Assessment of yield gap and economic returns of improved marigold variety

Abstract

Demonstrations play a vital role in assessing the performance and feasibility of improved agricultural technologies under farmers’ field conditions. The present study was conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bichpuri, R.B.S. College, Agra to evaluate the yield gap and economic returns of an improved marigold variety through Demonstrations during the Rabi seasons of 2022 and 2023. A total of six demonstrations (three in each year) were laid out over an area of 2 hectares using the improved variety ‘Pusa Narangi’ along with the recommended package of practices, while farmers’ traditional practices served as the control. The results revealed that the improved technology significantly enhanced growth and yield attributes such as number of primary branches per plant, number of flowers per plant, flower head size, weight of flowers per plant and plant height compared to farmers’ practice. The average flower yield under demonstration plots was 250.0 q/ha in 2022 and 259.6 q/ha in 2023, registering a yield increase of 21.95 per cent and 22.28 per cent, respectively, over farmers’ practice. The technology gap ranged from 40.4 to 50.0 q/ha, while the technology index varied from 13.47 to 16.67 per cent, indicating the feasibility of the demonstrated technology under field conditions. Economic analysis showed that the improved technology resulted in substantially higher net returns and benefit–cost ratio (5.63–5.64) compared to farmers’ practice (3.36–3.71). The study concludes that Demonstrations are an effective extension tool for promoting improved marigold production technology, enhancing farmers’ income and strengthening floriculture-based livelihoods.