Adoption of the conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies in farm activities has been reducing production costs increasing crop output along with conserving natural resources amid changing climate.
Besides, adoption of the CA-based technologies along with mechanisation of agriculture has been improving environment, ecology, bio-diversity, soil health and fertility bringing huge benefits to the farmers making farm activities more profitable.
According to former Chief Scientific Officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Dr M A Mazid, there is no alternative to adoption of the CA-based technologies to keep crop production increasing amid adverse impacts of climate change.
“Large-scale adoption of the CA-based technologies would become
unavoidable in future to keep food production increasing at reduced costs saving huge underground water, facilitating crop intensification and remunerative markets for products,” he said.
He especially stressed on quicker dissemination of the CA-based
technologies among the farmers with increased subsidies for easier
procurement of necessary machineries, inputs, spare parts and other materials by them to facilitate the process.
Knowledge management and communication specialist of the climate
resilient agriculture and food security project of World Bank Dr MG Neogi narrated various positive features of adoption of the CA-based technologies in farm activities.
He said large-scale adoption of the CA-based technologies at the farmers’ levels would become very effective in reducing farming costs for labours, fuel and irrigation, crop duration and improve fertiliser managements.
“The farmers are already reaping benefits from using CA-based minimum tillage or strip tillage with power-tiller operated seeder machines, direct seeded rice, Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and bed-planting technologies in light texture soil,” he said.
Talking to BSS, Extension Agronomist Anarul Haque at Dinajpur Hub of International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center narrated benefits of the CA-based technologies predicting brighter prospect of these technologies in Bangladesh.
He discussed about the CA-based crop rotation technology in which seed are sowed in minimum, strip or reduced tillage with some crop residue retention on soil surface for better germination in different cropping patterns to reduce unproductive water loss.
Horticulture Specialist Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam of the DAE said
adoption of the CA-based technologies like AWD irrigation method through public- private and GO-NGO collaboration had been expanding satisfactorily in the northern region.
“About two lakh farmers of in five districts under Rangpur agriculture region are using the AWD irrigation technology in cultivating Boro rice on their 86 thousand hectares of land to increase rice output reducing use of irrigation water this season,” he added.
Rangpur Regional Additional Director of the DAE Shah Alam said the
farmers were being provided with necessary training on pesticide, herbicide and fertiliser management for quicker delivery of the CA- based technologies at field levels.
“Adoption of the CA-based technologies has already started showing
positive impacts on farm activities increasing crop production at reduced costs side by side with improving soil health, ecology and environment in the northern region,” he said, reports Bss from Rangpur.
