Improving Productivity and Profitability of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Through Front Line Demonstrations in Bihar, India

In order to know about the yield gap, economic return, level of farmer satisfaction and challenges faced by the farmers, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute-conducted on-farm front-line demonstrations (FLDs) on the chickpea crop in various villages of Muzaffarpur and Vaishali districts of Bihar in 2020–21 and 2021–22.

Every year, twenty farmers’ fields were used for front-line demonstrations (FLDs) to show how improved agro- techniques affect output and financial gains. The chickpea variety Pusa 3043 (BG 3043) was demonstrated with the use of improved production technologies.

The technologies under FLDs that were demonstrated produced an augmented mean yield of 19.10 q/ha, which was 35.95% higher than the yield of 14.05 q/ha obtained from the farmer’s practice known as local check. The FLDs recorded an additional return of 20378.00 ₹/ha and 22975.00 ₹/ha with a B: C ratio of 2.21 and 2.44 for demonstration and 1.70 and 1.88 for local check during 2020–21 and 2021–22, respectively. Therefore, the introduction of new chickpea varieties, along with the suggested improved package of practices and technologies, could lead to an increase in chickpea productivity.