Evaluation of frontline demonstration of new technology on chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in Dang district of Gujarat

In majority of the area of Dang district of Gujarat, chickpea is grown under rainfed condition with neither improved varieties nor with recommended practices. The Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Navsari Agricultural University, Dang has organized 323 numbers of FLDs. This programme is with the objective to demonstrate the improved variety of chickpea (GG 5) for production potential. The demonstrated variety GG 5 performed better in all years compare to farmer’s variety (2018-19 to 2020-21). In the FLDs, the results revealed that seed yield (1102 kg/ha) of improved technology was higher as compared to farmers’ practice (825 kg/ha). Higher gross returns, net returns and benefit cost ratio were also recorded in FLDs plots as compared to farmer’s practice. The average technology gap, extension gap and technology index were calculated as 1398 kg/ha, 227 kg/ha and 55.93 per cent, respectively. Every year, extension gap was lower than technology gap indicating the need to educate farmers in adoption of improved technologies. Thus, it is suggested that location-specific approaches would be needed to bridge the productivity gap of chickpea crop in the region.