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Received: 5th February, 2026; Accepted: 3rd April, 2026

Abstract

Many factors are responsible for the lower yields at farmers field which need to be identified and replaced by suitable technological interventions. Newly developed high yielding varieties and related package of practice can help bridging the yield gaps between potential and what is obtained by farmers. Keeping this inview, front-line demonstrations were conducted on a new variety (Shalimar rice -4) and crop management during 2019 to 2021. The results indicated that use of obsolete varieties, imbalanced fertilizer application, higher plant population and lack of disease management were factors responsible for low productivity at farmers’ field. A positive linear correlation between grain yield and panicles m-2 (0.3027 and 0.2191), grains panicle-1 (0.6597 and 0.4398) and 1000 gain weight (0. 067 and 0.0861) were recorded in Farmer’s practice and Improved practice, respectively. Yield was 15.5% higher in improved practice compared to farmers’ practice. An extension gap of 9.9 q ha-1 were Rs. 129243 ha-1 and a technology gap of 6.2 q ha-1 in farmers practice and Rs.146815 ha-1 were observed in the study. Net returns in improved practice. An additional income of Rs. 17572 ha-1 and effective gain of Rs. 14812 ha-1 were recorded in the improved practice. Higher benefit: cost ratio (2.9) was also registered in improved practice compared to farmers practice (2.7).