Recent Research Thrust Addressing Climate Change and how far Agronomists can do?

Recent Research Thrust Addressing Climate Change and how far Agronomists can do?

Dr. Md. Abul Khayer Mian

Agronomy Division, Regional Agricultural Research Station

Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Ishurdi 6620, Pabna

Bangladesh

Introduction

Agronomists are working to meet the challenges of food and nutritional security of the country. Now, it is imperative to change traditional agronomic research and new domain of agronomic research is to be addressed as the changing climate. However, they are devoted to develop demand based technology for sustainable crop production. They are trying to provide solutions of the problems at changing climatic conditions. Consequently, recent agronomic research has addressed new domain and succeeded to some extent.

New research domain and success

1. Screening and adaptation of crop varieties/lines and development of sustainable production technology for costal area.

BRRI Dhan 47 is a salinity tolerant rice variety recommended for boro season. It can tolerant salinity level up to 8 dS/m (Abedin, 2010). Mungbean line (BM-1), barley line (BHL-15), soybean (Shohag and BARI Soybean 5) were found moderately salt tolerant (up to 8 dS/m) (Aziz, 2010^a). The potato lines, 86-140 (18.33 t/ha) & 88-163 (18.06 t/ha) and the varieties, Heera (18.61 t/ha), Chamok (18.33 t/ha), Multa (18.06 t/ha), Colombus (18.06 t/ha), Sirinda (19.17 t/ha) & TPS-1 (18.61 t/ha) can be grown suitably at costal area (salinity level from 3.31 to 6.14 m mhos/cm from November to March) (Mian et al. 2005). Green manuring, use of organic materials, ridge-bed planting, mulching, deep ploughing etc. are the agronomic options for management of salinity. Gypsum and silicon application can ameliorate salinity stress in rice and other crops (Kader and Islam, 2010). Salt tolerant crops like cowpea, maize, barley, soybean, sweet potato, sweet gourd etc. should be grown at costal area.

2. Screening of different crop genotypes for drought tolerance and development of technology for drought management.

Mungbean line (BMX 90009-6, BMX 01015 and BMX 01007) (Mian et al. 2010^a) and wheat line (BAW 923, BAW 923-4, BAW 923/ BAW 824 and BAW 1138) (Aziz, 2010^b) showed moderately drought tolerance. Organic matter, green manuring, mulching, dense plant population, weeds as smothering where the growth of weed is minimum, supplemental irrigation from harvested rain (if possible) etc. are to be used for drought management. Drought tolerant crops like maize, barley, sweet potato, sesame, sorghum, millet, pigeon pea, groundnut should be chosen for drought prone areas.

3. Screening of different crop genotypes for heat tolerance and adjustment of sowing/planting time for avoidance heat stress.

Some wheat varieties (BARI Gom 20, BARI Gom 24, BARI Gom 25 and BARI Gom 26) proved to be moderately tolerant to high temperature (Aziz, 2010^b ; Mian and Islam, 2010^b). BARI Seam 3, BARI Tomato 3, BARI Tomato 4, BARI hybrid Tomato 3, BARI hybrid Tomato 4, BARI Piaz 2 and BARI Piaz 3 were tolerant to high temperature in summer season (Aziz, 2010^b). Optimum sowing (10-15 November) of wheat can avoid heat stress during grain filling stage (Mian and Islam, 2010^b).

4. Screening of different crop genotypes for excess soil moisture or water logging tolerance and development of management options for excess soil moisture.

Sesame line (BD 6980, BD 6985, BD 6992 and BD 7010) were identified as water logging tolerant at vegetative stage (Saha, 2010). Mungbean genotype (VC 3960-88 and BARI Mung 4) had tolerance ability of flooding at 21 days old seedling (Pervin et al., 2010).

5. Development of charland through adaptation of improved crop varieties and production technologies.

About 0.83 million ha charland are available in the country (Aziz, 2009). BARI Chola 4, BARI Soybean 5, BARI Mung 6, BARI Til 4, BARI Sarisha 11 and BARI Sarisha 14, BARI Hybrid maize 7 and BARI motorshuti 2 performed better at charland (Aziz, 2010^b; Mian, 2010^c). BARI badam 5 and BARI badam 6 can be grown successfully at charland (Mian 2010^c). There remains greater scope for increasing crop production in the country through adaptation of improved crop varieties and technologies at charland.

6. Improvement of cropping system of hilly areas.

After harvest of T.aman rice BARI Sarisha11, BARI Hybrid Maize 5, BARI Chola 5, BARI Mosur 4, Shatabdi, Sourav and Bijoy of wheat, BARI Hybrid Maize 5 + Bushbean and BARI Hybrid Maize 5 + BARI Falon 1 intercropping were found suitable for increasing production and cropping intensity in hilly areas (Aziz, 2010^c). BARI Mung 5 performed better after harvest of mustard against T.aman –fallow-fallow pattern (Aziz, 2010^c). More attention is needed for adoption of improved crop varieties and cropping system at hilly areas.

7. Improvement of cropping system of haor areas.

In coordinated research of CNRS (Centre for Natural Resources study) revealed that two crops could be grown in haor areas. BARI Sarisha 11, BARI Sarisha 14, BARI Gom 22, BARI Gom 23, BARI Gom 24, BAR Motorshuti 2, BARI Mung 5, BARI Mung 6 performed better in haor areas (Aziz, 2010^b). BARI mung 5 and BARI mung 6 would be grown after rabi crops. There remains scope to cultivate broadcast/transplanted deep water rice after harvest of boro rice (Mian 2010^d). There needs to improve the cropping system at low lands using Rhyda or other improved deep water rice. More research thrust should be given in improving the cropping intensity and as well as the cropping system of low lands.

8. Adaptation of submerse rice variety at flood prone areas.

Submergence tolerant gene SUB1 is identified and transferred to 5 mega rice varieties i.e. Swarna, samba mahsuri, IR 64, CR 1009 and BR 11. These 5 mega varieties are widely cultivated by the farmers because of their high yield and good grain quality. However, these varieties were susceptible to flash flood and they could not tolerate more than 4 days of submergence. Now, these SUB 1 gene varieties can tolerate submergence 14-17 days (Singh et al., 2010). IR 64 sub1, Sarna sub1 and Samba sub1 showed submergence tolerant in North-western region of Bangladesh (Mridha, 2010). The adaptability test is going at farmers’ field of different location by BRRI.

9. Development of technology for cyclone prone areas.

The maize variety Pacific 11, Pacific 984 and BARI Hybrid maize 5 were found suitable for cultivation in costal cyclone prone area after harvest of T.aman rice (Aziz, 2010^a and Mian, 2008). More research is needed for adaptation of improved production technologies at cyclone prone areas.

10. Development of agro-climatological model for crop yield at changing climate.

“Enso effect on rice production in Bangladesh” was studied by Biswas et al. (2010). Regression equation expressed that 1 ⁰C rising at July, August and September SSTA decrease 2.947%, 3.210% and 2.544% yield respectively. New research approach is taken to quantify the effect of climatic factors like temperature, rainfall, day length etc. on crop yield (Mian, 2010). “Effect of temperature and rainfall on summer mungbean”, and “Development of yield model of wheat under late sown irrigated condition” are taken as considering climate change (Mian, 2010^e). Research programme on “Effect of temperature on phenological development, growth and yield of lentil” is going on. Agro-climatological model is the tool that can explain the influences of climatological factors on the crop yield and associated performance. The agronomist should give recent research thrust on agro-climatological modeling.

Conclusion

The Agronomists should give research thrust in aforesaid new domain of agronomic research more effectively than at present cope with changing climate. So, they should acquire sufficient knowledge about the relevant field of research for better contribution for the nation. They need capacity building through advanced agronomic research regarding climate change. They should have sufficient physical facility and financial support for need based research for solving the present problems. Our government and relevant authority should have consider the matter very seriously.

References

Aziz A. 2009. Training course on environmental stress tolerant crop production technology development for scientists and NGO officers. Agron. Div. Bangladesh Agril. Res. Ints. Joydebpur, Gazipur 1701.p.1.

Aziz A. 2010^a. Salt tolerant mechanisms and development of salt tolerant variety/ technology of different crops for costal area of Bangladesh. . Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 4.

Aziz A. 2010^b. Climate change and environmental stress research for sustainable crop production in the problem areas of Bangladesh. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 4-5.

Aziz A. 2010^c. Climate change and hill agriculture: Rural livelihood improvement. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 5.

Abedin M Z. 2010. Climate change and impact on agriculture and food security in Bangladesh. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Souvenir. pp.29-36.

Biswas J K, D Dawe, P M V Casal and M S H Bhuiyan. 2010. Enso effects on rice production in Bangladesh. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 40-41.

Kader M A and N Islam. 2010. Improving salinity tolerance in crop plants: How far agronomy can go. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 2.

Mian M A K, K U Ahmmad, M H Hossain and M A Hossain. 2005. Screening of potato genotypes for salinity tolerance. Bangldesh J. Bot. 34 (2):129-130.

Mian M A K. 2008. Ph.D. Dissertation. Dept. of Agronomy, BAU Mymensingh. pp. 36-145.

Mian M A K, M R Islam and Aziz A. 2010^a. Screening of mungbean genotypes for drought tolerance. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 1

Mian M A K and M R Islam. 2010^b. Performance of wheat varieties under late sown condition. Res. Report Agron. Div., Regional Agril. Res. Station, Ishurdi 6620. pp. 1-2.

Mian M A K and M R Islam. 2010^c. Adaptation of BARI released crop varieties at charland. Regional Res. Report Agron. Div., Regional Agril. Res. Station, Ishurdi 6620. p. 5.

Mian M A K. 2010^d. Improving cropping intensity at low lands. (http://makhayermian.blogspot.com/).

Mian M A K and M R Islam. 2010^e. Development of yield model of wheat under late sown irrigated condition. Res. Programme (2010-2011). Agron. Div. Bangladesh Agril. Res. Institute. Gazipur 1701.

Mridha A J, K M Iftekharuddaula, M A Mazid, M S Zahan and I A Bari. 2010. Submergence tolerance rice varieties and their management options for north-western regional of Bangladesh. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 31.

Pervin T, M R Islam, A Hamid, M M Hoque and J U Uddin. 2010. Soil flooding tolerance in mungbean under field conditions. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 23.

Saha R R, B Ahamed, A Aziz and M A Hossain. 2010. Screening of sesame genotypes to water logging tolerance. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 4.

Singh U S, M A Bari, H D Monzoor, A Ismail and D J Mackill. Adaptation to climate change: Flood tolerance rice for enhancing and stabilizing rice productivity in south Asia. Inter. Confer. Bangladesh Soci. Agron. 2010. Abstracts. p. 44.