Experts at a farmers’ filed day have stressed on adoption of the Conservation Agriculture (CA)-based technologies for boosting maize production at reduced cost to ensure food security under adverse climate.RDRS Bangladesh, a reputed NGO, jointly with Dinajpur Wheat Research Centre (WRC) organised the event in Jatoraghu village under Mohanpur union in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur on Monday to exhibit benefits of CA-based technologies in maize farming.The NGO along with Dinajpur WRC has been disseminating the technologies to inspire the farmers for mechanisation of agriculture under its Sustainable & Resilient Farming System Intensification (SRFSI) Project in Dinajpur and Rangpur districts.The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has been extending financial assistance and International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) technical cooperation in implementing the project.A total of 155 male and female farmers, local service providers of the CA-based technologies, public representatives, local community leaders,journalists and local elite were preset. Director of Dinajpur WRC Dr Paritosh Kumar Malakar attended the event as the chief guest with Chairman of Mohanpur union parishad Dinesh Chandra Mohanta in the chair.Agriculture Extension Officer of the Department of Agriculture Extension for Dinajpur Arun Chandra Roy, Senior Scientific Officer of Dinajpur WRC Dr Akbar Hossain, Programme Manager (Field Coordination) of RDRS Bangladesh for Dinajpur Tapan Kumar Saha and Project coordinator of SRFSI Project of RDRS Bangladesh Rashedul Islam were present as special guests.Senior Agriculture Officer of the SRFSI Project Anup Kumar Ghosh, its Agriculture Officer Syeda Nazma Parveen, Research Associate Mamunar Rashid,Filed Assistant Raju Chandra Das, President of Mohanpur Union Federation Pronoti Murmu, union parishad member Jahurul Haque and journalist Abed Ali also spoke.Farmers Mohammad Taslim, Abul Kalam and Mohammad Mamunur narrated as how they have cultivated maize adopting the CA-based technologies like bed planting, strip tillage and reduced tillage methods using seeder machines and bed planters.Narrating benefits of cultivating maize adopting these technologies, they hoped for getting more maize output at reduced costs for using less irrigation, farm-labourers and time in cultivation of the cereal crop.The experts narrated the delivered CA-based technologies, including
innovative crop rotation in which crops like maize are planted in minimum, no-till or reduced tillage with some crop residue retention on soil surfaces to reduce unproductive losses of water.The chief guest called for large-scale adoption of the CA-based technologies to increase crop production for ensuring food security making farm activities more profitable also improving soil health, environment and ecology under changing climate.BSS, Rangpur
