Farmers’ participatory seed production of major pulse crops in Bundelkhand region

Farmers’ participatory seed production was carried out to ensure quality seed under a NABARD funded project in 2009–2011 among two selected villages i.e. Baank and Bannki in Hamirpur district of Bundelkhand in Uttar Pradesh. A total 161 farmers participated and 61 ha area was covered. The half of the seed cost (Rs. 88, 875/-) of chickpea, lentil and pigeonpea was shared by participating farmers. Farmers were empowered through six field level and one institutional training. It was revealed that average increase in seed yield of improved varieties over the local variety was 37.3, 24.0 and 51.0% in chickpea, lentil and pigeonpea, respectively. The highest yield level of 13.23 q/ha was received in chickpea where as it was 10.00 q/ha in lentil and 13.75 q/ha in pigeonpea. The Benefit Cost ratio was higher as 2.20, 2.32, and 3.11 under improved varieties over the local as 1.23, 1.09 and 1.17 in chickpea, lentil and pigeonpea, respectively. The quality seed as 193, 90 and 142 q was produced under chickpea, lentil and pigeonpea, respectively. Further, out of total 425 q produced seed 312 q (73.41%) was used by the adopted farmers themselves and rest of 118 q (27.76%) was disposed among neighbours, relatives, share holders, NSC etc. It was observed that the chickpea seed was diffused from the adopted two to other eighteen villages in a radius of 24 km among 119 farmers in first season. The factors as nature of soil, water stagnation, plant population, lack of timely weeding, continuous fog, frost at flowering, winter rains, moisture level, aphid, root rot, pod borer affected the overall yield levels and caused high variations in pulses yields. It concludes that farmers can ensure quality seed in locality through technological knowledge and get better prices by adopting participatory seed production.