Economics of zero tillage and conventional methods of wheat production in North-Eastern indo-gangetic plains of India

Abstract

The paper has compared the economics of wheat production in North- Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of Bihar under zero tillage and conventional methods and assessed the contribution of technology and inputs to the increased productivity due to zero tillage (ZT). The net income has been found higher in ZT method, mainly due to lower cost of production compared to that in conventional method. The study has observed that ZT technology has potential to provide additional income to farmers and help in conservation of scarce resources. The decomposition of productivity revealed 48 per cent of the difference in productivity due to ZT and the rest due to changes in input use. Despite several economic and environmental advantages, adoption of ZT technology has been limited and one major constraint identified as the lack of extension activities followed by lack of technical knowledge. The study has suggested that ZT technology should be disseminated on a wider scale with the help of better technical and extension support to the farmers.