Treatment of chilli seeds with raw cow milk (RCM) and T.richoderma viride and T. viride in nursery soil followed by root — dipping of nursery-raised saplings in RCM (15%) for 10 minutes before transplantation and RCM spray after twenty days of transplanting was superior to farmer’s practices i.e. inorganic chemical sprays without seed treatment (FP) ensuring up to 65.4% (mean 50.4%) leaf curl disease control and increase in yield by 24.4% with 29.1% reduction in cost of cultivation. It was inferred that the improved technology contributed to 22% while the complementary inputs were about 3.1%.

The present study was carried out to analyze the growth and instability in area, production and productivity of sesamum and acreage response to sesamum crop in arid zone of Rajasthan. The study was confined to six districts of arid zone having more than 10,000 ha area under sesamum cultivation during last decade. The data were collected for the period 1960-2003 and analyzed by using exponential production function and instability index. The results revealed that area and production have increased in the arid zone of Rajasthan but with high instability. The productivity registered lower but relatively more stable growth compared to area under production. The allocation of area to sesamum crop guided by rainfall during crop growing season, yield lagged by one year and also have positive response to lagged price in Bikaner and Jodhpur districts only.

The present study was carried out to analyze the growth and instability in area, production and productivity of chilli and acreage response to chilli crop in arid zone of Rajasthan. The study was confined to five districts of arid zone having more than 500 ha area under chilli cultivation during last decade. The data were collected for the period 1960-2007 and analyzed by using exponential production function and instability index. The results revealed that area and production have increased in the arid zone of Rajasthan but with high instability. The productivity registered lower but relatively more stable growth compared to area and production which indicates that chilli production can be increased by stabilizing and sustained increase in area under chilli cultivation by efficient use of irrigation water. The farmers of the arid zone of Rajasthan tend to divert more area towards cash crop if current irrigation facilities are adequate.