Salihu A.* and H.P. Singh
Department of Agricultural Economics, Banaras Hindu University,
Varanasi India
Received-05.10.2018, Revised-26.10.2018
Abstract: Suggestive measures for bridging yield gap are an important means of enhancing farmers’ income. This paper aims at analyzing the relationship between cotton farmers output and their socio-economic characteristics, estimation of yield gap and to identify the factors responsible for yield gap in the study area. The study adopted multistage sampling technique in selecting 120 cotton farmers in four villages from Kalmeshuwa and Saona blocks in Nagpur district, Maharashtra. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. Primary data was collected with the aid of structured questionnaires administered to the cotton farmers and secondary data on potential yield in the research station, potential yield in the demonstration plot and recommended input usage was obtained from the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur (CICR). Frequencies, percentage and cross tabulation, yield gap index and multiple regression model were used for analyzing the data obtained. Results from cross tabulation indicated that gender, farm size and educational status of the respondents might not necessarily guarantee larger cotton output in the study area. Findings from yield gap analysis showed that yield gap I, yield gap II and total yield gap in the study area were 375kg/ha, 815.11kg/ha and 1190.11kg/ha respectively, implying that there is still scope for increasing actual farmers’ yield and hence more farm income. Results from the multiple regression model revealed that educational status, farm size, seed rate gap and location of the farmers were the major factors responsible for yield gap in the study area. The study therefore suggested a need to sensitize farmers by relevant Government agencies on the unfavorable effects of excess input usage with a view to minimize yield gap in the study area.
Keywords: Yield gap, potential yield, demonstration plot
References
Baksh, K., Ishtiaq, H. and Asif, M. (2005). Factors Affecting Cotton Production In Pakistan. Jornal of Agriculture and Social Sciences,1(4), 331-334.
Consultant, A. and Pradesh, A. (2017). To study the cost , returns and profitability of cotton production in Andhra Pradesh. International Journal of Advanced Education and Research, 2(2), 28–32.
Dhandhalya, M. G. and Shiyani, R.I. (2009). Production potentials, yield gaps and research prioritization of productionconstraints in major oilseed crops of saurashtra region. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, 43: 18-25.
Mohanasundaram, P. (2015). Cultivation of Cotton: A Study on Factors and Problems. International Journal of Arts, Humanities and Management Studies, 01(3), 1-6.
Mondal, M. H. (2011). Causes of yield gaps and strategies for minimizing the gaps in different crops of Bangladesh.Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, 36: 469-479.
Salihu, A., Singh, H.P., Singh, O.P. and Singh, R. (2018). Yield gap analysis of cotton production in Adamawa State, Nigeria. International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology, 5(2) page. 63-68.
Santhy, V., Khadi, B.M., Singh, P., Kumari, P.R.V., Deshmukh, R.K. and Vishwnathan, A. (2008). Hybrid Seed Productionin Cotton. CICR Technical Bulletin No: 35.
Singh, S.P., Singh, H.P. and Tewari, H. (2015). An Analysis of Yield Gap in Sugarcane Production in Bihar, India. Vaichariki, 5(2). Pp75-85.
Zelda, E., and Sekar, C. (2015). An Empirical Study of Yield Gap in Seed Cotton Production in Tamil Nadu State, India. Indian journal of agricultural research 49(6), 549-553.