Front Line Demonstrations on Trellis and Mulching Technology in Tomato with Sequential Extension Methodology by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nizamabad
Tomato is a major vegetable crop grown in the Nizamabad district of Telangana State. The average productivity of tomato crops in India is quite low when compared with other nations and the world average of 34 MT ha-1 and there exists a good scope to improve its average productivity in Telangana as well as in India to fulfill both domestic and national needs. One of the major constraints for low productivity of this vegetable may be due to the partial adoption of recommended package of practices and post-harvest losses due to poor crop management at the field level by the tomato growers. The present study was conducted in Kotagir Mandal, Nizamabad district of Telangana State during Kharif 2017-18 and 2018-19 in 10 locations of farmer fields each location with 1 acre in cluster mode with an objective of studying the impact on change in the area of tomato cultivation with trellis and mulching technology after successfully conducting Front Line Demonstrations by KVK Nizamabad using sequential extension methodology. The Front Line Demonstration resulted in fruit yields of 890 and 795 q ha-1 with an incremental percent of 58.92 and 70.96 during 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively producing a significant positive result providing an opportunity to demonstrate the production potential and profitability of the latest technology (intervention) under the real farming situation. This could circumvent some of the constraints in the existing transfer of technology systems in the Northern Telangana Zone. The productivity gain of 330 q ha-1 under FLD over existing practices of tomato cultivation has created greater awareness and motivated the farmers of the zone to adopt the trellis technology for tomato production. The effort of KVK, Nizamabad in conducting FLDs on Trellis technology with mulching in Tomato with the appropriate strategy for improving farmer’s income by following Sequential Extension Methodology integrating the Technology helps in enhancing farmer’s income indirectly.