Popularization of Dragon Fruit Cultivation through Demonstration Units: A Step towards Crop Diversification and Water Conservation

Punjab agriculture is mostly characterized by the rice-wheat cropping system, severely depletes groundwater and reduces the sustainability of production. Crop diversification and the preservation of natural resources can be achieved through the promotion of high-value, water-efficient horticulture crops like dragon fruit.. The present study was undertaken to popularize dragon fruit cultivation through the establishment of Dragon Cultivation Demonstration Units (DCDUs) at farmers’ fields. A standardized knowledge test was created and verified to evaluate the intervention’s efficacy. Using the difficulty index, discrimination index, and point-biserial correlation coefficient, 32 objective items based on the suggested package of practices for dragon fruit production were first created and evaluated psychometrically. Beneficiary farmers were given the validated instrument both before and after the demonstration programto measure changes in their knowledge levels.The results showed that farmers’ knowledge significantly improved after the intervention, demonstrating the efficacy of DCDUs as an extension strategy for technology transmission. Additionally, beneficiary farmers expressed positive response on dragon fruit cultivation’s profitability, water-use efficiency, climate resilience, and potential for diversification. The DCDUs also generated a significant multiplier effect, with neighbouring farmers visiting the demonstration orchards and several subsequently adopting dragon fruit cultivation. However, high establishment costs and limited availability of quality planting material remained the major constraints to wider adoption. The study concludes that DCDUs are an effective extension strategy for enhancing farmers’ knowledge, promoting technology adoption, encouraging crop diversification, and contributing to water conservation in Punjab.