Cluster Frontline Demonstrations (CFLDs) on chickpea under NFSM through KVKs in Karnataka: A pathway for bridging yield gap

Introduction

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the largest produced food legume in South Asia and the third largest globally and is commonly appreciated as one of the most important pulses for human diet. It is a protein-rich supplement to cerealbased diets, especially to the poor in developing countries. In India, Chickpea occupies 10 million hectares during 2020-21 producing 11.91 million tons with an average productivity of 11.92 quintals per hectare (Kumar, 2023) [9] . Chickpea, also known as Bengal gram or Chana, is widely cultivated across the country in many states of which Karnataka is one. In Karnataka, it is cultivated in rabi season in an area of 4.18 lakh ha with a total production of 2.31 lakh tonnes and average productivity of 582 kg/ha. Chickpea is a significant rabi pulse crop with 18-22% protein, 62% carbohydrates and good amount of fat, lysine and tryptophan (Meena et al., 2021) [12] . It is a very beneficial crop as it fixes nitrogen from the environment and contributes organic carbon to soil which ultimately improves soil productivity level. Although India contributes 26% in the international market of pulses, India's average productivity is still quite low i.e. 841 kg/ha, compared to the international average of 1023 kg/ha (DES, 2018). The perperson availability of pulses in India was 60.70 g/day per www.extensionjournal.com person in 1951 which had declined sharply to 31.6 g/day/person in 2010 (Singh et al., 2020 & Kumar & Singh, 2021) [20,10] . This steep decline occurs because of exponential increase in population in combination with low production and productivity of chickpea because of less importance given to this crop followed by non-adoption of proper production technologies, severe incidence of pests and diseases, lack of irrigation, lack of knowledge about improved scientific cultivation practices and nonremunerative market price. However, to meet country's demand for pulses, still Indian government relies heavily on export from international market. In this scenario, field demonstration as it implies 'seeing is believing' theory, is one of the means to demonstrate the production potential of the newly released varieties that have been introduced in combination with state-of-the-art technology. Matching to this, a project on Cluster Frontline Demonstrations (CFLDs) on pulses under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) is a noble initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi which is conducted under close supervision of the scientists, towards increasing pulses production in the country.

Materials and Methods

Operational definition of CFLD: It is a form of applied research through ICAR/SAUs system on latest notified/released varieties along with full package of practices which are of less than 10 years of release on selected farmers' fields in a cluster of villages to create better and visible impact of a technology demonstrated. Each cluster should be of at least 10 ha and one demonstration at individual farmer should never be less than 0.40 ha and not exceeding to one hectare.

Locale:

The CFLDs were conducted in an area of 158 ha belonging to 395 farmers during rabi 2020-21, 114 ha belonging to 285 farmers during rabi 2021-22 and 155 ha belonging to 386 farmers during rabi 2022-23 in eight KVK districts of Karnataka viz., Bellari, Chamarajanagar, Davangere, Gadag, Kalburgi-I, Koppal, Vijayapura-I and Vijayapura-II. Thus, CFLDs were implemented in 427 ha by involving 1066 farmers by eight KVKs of Karnataka (Table 1). Statistical tools: Appropriate statistical techniques were used for computing the collected data. Further, the following formulae (Samui et al, 2000) [18] have been used to estimate the technology gap, extension gap and technology index:

Results and Discussion

The CFLDs on Chickpea were implemented by eight KVKs in their respective districts of Karnataka during rabi season of 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23. Data were collected as per the specific format developed for the project, analysed and tabulated. The results are discussed here under:

KVK district wise yield and economic performance (a) Yield performance: District wise yield performance of Chickpea under CFLDs is presented in Table 2. Data indicates that the average demonstration yield of Chickpea was higher in all the years of rabi 2020-21 (13.31 q/ha), rabi 2021-22 (13.76 q/ha) and rabi 2022-23 (13.73 q/ha) as compared to checks of rabi of 2020-21 (10.61 q/ha), rabi 2021-22 (10.78 q/ha) and rabi 2022-23 (11.13 q/ha) and average yield increase of 25.17, 27.89 and 23.67% during 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively. The highest average demonstration yield was obtained in Vijayapura-I (15.88 q/ha) with the variety BGD-111-1 during rabi 2020-21, whereas, it was in Gadag with JAKI-9218 during rabi 2021-22 (18.50 q/ha) and rabi 2022-23 (17.10 q/ha). Further, it was observed that the average demonstration yields were higher in all the years in all eight KVK districts as compared to checks. This was due to demonstration of high yielding varieties along with appropriate production technologies like timely sowing, improved soil health and adoption of site-specific improved management practices on the farmers' fields coupled with need based and timely supply of critical inputs. Results were similar to the data reported by Suman Kumari and Harinder Singh (2023) [21] that the results clearly revealed the importance of introduced interventions viz., improved cultivars, method of sowing, recommended seed rate, integrated nutrient management, seed treatment, weed control techniques, and appropriate plant protection measures over farmer practices as there was 21.03% increase in yield recorded in improved practices plots in comparison to local/check plot practices. The results of the study are further supported by the findings of other researchers Khedkar et al., (2017) [8] , Lakshmi et al., (2017) [11] , Rachhoya et al., (2018) [16] , Gireesh et al., (2019) [6] ,

Ojha & Bisht (2020) [13] and Biradar et al (2020) [1] . These findings are on par with the results reported by Yadav M.P that the net return from Demonstration Plots was higher than the Farmers Plots. Further, the authors Hrish Kumar Rachhoya et al (2018) [16] also reported that the average of gross and net returns of demonstration was 45.72% and 63.50% higher than that of farmers' practice, respectively.

Variety wise yield and economic performance (a) Yield performance: Variety wise yield performance of chickpea under CFLDs during rabi season of 2020-21 to 2022-23 is presented in Table 4. From the data, it was pertinent to note that the variety BGD-111-1 and JAKI-9218 recorded highest average yield of 15.01 q/ha and 15.96 q/ha during rabi seasons of 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively. However, the average yields obtained from all three demonstrated varieties BGD-103, JAKI-9218 and BGD-111-1 were on par in all three years individually and among themselves. Yet, the variation in average demonstration yields among varieties in all three years as well as its corresponding percentage yield increase over checks may be due to aberrations in climate. Recorded yield increases range from 18.64% to 31.71% is mainly due to the characteristics of varieties as these three varieties are resistant to fusarium wilt, high yielders and suitable for rainfed condition. These results are on par with the findings of Patil et al. (2016) [14] that the higher yields with improved varieties of Chickpea are attributed to better vegetative growth with greater total dry matter production and grain yield per plant over local variety (Annigeri-1) and Sangeetha et al. (2020) [19] . obtained from all three demonstrated varieties BGD-103, JAKI-9218 and BGD-111-1 were on par in all three years individually and among themselves. The variation in average net returns of demonstrated varieties in all three years as well as its corresponding percentage net returns increase over checks are in accordance with their yield and sale price in the respective KVK districts. These results are similar to the findings of Patil et al (2016) [14] and Sangeetha et al (2020) [19] . Further, the data revealed that the technology gap varied from district to district in each year. Thus, the lowest technology gap indicates that the demonstrated technologies are more feasible in its existing farming situation which may be due to the factors like rainfall, soil fertility, pests and diseases, feasibility of demonstrated technologies and other local climatic conditions. These findings are similar to that of study by Dwivedi et al. (2019) [5] that the technology gap reflects farmer's cooperation in carrying out such demonstration with encouraging results in both the years (2015-16 and 2016-17). The technology gap observed may be attributed to dissimilarity in the soil fertility status, crop production practices and local climatic situation. Nagaraju, 2010) [7] . These observations are in similarity with the findings of Poonia and Pithia (2011) [15] and Raj et al (2013) [17] . Dhakad et al. (2018) [4] reported that more and more use of latest production technologies with high yielding varieties will subsequently change this alarming trend of galloping extension gap. (c) Technology index: It is calculated by subtracting the demonstration yield from the reported potential yield of the variety when it was released that was divided by potential yield and then it was multiplied with 100 and data is depicted in Fig. 3. Data indicates that the demonstrated varieties and production technologies were more feasible during rabi 2020-21 as the percentage of technology index was low as compared to rabi 2021-22 and 2022-23. This indicates that a gap existed between technology evolved and technology adoption at farmer's field in the districts where technology index percentage was more. Therefore, efforts are needed to bridge the gap by educating the farmers through different activities like training, method demonstrations, farm advisories, field visits, group meetings, field days etc., for adopting the latest varieties along with all recommended production technologies so as to harvest the potential yield. These findings are on par with the findings of Dwivedi et al (2019) [5] . Farmers anonymously expressed that the demonstrated varieties viz., BGD-103, JAKI-9218 and BGD-111-1 were resistant to Fusarium Wilt, gave high yield, and net returns as well as suitable for rainfed condition as compared to their existing varieties. They expressed that the production technologies demonstrated were effective and profitable. They felt that the foliar spray of chickpea magic during peak flowering and pod formation helped to obtain good yield. Further, they opined that the cluster FLD project has provided an opportunity for them to become aware of latest varieties and production technologies of Chickpea.

Conclusion

Implementation of CFLDs under NFSM on newly released varieties of Chickpea by 8 KVKs of Karnataka in 427 ha involving 1066 farmers has obviously increased the average yield in Karnataka during rabi season of 2020-21 (13.31 q/ha), 2021-22 (13.76 q/ha) and 2022-23 (13.73 q/ha) as compared to the existing local varieties (10.61 q/ha, 10.78 q/ha and 11.13 q/ha) with 25.17%, 27.89% and 23.67% yield increase, respectively and gained economic returns in accordance with the yield obtained and selling price of the produce in their respective KVK districts. The average yields obtained from all three demonstrated varieties were on par in all three years individually and among themselves.

It is pertinent to note that the average demonstration yield was high in all three years in all 8 KVK districts as compared to checks and gained economic returns accordingly over the checks. Technology gap and technology index percentages indicate that the demonstrated technologies are feasible in the existing farming situations of all 8 districts. Highest extension gap demands more awareness programmes for farmers to educate them on newly released varieties coupled with recommended production technologies. Farmers belonging to cluster villages under NFSM from eight districts anonymously expressed that the demonstrated varieties viz., BGD-103, JAKI-9218 and BGD-111-1 along with production technologies were effective and profitable. It was observed that higher yield can be achieved by providing need based critical inputs like quality seeds of newly released high yielding varieties along with production technologies like timely sowing, improved soil health and adoption of sitespecific improved management practices on the farmers' fields coupled with capacity building, extension activities and on-farm advisories from time to time. Further, large scale promotion of these demonstrated technologies may have to be taken up for wide dissemination so as to reap the technology benefit among more farmers. Keeping these results in view, CFLDs on pulses especially on Chickpea in Karnataka may be promoted through synergetic efforts of research and developmental departments for harnessing higher productivity, income and prosperity among pulse growers. www.extensionjournal.com project and providing financial grant towards organizing CFLDs in Karnataka. Further, they extend thanks to all participating Scientists (Heads & Senior Scientists/Scientists/SMSs) from KVKs of Karnataka and their respective CFLD farmers for their active involvement in implementation of CFLDs as well as providing periodical data.

Acknowledgement

AcknowledgementThe authors are highly thankful to the Division of Agricultural Extension, ICAR, New Delhi and NFSM, DAC & FW, Government of India, New Delhi for formulating

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