Strategies for Cropping System Intensification in a Moderately Saline Region of the Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

Sanjida P. Ritu, M. K. Mondal, T. P. Tuong,

S. U. Talukdar, E. Humphreys

Contents

Background

Hypothesis and objectives

Methodology

Results

Conclusion

Recommendation

Study Site: Polder 30, Batiaghata, Khulna, in the southwest coastal zone of Bangladesh

Study

site

Background

Cropping intensity low

Farmers are poorer

Increase cropping intensity and crop yield

will improve livelihood of farmers the coastal areas.

0

100

200

300

400

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Rain

fall/E

vap

ora

tio

n (

mm

)

Rainfall-LT

Rainfall 0.8 p

Evaporation-LT

Long term Rainfall and evaporation pattern in Khulna district

Lack of fresh water availability and salinity intrusion restricts Dry Season crop cultivation

Traditional Rice

River water salinity of river kazibacha in in Khulna district

Proposed Cropping Pattern (aus-aman)

Jan Dec Nov Oct Sep Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan Dec

Rainfall Irrigation (GW)

HYV aman HYV aus Dry seeding = 8-9 t/ha/yr

Use of ground water for supplementary irrigation will secure aus crop establishment

Hypothesis

a. Replace traditional aman with HYV

b. Short duration HYV in aus season

• HYV aus -HYV aman cropping system

aus –aman cropping pattern

Three years (2006-2008)

• aus-aman system yield ~8 t/ha/year

• dry seeded aus established under three water management

scenarios and three seeding dates

• rainfall at beginning of rainy season varied greatly across years, affecting aus establishment & performance

• dry seeded aus in late April gave good establishment, but

may lead to late planting of aman, reducing yield of photosensitive varieties

Hypothesis for 2009 experiment

(based on 2006-08 findings)

• Late planting (early May) of aus will give good establishment

• Transplanting is less risky than direct seeding

• photo-insensitive varieties will perform better than

sensitive because of delayed establishment due to late planting of aus

Objectives aus-aman 2009

To determine the effect of establishment method on aus yield with delayed seeding

To compare performance of photoperiod sensitive & insensitive aman varieties in aus-aman system for different planting dates

Treatments (Aus)

One variety- OM1490 (~ 110 day growth duration)

Main-plot: Establishment method

M1= Dry seeded

M2= Transplanted

Sub-plot: Aus establishment dates

D1= 30 April (26 May)

D2= 10 May (6 June)

Design: Strip Plot with 4 replications

Treatments (Aman)

Main-plot: Variety

V1= BR46 (Photo sensitive)

V2= BR49 (Photo insensitive)

Sub-plot: transplanting dates

D1= 5 September (after 1 week of aus harvest)

D2= 11 September

Design: Strip Plot with 4 replications

Aus season 2009

(variety: OM1490)

TP (26 May)

DS (10 May) DS (30 April)

TP (6 June)

Aman season 2009

BR49 11 Sept

BR46 5 Sept

Grain yield (kg/ha) aus 2009

Grain yield (kg/ha) aman 2009

Yield of aus-aman system 2009

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

30-Apr 11-May 30-Apr 11-May

OM1490 DS in aus OM 1490 TP in aus

Gra

in y

ield

(kg

ha-1

ye

ar-1

)

Establishment method and date

BR46 BR49NS

• aus can be dry-seeded up to early-May but transplanting should not delay later than end of April

• Photo-insensitive aman variety performed better planting until early September

• Short duration aus-photo-insensitive aman yield > 9 t/ha/year

Conclusion

• More/all farmers need to adopt the system for successful implementation

• More germplasm need to develop for increasing the total system productivity rather individual crop season.

Recommendations

Thank you

Acknowledgement:

Financial and technical assistance from CPWF phase1 (PN #10)