Plantation of indigenous parija paddy seedlings ends

BSS, Rangpur
The farmers successfully completed plantation of the off season and short duration indigenous parija paddy seedlings today in Rangpur division as an additional Aus crop, officials and experts said.After repeated success in recent years, 3,900 farmers have cultivated the paddy in one bigha land each in total 3,900 bigha land using 19,500 kilogram seeds provided by RDRS Bangladesh along with necessary supports this time, they said.
Of them, 500 farmers have cultivated the crop using 2,500 kg seeds in Rangpur, 400 using 2,200 kg in Gaibandha, 600 using 3,000 kg each in Nilphamari and Thakurgaon, 550 using 2,750 kg each in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram and 350 farmers using 1,750 kg each in Dinajpur and Panchagarh districts.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said the farmers have been showing more interests in cultivation of the off-season and eco-friendly parija paddy in all eight districts of Rangpur division in recent years.
“The short duration paddy can be cultivated in 35 lakh
hectares land area in the country in between harvesting Boro and transplantation of T- Aman seedlings to produce an additional 90 lakh tonnes paddy annually with hampering T-Aman cultivation, he added
He said RDRS Bangladesh has been expanding cultivation of parija as Aus crop during the off season between Boro and Aman cultivations as part of its efforts to adapt with climate change impacts for keeping agri- productions increasing to ensure food security.
Consultant of IRRI Bangladesh Dr MG Neogi told BSS that cultivation of parija paddy requires no supplementary irrigation as its plants grow superbly using seasonal rainfalls ensuring best use of the unused rain waters in May, June and in July months.
He said the paddy can be harvested in only 75 days with 3.5 tonnes average yield per hectare through cultivating during the off season between late May and mid-August when fields remain fallow after Boro harvest and before plantation of T-Aman seedlings.

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