Quantification of Gain in Knowledge Level of Farmers about Improved Production Technology of Arid Legumes in Hyper Arid Western Rajasthan

Jaisalmer, being a hyper-arid desert region, is prone to extremes in terms of temperature. The temperature varies greatly from day to night in both summer and winter. In present scenario of agriculture where the role of extension is changing from increasing production to increase the farmers income and from package of practice oriented to farmer problem oriented extension. Knowledge level of the farmers of the targeted village about legumes is observed quit low. Farmers are less educated which is also a contributing factor towards less knowledge level of the farmers. Knowledge level is the key component in adoption of improved technology.

A number of 200 farmers has been selected under Schedule Cast Sub Plan comprising both male and female farmers as beneficiary. Arid legume (Moong bean, moth bean and guar bean and chickpea) seed has been distributed among them at the rate of 1 kg seed to each farmer free of cost. Same number of the farmers has been selected as control group from same village. Jaisalmer is selected because Central Arid Zone Research Institute - Regional Research Station - Jaisalmer is located in the Jaisalmer. Basanpeer Village is selected because Scheduled Cast Sub Plan could be implemented in Scheduled Cast dominated village farmers only. Here 200 farmers of the village both male and female has been selected, all belong to Scheduled Cast category. Data has been collected with the help of the interview schedule. It is found that the knowledge

Level of the beneficiary farmers was quite high as compared to knowledge of the non-beneficiary farmers. The greater knowledge of improved arid legume production technology among the selected farmers might be due to the reason that the trainings, field day and demonstration were organized for the beneficiary farmers by the scientists. This knowledge level will be used for breeding guar (cluster bean) for high galactomannan gum content (>35%), improve meal quality and high seed protein content (25-27%) with increased proportion of amino acids and improved cooking quality of cowpea and moth bean grains.