Determining the Effect of Front Line Demonstrations on Trellis Method of Cultivation in Tomato (Solanum lycopercicum Mill.) in Khammam District of Telangana, India

Abstract

The present study was conducted in Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Wyra adopted  villages  in Khammam District of Telangana. Tomato is an important vegetable crop in the district but the yields are not up to expectations due to poor quality, early decay, pests and disease incidence.  An effort was made by KVK, Wyra to address the problem of reducing pests and disease incidence and improving the fruit quality by introduction of technology Trellis method of cultivation in tomato. This was tested on small scale for 3 years with the help of On-farm trials with limited number of farmers. It was proved to be profitable hence this technology was up-scaled and disseminated on large scale with the help of front line demonstrations as the main thrust areas of KVKs are refinement and demonstration of novel technologies, training of farmers and extension functionaries. The front line demonstrations  on trellising in tomato crop were conducted  by Krishi  Vigyan Kendra, Wyra, Khammam  in its adopted villages from 2016-17 to 2018-19 with an objective of improving  the yield and quality of tomato by adopting  the technology  trellising  on tomato  along  with  drip  and  mulching,  use  of indeterminate hybrid varieties, balanced  use of fertilizers and integrated  pest and disease management.  Though trellising has been developed long back the knowledge and adoption rate was low with the tomato farmers of the district. The data from the study like cost of cultivation, production, productivity, gross returns and net returns were collected as per schedule and analyzed.  The results from the study revealed  that average  highest  yield recorded  was 622.58 q/ha in demonstration  plot compared  to control plot yield 431.55 q/ha, an additional  yield of 191.03  q/ha was recorded,  44.33 percent  of average yield increase was recorded over control plot. The extension gap and technology gap enumerated  from  the  study  ranged  from  183.45  q/ha  to  201.80  q/ha  and  11.40  to  41.25  q/ha respectively, with the technology index of 4.21 percent during the demonstration  years. Besides this, the demonstrated  plots  gave  higher  gross  return,  net  return  with  higher  benefit  cost  ratio  when compared to farmer’s practice. In present study efforts were also made to study the impact of FLD on horizontal spread which has increased by 160.36 percent. The study results showed   that   higher average   yield  was  obtained  in demonstration plots over the years compared   to   farmer’s practice  due to high knowledge  and adoption  of full package of practices i.e. use of trellis method of training  to tomato  plants,  application  of farm yard manure, recommended dose of fertilizers, fertigation, mulching etc. Further the study was undertaken to do a formative and  summative (outcome and impact) evaluation of the frontline demonstrations on trellising in Tomato.