Impact of Cluster Frontline Demonstration on Productivity and Profitability of Blackgram

Abstract

Black gram (Vigna mungo) is one of the most important pulse crops grown next to Bengal gram in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. The productivity of black gram in the district is low and attempts were made to increase the production and productivity by adopting high yielding variety along with integrated crop management (ICM) practices. The ICM practices including sowing of improved variety (TBG 104), seed treatment + neem oil application at 25–30 DAS+ arrangement of sticky traps to monitor sucking pest vectors + spraying of monocrotophos @ 1.6 ml per litre of water at flowering to pod formation stage for insect management + spraying of carbendazim for control of leaf spot was demonstrated in farmer's field. The results revealed that increase in seed yield over farmers’ practice was 22.2 and 25.0 per cent during 2020–21 and 2021–22, respectively. It was also observed that demonstrated practices recorded higher net returns/ha as compared to farmer's practice during the years 2020–21 and 2021–22. The benefit cost ratio during 2020–21 and 2021–22 was 1.59 and 1.52 respectively. The percent technology index varied between 47.0 to 54.2 per cent indicating a need to motivate the farmers to adopt economical viable technologies for increasing production, productivity and profitability of black gram in Nellore district.