Impact of front line demonstrations on cotton in Punjab

Cotton is an important crop of Punjab after wheat and rice. It is beneficial to demonstrate high yielding cotton genotypes/hybrids with resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses to increase the overall production and productivity under close supervision of the scientists at farmers’ field. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana conducted front line demonstration on cotton crop during 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2017–18 to compare the yield level of cotton crop under FLDs and farmers practices. Result obtained from six year data revealed that average yield from FLDs was 2043.43 kg/ha as compare to 1785.55 kg/ha observed under farmer's practices. Average increase in yield 14.2per cent was recorded which indicate the necessity of strong extension programme to transfer improved cotton cultivation technologies to farmers’ fields.Technology gaps ranged from 1152.9–2141.1 kg/ha while extension gaps varied from 190.5383.3 kg/ha for various years of demonstrations. In the year 2015–16, highest value of technology gap i.e. 2141.1 kg/ha was observed while extension gap was highest in year 2012–13. Therefore there is need to reduce the technology and extension gaps by conducting farmers’ field demonstration and by the close supervision of scientist. Technology index ranged from 32.9–61.2 for cotton crop and year 2015–16 was at first rank with highest value of technology index. Technology gaps (971.0–2586.0 kg/ha) remained higher than the extension gaps (146.0–423.0 kg/ha) for demonstrations during 2011–2017. Optimal plant population ranked first with highest technology gap in the year 2015–16 which indicates an urgent need to popularize the improved production technology of cotton in the area with the coordination of all responsible agencies like research, development and training institutions through single forum. There is need to promote the new technologies to farmers’ field through different extension activities and to reduce the technology and extension gaps among the farmers.