Enhancing yield of lentil by integrating various technologies under biotic stresses and nutrient deficient soil

In order to manage infestation of Cuscuta spp, Fusarium wilt, insect attack especially aphid and poor soil nutrition in lentil, various technologies were integrated at farmer’s field. Soil amendment with Trichoderma spp. at 5 kg/ha and PSB at 5 kg/ha, seed treatment with Carbendazim at 2 g/kg seed and Rhizobium spp. at 10 g/kg seed along with pre-emergence spray with pendimethalin at 3.3 l/ha + spray of imidachlorprid (17.8 SL) at 120 ml a.i./ha were tried. This integrated technology resulted in reduction in wilt incidence (67.47%, 73.28%), weed count (73.17%, 50.94%), aphid population (57.89%, 57.14%) and increase in average number of pods per plant (14.51%, 15.51%) in the demonstration plot in comparison to farmers’ plot in the year 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively. Lentil yield was increased by 49.17%, 45.53% in 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively. Benefit cost ratio increased up to 3.12 and 1.87 in demonstration plot in comparison to farmer’s plot with (BCR of) 3.06 and 1.31 during 2017-18 and 2018-19, respectively. Technology gap of 4.91 and 4.60 q/ha while extension gap of 4.47 and 4.28 q/ha were recorded during both the years, respectively. Thus, this integrated technology was proved to be feasible and economically viable.