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Indian Journal of Pure & Applied Biosciences (IJPAB)
Year : 2020, Volume : 8, Issue : 5
First page : (78) Last page : (82)
Article doi: : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.8208

Enhancing the Productivity of Cowpea through Frontline Demonstrations in Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu

M. A. Vennila* , P. S. Shanmugam and M. Sangeetha
ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Dharmapuri District, TN
*Corresponding Author E-mail: avennila26@yahoo.co.in
Received: 8.06.2020 | Revised: 12.07.2020 | Accepted: 16.07.2020 

 ABSTRACT

Cowpea is one of the major pulse crop grown in an area of 12999 ha in Dharmapuri district and the farmers were cultivating only the traditional varieties with non adoption of improved varieties and management practices resulted in poor yield. Hence to combat this problem frontline demonstration was conducted to demonstrate the potential of improved cowpea variety VBN 3 in ten farmers’ holdings of Dharmapuri district during Rabi season of 2018-2019. The crop was grown with Improved crop management practices and compared with the farmers practice. The Improved crop management practices consisting of new variety i.e., VBN 3, seed treatment with rhizobium, soil application of TNAU pulses micronutrient mixture @ 7.5 kg ha, spraying of pulse wonder @ 5/ kg ha during flowering stage and Improved pest management strategies for sucking pest. The results of the demonstration revealed that the demonstration of Improved crop management practices recorded the higher number of pods per plant (35.6) and pod yield (9.55 q/ha). Farmers practice recorded the lower number of pods per plant (27.8) and pod yield (7.60 q/ha). The percent increase in yield under demonstration over farmers practice was 25.66. The higher net income (Rs.37800/ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.94) was realized in demonstration of Improved crop management practices. The lower net income (Rs.21400/ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.29) was recorded in farmers practice.

Key words: Cowpea, Demonstration, Pod yield, Net income, Benefit cost ratio.

Full Text : PDF; Journal doi : http://dx.doi.org/10.18782

Cite this article: Vennila, M. A., Shanmugam, P. S., & Sangeetha, M. (2020). Enhancing the Productivity of Cowpea through Frontline Demonstrations in Dharmapuri District of Tamil Nadu, Ind. J. Pure App. Biosci. 8(5), 78-82. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2582-2845.8208