Impact of frontline demonstrations on yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L) in Porbandar district of Gujarat state

Abstract

Wheat is a major Rabi crop of Gujarat state accounts for nearly 29 percent of sowing area in the season. Porbandar district having nearly 20 percent sowing area under Rabi season. Most of the varieties are old which were under cultivation and gives lower yield. Wheat variety GJW-463 released by JAU in 2015-16 is having potential yield of 67.46 q/ha, if timely sown. Front line demonstrations of varietal evaluations of wheat variety GJW-463, were conducted at 30 farmers’ fields under 12 ha for three years, to demonstrate production potential and economic benefits of improved technologies. Study revealed that improved cultivation practices comprised under FLDs viz., recommended variety, seed rate, timely sowing resulted in increase in yield in wheat crop over the check plots. The improved technologies gave higher yields and recorded a mean yield of 30.06, 33.94 and 49.75 q/ha during the year 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively which was 16.51, 6.06 and 12.75 percent higher compared to prevailing farmers practice. The technology gap was 37.40, 33.52 and 17.71 q/ha and extension gap was 4.26, 1.94 and 5.62 q/ha during the year 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively.