Yield Gap Analysis of Mustard Crop : A Case Study of Village Chomakot in Kota District

Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) is a member of the Brassicaceae family and has become one of the most important sources of oil production in the mustard in India is 5.80 million ha, 6.2 million ton with productivity 1089 kg/ha, respectively during the 2015-16 [1]. In Rajasthan is 2433.70 thousand ha, 2878930 t with productivity of 1183 kg/ha during 2014-15 [2]. The importance and potential of rapeseed-mustard crop is well known as it is the key oilseed crop that can help in addressing the challenge of demand supply gap of edible oil in India. It is world’s third most important source of edible oil after soybean and oil palm. Each and every part of the plant is of importance in the human livelihood. It is also utilized for flavouring, medicinal and preservative purpose since time immemorial. The brassica oilseeds have the oil content of 30-48% in air dried seeds. Colour of the oil is yellow to brown. Rapeseed and mustard oils have anti nutritional factors like erucic acid. However, varieties are now being developed with reduced erucic acid (<2%). The cultivars with <2% of erucic acid in oil and < 30 micromoles/gram of glucosinolates in oil meal are called as Conola varieties suitable for edible purpose. It is also desirable to have less linolenic acid (<3%) and higher linoleic acid (>30%) for prolonged cooking and higher shelf life. But brassicas destined for industrial purpose should contain higher erucic acid (>60%) as it has high heat stability and used as lubricating oil, fossil fuel and additive to diesel [1]. Frontline Demonstration (FLD) is the new concept of field demonstration evolved by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research with the inception of the technology mission on oilseed crops during mid eighties. The field demonstrations conducted under the close supervision of scientists of the National Agriculture Research System is called front-line demonstrations because the technologies are demonstrated for the first time by the scientists themselves before being fed into the main extension system of the state department of agriculture. Frontline demonstration (FLD) is one of the most powerful tools of extension because farmers, in general, are driven by the perception that ‘Seeing is believing’ the main objective of frontline demonstrations is to demonstrate newly released crop production and protection technologies and its management practices in the farmers’ field under different agroclimatic regions and farming situations. While demonstrating the technologies in the farmers’ field, the scientists are required to study the factors contributing higher crop production; field constrains of production and thereby generate production data and feedback information. Frontline Demonstrations are conducted in a block of two or four hectares land in order to have better impact of the demonstrated technologies on the farmers and field level extension Abstract The study was carried out in NICRA village Chomakot of Kota district during 2011-12 to 2015-16. Total 200 front line demonstrations were conducted on mustard in 100 ha by the active participation of the farmers with the objective of improved technologies of mustard production. The improved technologies consist improved varieties (BIO-902, Maya, NRCDR-2 and NRCHB-101), balanced fertilizers (soil test based) application and integrated disease and pest management, etc. The demonstrated recorded an average yield ranging from 1680 kg to 2060 kg/ ha with a mean of 1938 kg/ha. The per cent increase yield in demonstration ranged from 14.10% to 23.29% in the respective years with a mean of 19.2%. The average extension gap, technology gap and technology index were 315.71 kg/ha, 354.28 kg/ha and 15.06 %, respectively. The demonstrated field gave higher net return Rs 38600/to Rs 49560/ ha with mean Rs 45589/ha and B: C ratio 2.91 to 3.81 and with a mean 3.42, respectively. Present results clearly show that the yield and economics of mustard can be boost up by adoption of recommended technology.