Promoting Summer Green Gram Cultivation for Sustainability and Enhancing Farmer’s Income in Punjab

The state of Punjab is known for its modern and mechanized agriculture in the country. Punjab’s agriculture provides a lion’s share in the national pool of paddy and wheat; at the same time, depleting ground water, crop residue burning, indiscriminate use of chemicals, etc. pose serious threats to its sustainability. In the wake of predominant cropping pattern in the state, irrigation facilities, remunerative pricing policy and availability of short duration varieties of summer green gram cultivation offers a balanced opportunity for increasing farmer’s income while improving soil health and sustaining agricultural production. With the aim of promoting cultivation of summer green gram in Punjab, Krishi Vigyan Kendras have demonstrated latest production technologies in the farmer’s field. The improved technologies involved latest varieties, seed treatment with biofertilizers, line sowing with machines, different intercropping systems, Integrated Pest Management, etc. Moreover, extension activities viz. method demonstrations, farmer-scientist interactions, field days, trainings, etc. were also organized. Efforts were simultaneously made to improve seed replacement rate by introducing latest varieties. Regular monitoring of sites was an integral part of the demonstrations. During summer 2017, 925 demonstrations were conducted in 406 ha in 16 districts and recorded 23.87 per cent higher yield as compared to that of local check. Similarly, 979 demonstrations in 420 ha during summer 2018 and 840 demonstrations in 337.2 ha during summer 2019 were organized, in which 24 percent and 20 per cent higher yields were recorded, respectively. Decline in the technology indices of both the varieties over the period indicate healthy trend in terms of the awareness about green gram production technologies and the impact of capacity building and extension activities organized along with demonstrations. Summer green gram has been found specifically effective in potato growing region due to opportune sowing time and available soil moisture and nutrients. The crop has also been found as an effective replacement for fodder maize in few areas. Farmers have also reported increase in consumption of green gram due to domestic availability.