Impact of cluster frontline demonstration on black gram in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu

Abstract

The present study was carried out at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu to know the yield gap between improved package and farmers’ practice under Front Line Demonstration. Black gram (Vigna mungo L.) is one of the most important pulse crop cultivated in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. It is having lower yield in farmer’s field due to multiple constraints. One of the major constraints of its lower productivity was non-adoption of improved technologies. Front line demonstrations on Improved Crop Management practices were conducted at 59 framer’s fields of Nagapattinam district during Kharif season from 2014-15 to 2016-17. The improved technologies recorded a mean yield of 7.09 q ha-1 which was 30.2 per cent higher than the yield obtained with farmers practice (5.79 q ha-1), besides having higher mean net income of Rs.17107 ha-1 with a B: C ratio of 1.94 when compared to farmers practice (Rs. 10633 ha-1 and 1.65). The average technological gap, extension gap and technological index noticed were 1.81 q ha-1, 1.63 q ha-1 and 20.32 per cent respectively. The higher average grain yield was recorded in demonstration plots over the years compared to local check due to increased knowledge and adoption of full package of practices.