Assessment of yield gaps, economics and adoption level through frontline demonstration on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivation in the arid region of western Rajasthan

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) commonly known as Gram or Bengal gram is the most important pulse crop in India. It plays an important role in national food security and sustainable agriculture enriching the soil through biological nitrogen fixation. Cluster frontline demonstrations of chickpea were conducted at farmer’s field by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Jodhpur-II (Rajasthan) during rabi season 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22. The frontline demonstrations on chickpea crops covering an area of 60 ha of farmer’s field to exhibit the latest production technologies and compared them with farmer’s practice. A total of 174 frontline demonstrations were conducted on farmer’s fields in four villages viz. Padasala, Kali mali, Amla, and Mokheri of Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, to demonstrate production potential and economic benefit of improved technologies comprising sowing method, nutrient management, and plant protection measures and adoption of the whole package of practices for the crop. The findings of the study revealed that the demonstrated technology recorded a mean yield of 2100 kg/ha which was 35.02 per cent higher than obtained with farmer’s practices (1560 kg/ha). In percent terms, scaling in productivity following improved technologies ranged from 30.97 to 37.41 percent. Moreover, the average yield gap for extension, technology, and technology index was 542,303 kg/ha and 12.52 per cent, respectively. Improved technology also fetched an average gross return of (Rs. 96610/ha), net return (Rs. 69822/ha), and additional return (Rs. 19985/ha) in comparison to farmer’s practices. Demonstration of improved technologies also resulted in realizing a higher incremental cost-benefit ratio (13.5) with a Benefit: cost ratio of (3.62) compared to the farmer’s practice (2.98) during four years of the study period. The adoption gap was found highest in practice Methods of fertilizer application (53.45%) and lowest in practice plant protection measures (12.63%) due to some constraints of practices. The frontline demonstrations conducted on chickpea crops at farmer’s fields revealed that the adoption of improved technologies significantly increased the yield as well as the net returns higher than the farmer’s practices.