Transfer of Improved Technology of Mustard through Front Line Demonstration in Central Plain Zone of U.P.

Mustard is one of the most important oilseeds crop in India, which plays a major role in supplementing the income of small and marginal farmers of Lucknow district in Central Uttar Pradesh. One of the major constraints of traditional mustard farming is low productivity due to non-adoption of recommended package of practices and improved varieties. To replace this anomaly, Krishi Vigyan Kendra under IISR, Lucknow had conducted frontline demonstrations at adopted farmers’ fields. Cultivation practices comprised under FLD viz., use of improved variety, line sowing, balanced application of fertilizers and control of mustard aphid through insecticide at economic threshold level showed that percent increase in the yield of mustard ranged from 41.96% to 49.19% over local check during the course of study from 2002–03 to 2006–07. The technology gap of 3.6q/ha as minimum during 2006–07 to maximum of 8.1q/ha at the initial stage of study (2002–03) shows the gap in demonstration yield over potential yield, but the above gap reduced subsequently in the following years.