Performance Assessment of Newly Improved High Yielding Wheat Varieties in the Irrigated Farming Situations of Birbhum District, West Bengal

Wheat is one of the potential crops in Birbhum District from a platter of crops having utility in a crop diversification programme. As crop diversification is one of the major thrust areas of the Rathindra Krishi Vigyan Kendra, the Kendra has taken up the crop diversification programme with newly improved High Yielding (HY) wheat varieties through its Front Line Demonstration (FLD) Programmes for the last couple of years. In Birbhum the average yield of Wheat stood at 2950.20 kg./ha in 2015–16. This figure shows that there is a lot of scope in improvement in productivity as concerned. So, the main objectives of these demonstration programmes of the Rathindra Krishi Vigyan Kendra were to show the farmers the modern methods of wheat cultivation using resource conservatory technologies thus increasing the production, productivity, net returns and B: C ratio. The results from the FLD Programmes showed us that the highest ever yield was achieved by the newly improved HYV HD-2824 in the year of 2014–15 with an average yield of 4056.00 kgs./ha with an yield increase of 21.92 per cent over the local check variety Sonalika (yield-3330.00 kgs./ha) and with a B: C Ratio of 2.32. However, the highest yield increase over the local Check Variety Sonalika, Net Income and as well as B: C Ratio were highest in the case of Variety PBW-343 with a Yield increase of 27.50 per cent, an average Net Income of ` 32, 049.00/ha and B: C Ratio of 2.39 in the year of 2016–17. The studies conducted on the performances of the FLDs organized by the Rathindra Krishi Vigyan Kendra on newly improved Wheat Varieties safely point out that HD-2824 and PBW-343 are the two HYVs of Wheat which can meet up the growing demands of Wheat Varieties with improved yield and as well as increased income potential for irrigated situations of Birbhum District.

The present study finds out that cultivation of two newly improved HYV Wheat Varieties viz. HD-2824 and PBW-343 have the potential to meet up the growing demands of Wheat Varieties with improved yield and as well as increased income potential suitable for irrigated farming situations of Birbhum District of West Bengal.