Assessment of Frontline Demonstration on Rice Production in Telangana

Background: Rice is a major cereal crop and a staple food for more than half of the world’s population. Frontline demonstrations on rice with improved rice varieties, production and protection technologies were organized to increase crop productivity and profitability of farmers. Methods: Frontline demonstrations (FLD) on rice with recently released short-duration varieties, RNR 15048 and KNM 118 and proven technologies in crop production and crop protection were conducted on farmer’s fields by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kampasagar, PJTSAU, Nalgonda, Telangana during the kharif seasons of 2017-2019. Result: Higher mean yield (6314.0 kg ha-1) was obtained in improved varieties RNR 15048 and KNM 118 with the latest agro-technologies such as seed treatment with carbendazim @ 1g lt-1 of water, seed rate @ 62.5 kg ha-1, application of carbofuran 3G in rice nursery, recommended dose of fertilizers in the main field, need-based plant protection practices such as formation of alleyways, installation of pheromone traps at 25 DAT, application of carbofuran 3G @ 25 kg ha-1, spraying of Pymetrozine @ 250 g ha-1 to control brown plant hopper in rice against the local check MTU 1010 (5823.0 kg ha-1) in the farmers’ practice and on an average 8.3% superiority was observed over the farmer’s practice. Yield contributing traits like plant height (85.3 cm), number of tillers m-2 (343.3), effective tillers m-2 (319.0), panicle length (21.0 cm) and straw yield (4904.3 kg ha-1) were maximum in improved practice against the farmers’ practice, except test weight (24.7 g). Improved practices resulted in higher gross returns (Rs. 1, 10, 890 ha-1), net returns (Rs. 61,675 ha-1) and B: C ratio (1:2.3) than the farmer’s practice.