Impact of front line demonstration as a tool of communication on yield enhancement of mustard

Krishi Vigyan Kendra, P.G. College Ghazipur(U.P.) conducted FLDs on mustard from 2004–05 to 200910 in 22 village of two blocks of district. The results were compared with the full package of practices viz. improved varieties, seed treatment, line sowing, balanced dose of fertilizers, weeding, plant protection measures etc. and the farmers practices included old variety, broadcasting sowing methods, imbalance use of fertilizer, no weeding and plant protection practices. The FLDs in mustard registered 30.48 per cent higher yield over the farmers practices on an average. The highest seed yield (2050 kg/ha) was recorded in the year 2009–10 which was 46.42 per cent more over the farmers practice (1400 kg/ha). An increase in production and gain in income because of effectiveness of FLDs over the farmers practices created greater awareness and motivated the other farmers to adopt appropriate mustard production technology in Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. Many farmers of the district approached the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, as well as FLDs farmers to procure the mustard HYV and now the area under HYV have increase, which will spread in the whole district including the adjoining area. The selection of critical inputs and participatory approach in planning and conducting the demonstration will certainly be helpful to speed up the mustard production transfer to technology to the farmers. The communication methods could also play an important role for enhancing the yield of mustard through front line demonstration. Table indicated that among these communication methods, all the respondents were convinced to adopt the improved package and practices of mustard cultivation through demonstration in combination with training + demonstration + literature communication methods followed by training + demonstration and demonstration, training, literature communication methods respectively.