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Type : Other Article

Assessment of Gaps in Pulse Production in Hamirpur District of Himachal Pradesh

Sanjay Kumar, Ravinder Singh and Akhilesh Singh

Abstract

Though substantial progress has been made in evolving techniques to obtain high yields of pulses, their production per hectare has remained the same for the last few decades. Acreage and productivity of pulse crop is declining in Himachal Pradesh in general and Hamirpur district in particular. To boost the production and productivity of pulse crops Krishi Vigyan Kendras are conducting frontline demonstrations on pulse crops. The main objective of frontline demonstrations on pulses is to demonstrate and popularize the improved technologies on farmers’ fields for effective transfer of generated technology and fill the gap between recommended practices and farmers’ practices. Frontline demonstrations in blackgram during Kharif and Chickpea during Rabi season were studied for five years (Kharif 2007 to 2011 and rabi 2007-08 to 2011-12) in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. There was a wide yield gap between the potential and demonstration yields in both pulse crops mainly due to technology and extension gaps. The frontline demonstrations on black gram crop indicated that per cent increase in yield over farmers practice ranged from 31.1 to 76.6 per cent where as in case of chickpea the range was 39.4 to 63.6 per cent over five years. It was further observed that in terms of economics, both black gram and chickpea crops recorded higher net returns per hectare compared to farmer’s practice during all the years. The benefit cost ratio of demonstration plots ranged from 1.30 to 2.99 in black gram and 0.42 to 3.00 in chickpea. The per cent technology index varied from 26 to 56 per cent in black gram and 27 to 62 per cent in chickpea indicating the urgent need to motivate the farmers to adopt economical viable technologies for increasing production, productivity and profitability of pulse crops

Keyword: Pulses; Black gram; Chickpea; Yield gap; Frontline demonstrations;

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