author(s)
Ashish Kumar Tripathi and Anil Kumar Singh

abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate the economic viability of organic cultivation and integrated pest management technology in chilli in Sagar district under Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh during 2016-17 to 2018-19 in participatory mode at farmers’ fields. Among the organic nutrient sources, basal application of FYM @ 10 tonne, vermicompost @ 2.5 tonne and Neem G @ 100 kg ha^-1 was done with enrichment of biofertilizers (Azotobactor & PSB) and Trichoderma viride @ 5 kg ha^-1.‘Naturamore Gold’ an organic product applied @ 25 kg ha^-1 in standing crop for nitrogen supplement. For integrated pest and disease management insect attractants, biopesticides and neem-based formulations were used. The study findings indicated that the green yield of chilli was 34.2 percent higher in the crop cultivated using organic sources (8.75 tha^-1) in comparison to farmers practice (6.52 tha^-1). Among the diseases, average incidence of wilt was noted 2.75 percent in the technological interventions against 6.75 percent in farmer’s practice, however anthracnose disease in the study fields was quite less (1.25%) during study period. Pod borer and sucking pest incidence recorded 0.17 larvae plant-1and 7.5 plant-1 respectively under organic chilli production over FP (0.56 larvae plant^-1 and 15.25 plant-1). Organic production of chilli contributed increased net return of Rs. 1, 54, 025 ha^-1 and benefit cost (B:C) ratio (3.38) over farmer’s practices where these were recorded Rs.78,375ha^-1 and 2.51 respectively.