Popularization of improved short-duration Rice variety Telangana Sona (RNR 15048) through Frontline Demonstrations in Nalgonda District, Telangana

Abstract

Frontline demonstrations on rice (275 No) were carried out by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kampasagar during four Kharif seasons 2016 to 2019 in Nalgonda District, Southern Telangana Zone under Left Canal Nagarjuna Sagar Project command area with the main objective of assessing the performance of improved short duration rice variety Telangana Sona (RNR 1504) with latest crop production and protection technologies against farmer’s practice. The improved practice comprised of improved short-duration rice variety RNR 15048, seed treatment, nursery management, recommended cultural practices at the time of transplanting, application of recommended dosage of fertilizers, adopted need-based production and protection measures that resulted in significantly higher yield (6790 kg ha-1) with 12.0 percent increase yield in demonstration plots over the farmer’s practice (6048 kg ha-1) during four-year study period. The technology gap ranged between 0 to 350 kg ha-1 with a mean of 210 kg ha-1. The lowest extension gap (518 kg ha-1) was observed in kharif 2019 and it was the highest (1050 kg ha-1) in kharif 2018. The average extension gap was 742 kg ha-1and the technology index was in the range of 0.0 to 5.0% with a mean of 3.0%. The demonstrations recorded a higher gross return Rs. 1,18,815 ha-1 with a profitability of Rs. 67,190 ha-1 and additional net return Rs. 19,167.0 ha-1 as compared to farmer’s practice. The mean benefit-cost ratio was 2.3 in demonstrations over the farmer’s practice 1.8. The results based on a comparison between demonstrations and farmers' practice indicated that the yield, gross returns, net income, and benefit-cost ratio in frontline demonstrations were higher than in the local farmer’s practice. The Farmers practice recorded lower yields and incurred higher expenditure as farmers used local varieties, applied overdose of fertilizers, and indiscriminate use of pesticides, spending more money on managing the pests and diseases.