Evaluation of farmer's vs improved sorghum production technologies for enhanced productivity under rainfed conditions

One local variety (local landrace) and one improved variety of sorghum PARC SS-1 were subjected to farmers' production practice and improved production technology at National Agricultural Research Centre Islamabad, during the summer seasons of 1997 and 1998. Significant differences were found among the treatments for days to flowering, plant height, insect and disease score, grain and stover yields. Interaction only for grain yield was significant. Flowering was enhanced by three days when improved method of production was used. Where farmers' method was applied, flowering delayed by five days which shows that with application of inputs, flowering was enhanced. Plant height of both local and improved varieties was increased significantly with application of fertilizer and other inputs. The improved variety was more resistant (2.5) than the local variety (4.5) with regard to shootfly infestation. Similarly the improved variety was found more resistant (1 .0) to foliar diseases than the local variety (4.0). Where either farmers' or improved variety was used with farmers' practice, the plots were heavily infested with weeds. When the same varieties were subjected to primextra herbicide @ 0.75 kg ha-1-' (ai) the weeds remained controlled as compared to the ones with no herbicide. When complete improved package of production technology (improved variety + recommended doses of fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides and optimum plant density) was adopted, it gave significantly higher grain (2472 kg ha-1) and stover (21.3 t ha-1) yields. The higher grain as well as stover yields, are thus attributed to the use of improved variety coupled with the recommended doses of inputs. The improved variety PARC-SS-1 yielded significantly higher grain yield of 1617 kg ha-1 and stover yield of 16.6 t ha-1 in comparison with local variety, which yielded grain yield of 671 kg he-1 and stover yield of 8.2 t ha-1. It shows that with the use of only improved variety one can get manifold grain as well as stover yields. The economic analysis showed that by adoption of improved production technology highest net income of Rs.14503 ha-1 was obtained when compared to the farmers' traditional method of cultivation.