Ensuring food and nutritional security of farming community by increasing pulse production under frontline demonstrations

The area, production and productivity of pulses in UP including district Azamgarh is quite low as compared to other states in respect of national acreage and production. Among various constraints poor crop management and protection technologies assume primary position. Considering the facts of low yield of pulses due to technological gap and various other constraints Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Azamgarh conducted frontline demonstration continuously for five years on improved agricultural technologies of pulses viz pigeon pea, chickpea, field pea and lentil in scientific manner at farmers’ fields during 2008–09 to 2012–13. A total of 241 demonstrations of pulses were conducted in an area of 90.0 hectares. The results of five years under frontline demonstration on pulses revealed that the average grain yield of pigeon pea (19.1 q/ha), chickpea (19.7 q/ha) field pea (23.5 q/ha) and lentil (17.8 q/ha) with 56.5, 43.6, 40.8 and 45.1 per cent increase in yield respectively over farmers practice was recorded under demonstration plots. Implementation of improved technological interventions in all demonstrated crops were also found remunerative in terms of B:C ratio over existing practices. The enhanced yield achieved through adoption of improved production and protection technology in pulses maintained the soil health, incremental sustainable development in production, enhanced nutritional security and improved the livelihood of the farmers. The outcome of the trial inspired the farming community to replace their old non-descriptive varieties with resistant and high yielding varieties and other production and protection related technological options which were being implemented.