Knowledge and adoption level of front line demonstrations partner farmers on improved crop production practices in groundnut crop at Tumkur District of Karnataka State, India

Introduction

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oilseed and legume crop cultivated extensively in India, contributing significantly to edible oil production, farm income, employment generation, and soil fertility through biological nitrogen fixation. India ranks among the leading producers of groundnut in the world; however, the productivity of the crop remains below its potential in many regions due to constraints such as inadequate adoption of recommended production technologies, poor nutrient and pest management practices, and limited access to timely technical guidance (FAO, 2021) [5] . In Karnataka, particularly in semi-arid districts like Tumakuru, groundnut is predominantly grown under rainfed conditions, making the crop more vulnerable to climatic variability and management inefficiencies (Government of Karnataka, 2020) [6] . Addressing knowledge gaps and enhancing adoption of improved crop production practices are therefore essential for improving groundnut productivity and farmers' livelihoods. Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs), implemented by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), are an effective extension approach aimed at demonstrating the production potential of newly released varieties and improved crop management practices under farmers' field conditions. FLDs emphasize "seeing is believing" and facilitate direct interaction between scientists and farmers, thereby enhancing farmers' knowledge, skill, and confidence in adopting scientific technologies (Samui et al., 2000) [9] . Several studies have reported that FLDs significantly contribute to increasing yield, profitability, and adoption of recommended practices in oilseed crops by reducing the gap between research recommendations and farmers' practices (Choudhary et al., 2014; Singh et al., 2018) [2,12] . In Tumakuru district, KVKs at Konehalli and Hirehalli have been actively conducting FLDs on groundnut with the objective of improving crop performance through location-specific technologies. Knowledge and adoption are critical components in the process of agricultural development, as knowledge serves as a prerequisite for adoption, while adoption reflects the actual behavioral change among farmers. Rogers (2003) [8] emphasized that "knowledge alone is not sufficient unless it www.extensionjournal.com is translated into practice through adoption." Assessing the extent of knowledge gained and the level of adoption of recommended practices by FLD partner farmers provides valuable feedback on the effectiveness of extension interventions. In this context, the present study was undertaken to assess the knowledge and adoption levels of frontline demonstration partner farmers on improved crop production practices in groundnut crop in Tumakuru district of Karnataka State, India, and to analyze the impact of FLDs in strengthening farmers' capacity and promoting sustainable groundnut production.

Methodology

The study was carried out in Tumakuru District of Karnataka state. Tumakuru district is purposively selected for the study as it has two Krishi Vigyan Kendras one at Konehalli, Tiptur taluk and another at Hirehalli, Tumakur taluk. The groundnut crop is considered for the study based on highest number of FLDs and partner farmers. The list of frontline demonstration Partner farmers and their villages and contact details were obtained from the records at KVK, Konehalli and Hirehalli. From this list, 40 demonstrators for groundnut crop were selected. Ex-post-facto research design was employed for the study. Since "Ex post facto research" is the most systematic empirical enquiry in which the researcher does not have control over the independent variables as their manifestation has already occurred or they are inherent and not manipulable. Thus, inferences about relation among variables were made without direct intervention from concomitant variation of independent and dependent variables.

Results and Discussion Knowledge Level of FLD partner farmers on improved crop production practices in Groundnut growers

The knowledge level of groundnut growers regarding individual recommended cultivation practices, both before and after the FLD program, is presented in Table 1. The data revealed that, before undergoing KVK frontline demonstration programme on Groundnut, 75.00% of the groundnut growers had no knowledge about importance of soil testing, time of soil sampling and its benefits. However, after participation in FLD on Groundnut, 95.00% of the growers gained complete knowledge regarding soil testingits importance and benefits. There is about 70.00% difference in knowledge found after the FLD Participation.

Overall knowledge level of FLD Partner farmers on improved crop production practices in Groundnut

According to the distribution of respondents based on their overall knowledge level (Table 2), before the FLD program, slightly less than half (45.00%) of the respondents were classified in the medium knowledge category, followed by 32.50% in the low knowledge category and 22.50% in the high knowledge category. After the FLD program, the distribution shifted to slightly less than half (45.00%) in the high knowledge category, with 32.50% in the medium knowledge category and 22.50% in the low knowledge category.

The increase in knowledge levels after the FLD program could be attributed to the active involvement of farmers in various extension activities, such as group meetings, offcampus training, and field days. These activities, conducted by KVK scientists, were focused on groundnut production technologies and likely contributed to the enhanced knowledge among the participants. The results are in concordance with the Sanketh, et al. (2019) [10] and Shivashankar, et al. (2023) [11] . www.extensionjournal.com

Adoption level of FLD Partner farmers on improved crop production practices in Groundnut

The adoption level of groundnut growers concerning detailed recommended cultivation practices, before and after the FLD program, is presented in Table 3. The data show that before the FLD program, 80.00% of farmers had not adopted soil testing. However, after learning about the importance and benefits of soil testing during the FLD, 77.50% of them adopted this technique. Regarding land preparation practices, 75.00% of farmers adopted the recommended ploughing techniques before participating in the FLD program. This adoption rate increased to 95.00% following the FLD program. High majority (95.00%) of the groundnut growers had not adopted the recommended K6 variety before the FLD programme. Whereas, majority (80.00%) of them adopted cultivating recommended variety after participating in the FLD programme. The findings have similarity with the findings of Dinesha (2021) [4] and Mutturaj (2017) [7] . Before participation in FLD programme, the seed treatment with Thiram was not adopted by 95.00% of respondents. After participation, majority (65.00%) of them adopted the seed treatment with rhizobium.

With regard to seed rate, half (50.00%) of the respondents had not adopted the exact seed rate recommended in groundnut crop before the FLD programme. After participation in FLD programme large majority (87.50%) of them fully adopted the recommended seed rate. The recommended spacing was adopted by 55.00% of the growers before participation which increased to 87.50% after participation in FLD programme.

Regarding the time of sowing and method of sowing, 75.00% of groundnut growers had fully adopted the recommended practices even before the FLD program. This adoption rate increased to 95.00% and 100% after the FLD program. The application of recommended quantity of FYM was not adopted by 70.00% before the FLD programme. Whereas, 77.50% respondents fully applied recommended quantity of FYM after participation. Regarding chemical fertilizers, nearly half (45.00%) of the respondents had adopted the application of the recommended dose of NPK before the FLD program. Whereas, after the programme more than three fourth (80.00%) of them adopted complete application of recommended dose of NPK fertilizers. With respect to micro nutrient application, high majority (90.00%) of growers had not adopted the application of zinc sulphate and borax to the soil before participation in the FLD programme. After the FLD programme, good majority (75.00%) of the groundnut growers completely adopted the application of zinc sulphate and borax in groundnut production. Gypsum application is one of the important practices in groundnut cultivation which is responsible for effective pegging and supports the creation and filling up of pods. Before the FLD programme majority (77.50%) of the respondents had not adopted the application of gypsum, whereas after the FLD programme majority (90.00%) of the respondents completely adopted the practice of gypsum application.

Before participating in the FLD program, 90.00% of groundnut growers had not adopted the application of biofertilizers for compost to enhance crop development. However, after the FLD program, 82.50% of growers fully adopted this practice. Regarding weed management practices, half of the respondents had adopted the recommended weed management practices before participating in the FLD program. Whereas 90.00% of the groundnut growers adopted weed management practices after the FLD implementation Regarding drum rolling, the majority (82.50%) of respondents had not adopted the practice before participating in the FLD program. After becoming partner farmers under FLD programme, 70.00% of them completely adopted the practice. This might be due to the fact that the rolling of an iron drum in the groundnut field can significantly improve yield. Regarding irrigation management, about 60.00% of the farmers practiced the recommended irrigation methods before participating in the FLD program. A high majority (95.00%) of the farmers completely adopted recommended irrigation practices after the FLD. With regard to insect pest management, 50.00% of growers adopted the recommended pest management practices for aphids before the FLD programme. However, after participation 75.00% of them completely adopted the pest management practices in groundnut after the demonstrations. Regarding disease management practices, slightly less than half (47.50%) of groundnut farmers had fully adopted the recommended disease management practices before the FLD program. After the FLD program, 90.00% of them fully adopted the practices for managing Yellow Mosaic Virus (YMV) in groundnut. More than half (60.00%) of groundnut growers had adopted post-harvest practices before participating in the FLD program. Whereas, 80.00% of them completely adopted post harvesting practices after participation in FLD programme. www.extensionjournal.com

Overall Adoption level of FLD Partner farmers on improved crop production practices in Groundnut

Table 5 indicates that before the FLD program, 35.00% of groundnut growers were classified in both the low and high adoption categories, with 30.00% in the medium adoption category. After the FLD program, slightly less than half (47.50%) of the respondents were in the medium adoption category, followed by 27.50% in the high adoption category and 25.00% in the low adoption category. This change might be attributed to various capacity development activities organized under the FLD program by the scientists, which likely motivated farmers to adopt recommended groundnut cultivation practices. These findings are consistent with the observations made by Dinesh Dour (2015) [3] and Arunkumar et al. (2023) [1] .

Conclusion

The study revealed that Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) significantly enhanced the knowledge and adoption levels of groundnut growers in Tumakuru district of Karnataka. Participation in FLDs led to marked improvements in farmers' awareness and adoption of recommended crop production practices such as soil testing, improved varieties, seed treatment, nutrient and water management, pest and disease control, and post-harvest practices. The observed shift of farmers from low and medium categories to higher levels of knowledge and adoption underscores the effectiveness of FLDs as a participatory extension approach in bridging the gap between research and field-level practices. The findings highlight the need to strengthen and scale up FLD programmes with greater emphasis on followup extension support, timely input availability, and convergence with ongoing government schemes to sustain technology adoption. Future research should focus on assessing the long-term impact of FLDs on productivity and income, comparing FLD and non-FLD farmers, and evaluating the cost-effectiveness of FLDs across different agro-climatic regions to guide evidence-based extension

References

1. Arunkumar BR, Sanketh CV, Rajegowda, Deshpande S, Shivashankar M, Nagaraja T, et al. Impact of cluster front-line demonstrations on productivity and economics of groundnut in southern transition agroclimatic zone (Zone-7) of Hassan district, Karnataka, India. International Journal of Plant & Soil Science. 2023;35(20):931-938.
2. Choudhary AK, Yadav DS, Singh A. Technological and extension yield gaps in oilseeds in Himachal Pradesh. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2014;84(9):1088-1092.
3. Dour D, Sandhya C, Swarnakar VK. Impact of frontline demonstration (FLDs) on adoption behavior of soybean growers under the KVK in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh. IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science. 2015;8(1):40-43.
4. Dinesha SG. An impact assessment of frontline demonstrations on pigeon pea growers in north eastern Karnataka: a comparative analysis. M.Sc. (Agri.) thesis. University of Agricultural Sciences; 2021. Raichur, India.
5. FAO. FAOSTAT statistical database. Rome (Italy): Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; 2021.
6. Government of Karnataka. Agricultural statistics at a glance. Bengaluru (India): Department of Agriculture; 2020.
7. Mutturaj K. Impact analysis of frontline demonstrations of Krishi Vigyan Kendra on beneficiary farmers in Belagavi district of Karnataka. University of Agricultural Sciences; 2017. Bengaluru, India.
8. Rogers EM. Diffusion of innovations. 5th ed. New York (USA): Free Press; 2003.
9. Samui SK, Maitra S, Roy DK, Mondal AK, Saha D. Evaluation of front line demonstration on groundnut. Journal of the Indian Society of Coastal Agricultural Research. 2020;18(2):180-183.
10. Sanketh CV, Raghuprasad KP, Ahmed T. Constraint analysis of the farm innovators in southern Karnataka, India. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences. 2019;8(4):13-22.
11. Shivashankar M, Sanketh CV, Rajegowda, Pallavi N. Impact of village adoption programme on production and income of the beneficiary farmers. Mysore Journal of Agricultural Sciences. 2023;57(1):335.
12. Singh D, Meena ML, Sharma L. Impact of frontline demonstrations on oilseed crops. Indian Journal of Extension Education. 2018;54(2):96-101.