Impact of front line demonstration on the yield and economics of mustard in Udaipur district of Rajasthan

Introduction

Indian mustard is an important oilseed crop that significantly influences the nation's oilseedbased agricultural economy. Despite its value, productivity remains low, mainly because many farmers are not fully aware of improved cultivation techniques and best practices. Frontline demonstrations offer an effective way to transfer technology and highlight the crop's yield potential directly in farmers' fields.

Mustard seeds contain 36-42% oil, 17-25% protein, 8-10% fiber, 6-10% moisture, and 10-12% extractable substances. They are commonly used as a condiment or processed to extract mustard oil. The oil is golden yellow, aromatic, and considered one of the healthiest cooking oils. It also serves as a valuable source of protein-rich meal. With an excellent fatty acid profile-low in saturated fats (about 8%), high in monounsaturated fats (around 70%), and rich in alpha-linolenic acid (approximately 10%)-mustard oil can significantly reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The residual oil cake is an important component of cattle feed and can also be used as an organic fertilizer. Brassica crops are rich in vitamins and minerals and possess notable medicinal properties. Mustard, in particular, is more drought-tolerant and less prone to shattering than other cultivated Brassica species, making it well suited for cultivation in semi-arid regions. The leading mustard-producing states in India are Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. During the 2020-21 season, mustard was cultivated on 8.1 million hectares nationwide, yielding 11.70 million tonnes with an average productivity of 1458 kg per hectare. In Rajasthan alone, the 2021-22 season saw 4.16 million hectares under mustard cultivation, producing 7.14 million tonnes at a productivity of 1717 kg per hectare.

Rajasthan contributed 4.15 million tonnes to the national output, accounting for 44.57% of India's total mustard production (FOA, 2022-23) [1] . Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is an innovative, sciencedriven institution that plays a crucial role in linking research scientists directly with farmers. Its primary objective is to reduce the time lag between the development of new technologies and their adoption at the farm level, thereby improving productivity and income in agriculture and allied sectors on a sustainable basis. As grassroots organizations, KVKs focus on applying technology through the assessment, refinement, and demonstration of proven agricultural practices across diverse micro-farming conditions within a district (Das, 2007) [3] . Given the persistently low productivity of mustard, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of Cluster Front Line Demonstrations (CFLDs) on mustard cultivation in two blocks of Udaipur district, Rajasthan. CFLD is a practical and participatory approach designed to accelerate the dissemination of proven technologies directly on farmers' fields. Its overarching aim is to bridge yield gaps, optimize resource use, and enhance mustard's contribution to national oilseed production. In Udaipur district, mustard occupies a substantial area, yet yields remain low mainly due to farmers' limited awareness of newly developed crop production and protection technologies, as well as their management practices. To address this challenge, CFLDs on rapeseed-mustard were implemented, emphasizing improved production technologies and demonstrating their potential under real farm conditions. Comprehensive efforts were made to plan, execute, and monitor the adoption of oilseed production technologies through these demonstrations. Consequently, this study was carried out to assess their impact on mustard cultivation, with the ultimate goal of increasing yields and providing farmers with higher economic returns and better-quality feed resources.

Materials and Methods

The Data were collected through personal interviews using a well-structured interview schedule. The information obtained was processed, tabulated, classified, and analyzed using mean percent scores and ranking methods in accordance with the study's objectives. A difference of more than 10 percent between beneficiary and nonbeneficiary farmers was considered significant. The extension gap, technology gap, and technology index were calculated using the formulas suggested by Samui et al.

Results and Discussion

The improved package and practices is more important with technological intervention for productivity and profitability of oilseed crops. Detailed package and practices with technological intervention for recommended practice (Table 1).

Grain Yield

Yield (q/ha) During the period of study, it was observed that in cluster front line demonstrations of improved technologies increased productivity over respective farmer's practice (Table 2). Result revealed that an average yield was recorded 15.32 q/ha under demonstrated plots as compared to farmers' practice 13.43 q/ha. The highest yield of CFLD plot was 16.6 q/ha during the year 2021-22 and in farmers' practice 14.5 q/ha in the same year. Average yield of mustard increased per hectare by 14.19 percent over the farmer practice.

Although the yields obtained from the demonstration plots were lower than the variety's potential yield, this can be attributed to various biotic and abiotic factors influenced by year-to-year variations in microclimatic conditions. The yield improvements observed under the recommended practices may be due to balanced nutrient management based on soil test values and the integrated use of chemical fertilizers and bio-fertilizers, both of which play a vital role in enhancing nutrient availability to plants. Similar results have been reported by Tomar et al. (2003) [11] , Tiwari and Saxena (2001) [9] and Tiwari et al. (2003) [10] . Data presented in Table 2 show that the demonstrated technology produced a positive impact compared with farmers' traditional practices. This improvement may be due to the combined effect of enhanced yield components and a higher seed index. The yield gains achieved under demonstration conditions suggest that these technological interventions can be successfully replicated in similar agroclimatic environments. These observations align with the findings of Tomar et al. (2003) [11] . Extension gap (q/ha) and Technology gaps During the years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, the extension gap was recorded at 2.10 q/ha, 1.70 q/ha, 1.80 q/ha and 1.96 q/ha respectively (Table 3). The goal was to reduce this gap through various extension activities, including training programs on improved production and protection technologies, promotion of high-yielding varieties, awareness campaigns, and kisan gosthi is focused on integrated pest and nutrient management. These initiatives aimed to support farmers in adopting advanced agricultural practices, ultimately contributing to the narrowing of the extension gap. Similarly, the technology gap observed was 8.26 q/ha, 3.68 q/ha, 8.7 q/ha and 2.47 q/ha in 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 respectively. This gap can be attributed to localized farming conditions such as variations in soil fertility, weather patterns during mustard crop maturity, and differences in crop management practices. To overcome these challenges and achieve the full potential of demonstration yields, it is crucial to develop and recommend location-specific crop management strategies. These results are consistent with the findings of Singh et al., (2007) [8] , Singh et al., (2011) [7] and Jain et al. (2020) [2] .

Economic return

The economic analysis of the data over three years revealed that mustard under cluster front line demonstrations recorded higher gross returns. [5] and Rachhoya et al. (2018) [4] . The benefit cost ratio of mustard cultivation under improved practices has higher than farmers' practices in all the years and this may be due to higher yield obtained under improved technologies compared to farmers' practice. This also improved linkages between farmers and scientists, and built confidence for adoption of the improved technology. Productivity enhancement under CFLDs over farmer practices of Mustard cultivation created a greater awareness, and motivated other farmers not growing Mustard to adopt improved technologies in this oilseed crop i.e. Mustard.

Conclusion

Thus, the cultivation of mustard using improved technologies-including suitable varieties, balanced nutrient management, and effective pest control-has proven to be more productive. The Cluster Frontline Demonstrations (CFLDs) conducted by KVK not only enhanced mustard yields but also facilitated the rapid horizontal dissemination of recommended production technologies through various extension activities such as training programs, field days, and exposure visits organized at farmers' fields.

Therefore, it is recommended that policymakers provide adequate financial support to the frontline extension system for organizing CFLDs under the close supervision of agricultural scientists and extension professionals. Such a strategy would help boost mustard productivity at both micro and macro levels.

References

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