Recent Research Thrust Addressing Climate Change and how far Agronomists can do?
Agronomy Division, Regional Agricultural Research Station
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, 2010a). 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. 2010a) and wheat line (BAW 923, BAW 923-4, BAW 923/ BAW 824 and BAW 1138) (Aziz, 2010b) 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, 2010b ; Mian and Islam, 2010b). BARI Seam 3, BARI Tomato 3, BARI Tomato 4,
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
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, 2010c). BARI Mung 5 performed better after harvest of mustard against T.aman –fallow-fallow pattern (Aziz, 2010c). 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, 2010b).
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
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, 2010a 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
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
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Singh U S, M A
