Improving Crop Productivity in Beel areas of Bangladesh (ID-688, NATP-2, BARC)

Name of Technology: Improving Crop Productivity in Beel areas of Bangladesh

Introduction:

Beel (Low land goes under water and remains under water about 4-5 months generally from July to November) area are under unfavourable ecosystem covering an area of 2.43 million hectares in Bangladesh. Beel is less productive and remains fallow in most of the part of the year. Boro rice is the main crop in beel area but it requires huge amount of water. There is a possibility of improving crop productivity through adaptation of HYV of crops in the cropping pattern along with their production technologies. Hence, alternate cropping rather than boro rice can improve crop productivity and save underground water resource. In this context, short duration mustard before boro rice and broadcast aman rice after boro rice can improve the cropping pattern in Beel area. Rattoon rice of aus rice and intercropping of Garlic+ Watermelon are two important ways to improving crop productivity in beel area. Moreover, improve varieties of wheat, maize, mustard, garlic, lentil and onion can increase yield. On the basis of research findings of the project factsheet of technology has been made.

Description of the Technology:

v  Eight crop varieties (BARI Sarisha-14, BARI Sarisha-15, BARI Gom-30, Maize var. NK-40, 900 M Gold and Miracle, BARI Rashun-3 and BARI Piaj-4) were found suitable for increasing crop yield in Beel area. 

v  Short duration mustard (var. BARI Sarisha-14) before boro rice, broadcast aman rice (cv. modhudigha) after boro rice, dibbing technique for maize (var. NK-40), Garlic+ Watermelon intercropping are important ways of improving crop productivity in Beel area.

v  Sowing time of crops depends on recession of water: 1-15 November (mustard), 15 November-5 December (maize, wheat, garlic), 15 December-20 January (onion) are suitable sowing time in Beel area.

v  Fertilizer dose like 325-90-185-60-5-2.5 kg/ha of N-P-K-S-Zn-B + Weeding at 20 days after emergence (DAE) (Grain yield: 12.98 t/ha and BCR: 2.24) for maize, Fertilizer dose of 140-44-70-30-1.8-1 kg/ha of N-P-K-S-Zn-B + Weeding at 15 DAE for mustard (Seed yield: 1.75 t/ha and BCR: 1.69), Fertilizer dose like 125-190-206-25-5 -2.5 kg/ha of N-P-K-S-Zn-B + Weeding at 30 days after dibbling (Garlic equivalent yield: 25.22 t/ha and BCR: 2.84) for Garlic+ Watermelon intercropping were found suitable.

v  Fertilizer dose of 125-45-31-25-2-1 kg/ha of N-P-K-S-Zn-B + Weeding at 20 DAE for wheat (Grain yield: 5.52 t/ha and BCR: 1.81), Fertilizer dose like 150-75-200-50-5.6-2.5 kg/ha of N-P-K-S-Zn-B + Weeding at 30 DAE for onion (Bulb yield (19.96 t/ha and BCR: 2.01) were found suitable for higher yield and BCR.

v  Fertilizer dose of 40-20-10-5-0.8-0.5 kg/ha of N-P-K-S-Zn-B + Weeding at 5-7 days after harvest of main rice for ratooning (Grain yield: 2.10 t/ha and BCR: 3.82), and Fertilizer dose of 26-11-11-5-0.8-0.8 kg/ha of N-P-K-S-Zn-B + Hand weeding at 20 DAE and 50-60 DAE (Grain yield: 1.59-1.61 t/ha and BCR: 1.91-2.11) for B. aman rice were found profitable in beel area.

v  Weeding (15-18 DAE for mustard, 20 DAE for wheat, 20-25 DAE for maize, 30 DAE for garlic, 30 DAT for onion, 20 DAE for B. aman, 5-7 days after harvesting (DAH) for ratoon rice) and irrigation (1 for mustard, 2 for wheat and 3 for maize, 2-3 for onion and garlic) was done as and when necessary. 

v  Harvesting of crops: 6-12 February (Mustard), 27-30 March (Wheat), 15-19 April (Maize), 25 March-8 May (onion and garlic), 30 November (Ratoon rice), 7-13 December (B. aman rice) are optimum harvesting time of crops in Beel area.    

Benefit of the Technology:

  Crops varieties like maize var. NK-40, 900 M Gold and Miracle (Grain yield: 10.02-10.64 t/ha and BCR: 1.88-2.00), mustard var. BARI Sarisha-14 (Seed yield: 1.67 t/ha and BCR: 1.65) and BARI Sarisha-15 (Seed yield: 1.60 t/ha and BCR: 1.59), wheat var. BARI Gom-30 (Grain yield: 5.02 t/ha and BCR: 1.78), garlic var. BARI Rashun-3 (Bulb yield: 12.54 t/ha and BCR: 1.64), onion var. BARI Piaj-4 (Bulb yield: 19.61 t/ha and BCR: 2.00) showed better yield performance and economic return in beel area.

  Cultivation of short duration mustard variety (BARI Sarisha-14) before boro rice and broadcast (B.) aman rice after boro rice can increase crop productivity as well as cropping intensity in Beel areas of Bangladesh. Future research needs in the aspect.