P.P.Shelke

KVK Karda

Background :

                Washim district is a predominantly agriculture belt, entire district has rural setting and mainly dependent on monsoon rainfall. On as average 12.61% of the cultivated area is under irrigation while mostly remaining area is under rain fed farming situation with soybean, pigeon pea single crop cultivation. Very few farmers are having ground water potential and their rabi crops viz. Wheat, Gram, Safflower etc. are dependent on late monsoon rains.

 If rainfall in the last week of September is limited then farmers can not go for wheat cultivation, also regular power cut off is one of the major constraints for reducing area under wheat crop. In such circumstances short duration crop with limited irrigation and fetching remunerative market price was preferred by farmers. 

Interventions :

                Pulses Research Unit,  Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Karda was having functional linkage for joint implementation of sponsored Front Line Demonstration Programme since 1998. KVK Karda has played dominant role in popularizing Dr. P.D.K.V. released varieties Greengram AKM-8802, AKM- 9911, Pigeon pea AKPH-2022, Desi Chick pea, JAKI-9218, Kabuli Chick pea KAK-2 and Rajmash-VL-63.

Such appreciation was made by SRS Pulses – Realizing efforts made by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Karda in popularizing Dr. P.D.K.V. Akola varieties of Rajmash -VL-63 and JAKI 9218, Senior Research Scientist (Pulses) Pulses Research Unit D.O. No./ PDKV/Pulses/TA56/2003 Akola dated 7th May 2003 appreciated KVK work for popularizing and large scale adoption of Rajmash cultivation through net work of technology transfer clubs in Malegaon Tahsil and developing KVK,  TTCs as a source of seed for Rajmash crop.

Technology:

Pulses Research Unit Dr. P.D.K.V. Akola and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Karda Tq. Risod Dist. Washim jointly organizing Wheat and Rajmash comparative field trials from Rabi 2001 to 2007-08 in  TTC Village of Malegaon Tahsil.  The purpose of demonstration, comparative field trial was demonstrate higher monetary returns from Rajmash over wheat crop, short duration (95-100 days) less susceptible to pest and diseases and limited 3-4 irrigations.

Economic Analysis of Wheat and   Rajmash Cultivation.

                Pulses Research Unit Dr. P.D.K.V. Akola has sanctioned 35 ha area under Rajmash and Wheat crop comparative trial covering 90 farmers in KVK operational area. Result of last two yearare considered for study.  As per above economic analysis it is found that, farmer gets additional amount of                                                        Rs.2000-2500 from one acre Rajmash cultivation than Wheat crop and similarly storage losses are very neglible as compared to wheat crop.

Impact:

                Witnessing the success of Rajmash cultivation due to higher remunerative price, short duration farmers from technology transfer club villages Shelgaon Onkargir, Borala Jahagir, Karanji and Ekamba. Farmers of adjacent villages – Waghlud, Bramhanwada, Muttha and Shelgaon Bagade has emerged as a seed village for Rajmash in the district. Initially area under Rajmash crop was 5 ha. which has now spread into 12-15 villages covering 300 ha. area under Rajmash crop.