The University of Agricultural Sciences Dharwad was established on 1st Oct 1986 to cater to the needs of farming community in North Karnataka covering 52% of the geographical area in the state. One of the tri-fold functions of the university is extension of the technologies developed in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. The mission of the extension activities is the dissemination of research findings to the farming community. The Directorate of Extension is the nodal agency to provide direction and leadership in the extension education activities of the university. The extension activities are carried out through a network of well established and well equipped Transfer of Technology (ToT) centers which at present include five Krishi Vignana Kendras (KVK’s), six Extension Education Units, a Staff Training unit, Agricultural Technology Information Center, Bakery training Unit, Krishi Community Radio Station (KCRS), Kisan Call Centre and Publication Centre at head quarter. These centers are periodically and regularly organizing national and state level trainings for the benefit of officers of the development departments, non-government organizations, extension functionaries and the farming community engaged in agriculture and allied activities. These centres are also organizing different types of demonstrations, farm trials, krishimelas, field days, exhibitions etc on various aspects of agriculture and allied activities to create awareness among extension functionaries and farmers. The directorate is involved in dissemination of farm technology through technical bulletins, booklets, leaflets, folders, posters and through radio and TV channels. The directorate is also serving as an important source of feed back information to the researchers through diagnostic services.

For administrative convenience the Government of Karnataka bi-furcated University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad into University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad and University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur in 2009. Hence from 1st April 2009 the jurisdiction of the university was limited to the districts of Bijapur, Bagalkot, Belgaum, Dharwad, Gadag, Haveri and Uttar Kannada. Accordingly the Transfer of Technology centres and staff members functioning in the districts of Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgiri, Raichur, Koppal and Bellary were transferred to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur on as and where basis.

The first Community Radio Station in Karnataka state was established in UAS Dharwad campus on May 17, 2007 which was inaugurated by Sri Bandeppa Kashempur, the then Minister of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka. Sri A. Ramaswamy, the then Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture, Government of Karnataka and Dr. J.H. Kulkarni, the then Vice-Chancellor, UAS Dharwad graced the occasion. The Community Radio Station is named as Krishi Community Radio Station (KCRS) , the catch line of this channel is “Raitarinda- Raitarige” (from farmers to the farmers). The programme is being broadcasted for four hours daily ( two hours each in the morning and two hours in the evening). The fresh programmes are aired at 6 PM to 8 PM and repeated in the next day morning between 6 AM and 8 AM. The programmes of Community Radio Station have helped in providing location specific production information to the farmers based on day to day weather report, market analysis, out -break of pests and diseases etc.