Impact of technology adoption on productivity of Indian mustard, Brassica juncea (L) Czern & Coss under Front Line Demonstrations

The Front Line Demonstration (FLD) is an applied approach to accelerate the dissemination of proven technologies at farmers’ fields in a participatory mode with an objective to explore the maximum available resources of crop production and also to bridge the productivity gaps by enhancing the production in national basket. Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kotwa, Azamgarh, UP conducted 45 demonstrations on Indian mustard variety Pusa Jai Kisan from 2009–10 to 2012–13 during four consecutive years. The critical inputs were identified in existing production technology through meetings and discussions with farmers. Delayed sowing, use of higher seed rate resulting into dense plant population, uneven plant population, uncontrolled weeds, ignorance about fertilizers and sulphur management and lack of plant protection measures were the predominant identified causes of low productivity of oilseeds in eastern Uttar Pradesh. In the same sequence the other parameters like technology gap, extension gap and technology index were analyzed for assessment of technology adoption rate with extension activities and feasibility of demonstrated technologies at grassroots levels. The results of four years revealed that the yield under demonstration plots was 16.95 q ha⁻¹ as compared to 11.7 q ha⁻¹ in traditional practices plots. This additional yield of 5.25 q ha⁻¹ and the increase in average mustard productivity by 45 per cent may contribute to present oilseed requirement on national basis. The average of technology gap and technological index were found to be 8.05 and 32.2 per cent respectively. The results clearly indicate the positive effects of FLDs over the existing practices. Benefit:cost ratio was recorded to be higher under demonstrations against control treatments during all the years of experimentation.