Summer mung (Vigna radiata L.) promotion by cluster front line demonstration in irrigated agro-ecosystem: A case study

The marginalization of pulse crops in irrigated agro-ecosystem has been among the most negative facets of green revolution technologies. Integration of summer mung in the irrigated agro-ecosystems within rice-wheat and alternate systems is feasible and remunerative. This crop facilitates the crop intensification by adding a third crop to the crop sequence and there is a large area to intervene. This crop holds the key to increase the income of the farmers and to achieve self-sufficiency in pulse production.

This study was carried out at farmers’ fields under irrigated farming situations during the period from 2017 to 2022 using cluster frontline demonstration (CFLD) as farmer participatory intervention. In total 425 demonstrations were conducted within rice-wheat and alternate systems on an area of 170 ha, covering 18 villages and 425 farmers. By comparing farmers’ practices in local checks with suggested technologies in demonstrations, a gap analysis was carried out and data on various technical and economic factors were recorded.

The CFLD programme mitigated the gaps and increased the adoption of summer mung from 4 per cent of the farmers in 2017 to 22 per cent in 2022. The yield increase in a demonstration over local check was by 17.6 per cent with favourable economics generating net additional returns of Rs. 5488 ha^-1. The extension gap, technology gap and technology index recorded in the study were 1.44 q ha¹, 5.48 q ha^-1 and 36.53 per cent. The market price was less than the minimum support price (MSP) in all the years of study. The summer mung intensifies the cropping systems as a third crop and its cultivation is remunerative and climate resilient.