Impact of front line demonstration on production and productivity of Niger [Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass] in western ghat zone of Maharashtra

Abstract

Niger is an edible oilseed crop of tribal farmers of Western Ghat zone of Maharashtra. It supplements to the socio-economic condition and fulfils the requirement of cooking oil of the Indian tribal community. The production and productivity of Niger crop continues to be quite low due to socio-economic and agro-ecological situations, low levels of management in crop production, cultivation in poor marginal lands and repeated use of local cultivars and predominantly under marginal conditions of small-holder agriculture. Drought, broadcast sowing, improper plant population, low input management, cuscuta, lodging due to high wind and rain are the causes of low productivity. The yield of Niger can be increased by demonstrating the improved agronomic package of practices viz. timely sowing of the crop, proper nutrient management, weed management and need based plant protection measures at the farmer’s field under the keen supervision of concern scientists working in the operational area. Keeping in view, the front line demonstration was conducted on Phule Karala, Phule Vaitrana and Phule Sahyadri variety of Niger crop, under All India Coordinated Research Project on Niger operating at Zonal Agricultural Research Station (ZARS), Igatpuri Dist. Nashik in farmer’s field for a consecutive year from 2012–13 to 2016–17. The increase in seed yield of 73.40%, 41.37% and 27.54% with cost benefit ratio of 1.75, 1.95 and 1.88 was obtained from front line demonstration on whole package, fertilizer application and line sowing over farmer’s practices respectively. It can be concluded that FLD programme on Niger effectively increase the production and productivity in the specific region of Maharashtra.