Economic impact of cluster front line demonstration (CFLD) on the pulse and oilseed crops in Gurugram district of Haryana, India

Introduction

Pulses are one of the important food crops globally due to higher protein content. Cluster front line demonstration (CFLD) is an appropriate tool to demonstrate recommended technologies among the farmers in a cluster approach. This new concept of field demonstration was evolved by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Pulses are grown in India on 28.78 million hectares of land with an annual production of 25.46 million tons in the year 2021-22 (DES, 2022). In Haryana, average gross area under pulses and oilseeds during the year 2020-21 was 76.1 & 643.2 thousand hectares respectively with the production of 67.0 &1258.0 thousand tons respectively, (Haryana Statistical Abstract, 2021-22). Singh et al., (2020) [9] recorded in cluster frontline demonstrations average yield of chickpea increased 26.66% over farmer practices, while the year wise variation in yield increased from 17.00 -40.00%. CFLD Programmes were effective in changing attitude, skill and knowledge of improved package and practices of HYV of chickpea adoption under drought condition. The yield of black gram was recorded higher in CFLDs plot over the farmer practices. The trend of technology gap reflected the farmer's cooperation in carrying out demonstration with encouraging results in subsequent years (Saikia et al., 2018) [5] . Sarma et al., (2023) [7] revealed that beneficiary farmer's productivity was higher than non-beneficiary farmers. Dhakad et al., (2021) [2] revealed that impact of CFLD to motivate the farmers by the improved agricultural technologies applied in the demonstration plots and recorded an increased production of 25.8% higher than farmer's practices. Vishal et al., (2022) [12] showed that the highest grain yield was obtained in demonstrated plots with an average of 7.54 q/ha as compared to local check with an average of 4.70 q/ha and used of improved technology in Linseed cultivation recorded average higher B:C ratio (2.1) as compared to Farmers Practice (1.54). This project was implemented by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Shikohpur in Gurugram district with main objective to boost the production and productivity of pulse and oilseed crops through CFLDs with latest and specific technologies. The present study was conducted with main objectives to analysis the economic impact of cluster front line Demonstration (CFLD) on the pulse and oilseed crops.

Material and Methods

The study was conducted in Gurugram district of Haryana. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Gurugram had implemented CFLD programmes on selected varieties of Rabi and Kharif pulses and oilseeds crops namely; Green gram, Chickpea, Pigeon pea and Mustard during last six years (2018-19 to 2022-23) www.extensionjournal.com were selected for analysis of economic impact of CFLDs for the study. Varieties of each crop namely; Green gram (M.H.-421), Chickpea (C.S.J. -515, Pusa 3043), Pigeon pea (Pusa Arhar-992, Pusa Arhar-16, Pant Arhar-291, Pant Arhar-421), Mustard (RH 749, RH 725, P.M. 30, P.M. 31), which was having paramount significance in terms of production potential and wide acceptance by the farmers in their local farming systems were considered for the study.

Experimental Details

Krishi Vigyan Kendra used all the technological interventions in accordance with the recommended package of practices for the region for suitable field crops as shown in Table 1. KVKs scientist organized the training and awareness programmes for farmers as part of technological interventions with improved package or practices in demonstration plots at farmers' field. For check of technological intervention, demonstration plot compares with control or Farmers practice, which was maintained by farmers according to own traditional knowledge with repeated or old varieties and technology. As per project guidelines or mandates, KVK scientist provided inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, IPM package, and bio-fertilizers to the farmers for demonstration plots with technical support. KVK scientist visited to the cluster frontline demonstration field and farmer's field (control plot) on regular basis or important phenophase of crop for close supervision and data collection.

Data Collection and Analysis

The data was collected form demonstration plots as well as control plots on regular basis and continued till harvesting of crops to assess the overall performance of CFLDs on selected pulses and oilseed crops. A predetermined questionnaires interviewing of farmers to elicit the information from beneficiary and non-beneficiary farmers about technology, varieties, constraint to application of technology and increase area of pulse and oilseeds crop etc. The basic information from the farmer's field as well as feedback information were systematically recorded and analyzed to see the comparative performance of cluster frontline demonstrations (CFLDs) and farmer's practice (control). The data outputs were also collected from CFLD plots and control plots and finally the extension gap, technology gap, technology index, additional return along with benefit cost ratio were calculated (Table 3 & 4) as per the formula adopted by (Samui et al., 2000) [6] as given below:

Results and Discussion

Krishi Vigyan Kendra maintained the details of conducted technological demonstration year to year as shown in Table 1. In each cluster frontline demonstration (CFLD), one or two suitable varieties were considered on the basis of performance or climatic suitability for region along with their recommended package of practices. While in control or local check plots, locally available old variety of selected pulse and oilseed crops with traditional cultivation practices was followed by the farmers in their local farming situations. A total of 1232 demonstrations on improved varieties of green gram (230), chickpea (174), pigeon pea (292) and mustard (563) covering 580 ha were conducted by the KVKs at farmers' field during 2018-19 to 2022-23 (Table 2 and Fig. 1).

Grain yield and Gap analysis of pulse and oilseed crops

Grain yield and gap analysis of pulses and oilseeds crops of demonstrated field's and farmer's practices is presented in Table 3. Average grain yield was presented in the table of all three pulses and one oilseed crops viz; green gram, chickpea, pigeon pea and mustard in demonstration fields was higher than of farmer's practices. The result showed that average yield of green gram under CFL demonstration was 8.20 q/ha compared to 6.84 q/ha. in farmers' practice with 19.88% average increase over local check. In case of chickpea and pigeon pea, average yield of 20.05 q/ha & 16.18 q/ha. in demonstration plot was recorded against 17.25 q/ha & 14.07 q/ha. in farmers' practice with 16.23% & 15.0% average increase over local check respectively. While, in oilseed crop mustard showed that average yield of 21.45 q/ha. in demonstration field as compared to 18.80 q/ha. in farmer's practices with 14.10% average increase over local check because of created greater awareness, training and motivated the farmers to adopt the improved package of practices of pulses and oilseed crops. The data represented that green gram crop showed lower extension gap (1.36 q/ha.) followed by pigeonpea (2.11 q/ha/), mustard (2.65 q/ha) and chickpea (2.80 q/ha.). The technology gap and technology index was observed lower in pigeon pea (0.57 q/ha) & (3.40%) followed by mustard (2.33 q/ha.) & (9.80%), chickpea (3.95 q/ha.) & (16.46%) and green gram (6.62 q/ha.) & (44.67%) respectively as shown in Table 3. Tripathi et al., (2021) [10] showed that latest technologies of mustard cultivation reduce the technology gap to a considerable extent over the farmer practices. Singh et al., (2017) [8] revealed that the improved cultivation practices comprised under FLDs viz recommended varieties, seed rate, timely sowing and plant protection technology resulted in average increase in yield of green gram crop over the check plots. Mitnala et al., (2018) [3] result indicated that the use of improved varieties and package and practices with scientific intervention under frontline demonstration programme contribute to increase the productivity and profitability of pulse crops.

Economics analysis of pulse and oilseed crops

Economics analysis of pulse and oilseed crops showed that net return was higher in demonstration field as compared to farmer practices as shown in The result showed that higher the benefit cost ratio (B:C ratio) of recommended practices in demonstration plots than control plot of farmers traditional practices as shown in Table 4. The B: C ratio recorded higher in recommended practice with 3.32, 4.32, 4.36, and 4.51 in green gram, chickpea, pigeon pea and mustard as compared to 2.63, 4.21, 3.69 and 3.88 in farmer's practice of the same crops. Tripathi et al., (2021) [10] showed that the benefit: cost ratio was recorded to be higher under demonstrations against control treatments during the years of experimentation. Undhad et al., (2019) [11] result showed that demonstration practices of pulses crop gave higher average gross return, net return with Higer B:C ratio as compared to farmer's practices. Prasad et al., (2022) [4] showed that improved technology in CFLDs recorded higher yield, gross return, net return and benefit-cost ratio and also increase in technological gap, extension gap and technological index over farmer's practices. Use of recommended fertilizer dose (80:40:40:40,N:P:K:S kg/ha) as per soil test based. Applied 50% N and100% dose of P, K &S of R.F.D.as basal dose and 50% 0f N as top dressing.

Weed management

Use of Pendimitheline (Stomp-30EC) as PE@1kg. a. i.in 500 lit of water/ha. and one hand weeding by wheel hand hoe after 30DAS Spray of pendimethelin-30EC @1kg. a. i./ha. as pre emergence

Plant Protection

Install the pheromone traps-04-05/acre. Two spray of Ha N.P.V. @250 L.E. per 500litres of water/ha.

Foliar spray of insecticide Emamectin benzoate 5SG.@ 0.2g./liter of water at 10-15 days interval to control pod borer One spray of fungicide with Redomil (Metalaxyl M4 + Mancozeb 64%) @ 2gm per litre of water at 50 DAS to control of Sclerotinia stem rot. One spray of Quinalphos 25EC @2 ml./lit water at 65 DAS.

To protect the crop from aphid. Economics analysis revealed that the net returns and additional gains were recorded higher in recommended practice (CFLDs) which is effective tool for increasing the production and productivity of pulses and oilseed crops by improving knowledge, skill and attitude of farmers. KVKs plays a significant role to transfer of improved pulse and oilseeds cultivation practices to farmers by provided training and other extension proprammes with proper technical support.

References

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