Profile of maize growers and impact of maize front line demonstrations conducted by AICRP on maize growers

The study was undertaken to assess the impact of maize Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) conducted by the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on maize growers in Kolhapur district, Maharashtra. A total of 150 respondents, comprising 75 beneficiary and 75 non-beneficiary farmers, were selected using proportionate random sampling from three purposively chosen tahsils—Panhala, Hatkanangale, and Gaganbawda. Data were collected through a pre-tested interview schedule and analysed using appropriate statistical tools. The impact was assessed in terms of change in knowledge, adoption of recommended practices, area under maize cultivation, productivity, and income. The impact of FLDs was found to be considerable in improving maize cultivation outcomes among beneficiaries, with limited improvement observed among non-beneficiaries. Beneficiaries showed a substantial increase in knowledge, adoption of recommended practices, area under maize cultivation, productivity, and net income. Notably, productivity and income rose by 40.70 per cent and 48.14 per cent respectively. Non-beneficiaries exhibited relatively stagnant performance in these indicators, indicating the absence of direct technical interventions. The contrast clearly demonstrated the influence of FLDs on the farming outcomes of beneficiaries compared to non-beneficiaries. The average overall impact of FLDs was calculated at 41.03 per cent. Z-tests showed statistically significant differences at the 0.01 level between beneficiary and non-beneficiary farmers across all impact indicators, validating the strong positive influence of FLDs on technology adoption and performance.