academic units include:
The university offers undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes that follow the curriculum framework recommended by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Research stations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) under the university extend technologies and advisory services to farmers across the northern Gujarat zone.
SDAU conducts research on crops suited to arid and semi-arid agriculture, including pearl millet (bajra), castor, mustard, cumin, fennel, isabgol and other seed-spice crops for which the Banaskantha–Mehsana belt is known. Work in the veterinary and dairy faculties supports the region's strong cooperative dairy sector, which is linked to the milk producers' unions of north Gujarat. Through its KVKs and extension network, the university disseminates improved varieties, livestock practices and farm mechanisation technologies to cultivators in its mandate area.
As the designated state agricultural university for the north Gujarat agro-climatic zone, SDAU plays a central role in human resource development for agriculture and allied sectors in the region, in varietal improvement for arid-zone crops, and in supporting Gujarat's dairy and seed-spice economies. It is a recognised participant in ICAR's All India Coordinated Research Projects across multiple commodities and disciplines.