Impact of Cluster Frontline Demonstrations (CFLD) on yield dynamics and economic performance of Soybean (Glycine max L.) in smallholder farm ecosystems of Hingoli District

Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max L.) represents a vital agronomic vehicle for augmenting farm income and reinforcing smallholder rural livelihoods in semi-arid tropical ecosystems. However, a significant yield gap persists at the farm level due to sub-optimal operational management, including the usage of degenerated landraces, imbalanced fertilization, and poor plant protection coverage. To address this, a large-scale evaluative study was conducted across the Hingoli district of the Marathwada region, Maharashtra, India. Managed by the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Hingoli, under the Cluster Front Line Demonstration (CFLD) oilseeds framework sponsored by ICAR-ATARI, Zone-VIII, Pune this multi-year trial spanned three consecutive Kharif seasons 2023 to 2025. The intervention covered an aggregate area of 565 hectares, directly incorporating 1,525 smallholder farm environments. The results indicated a substantial yield enhancement under demonstration plots utilizing improved agronomic packages including high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties like KDS-726 and MAUS-612, Broad Bed Furrow sowing, integrated nutrient management, and targeted pest boundaries compared to traditional farmers' practices. Extension gaps, technology gaps and the technology index were computed to evaluate the extension efficacy. Economic analysis further revealed a significant increase in net returns and a highly favourable benefit-cost ratio B:C ratio in the CFLD plots. This study confirms that structured cluster frontline demonstrations provide an effective institutional framework for accelerating the adoption of sustainable agronomic practices and bridging localized crop productivity deficits.