Conservation Agriculture for Rice-Based Intensive Cropping by Smallholders in the Eastern Gangetic Plain

Richard W. Bell, Md. Enamul Haque, M. Jahiruddin, Md. Moshiur Rahman, Mahfuza Begum, M. A. Monayem Miah, Md. Ariful Islam, Md. Anwar Hossen, Nazmus Salahin, Taslima Zahan, Mohammad Mobarak Hossain, Md. Khairul Alam and Mir Nurul Hasan Mahmud
Additional contact information
Richard W. Bell: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South St, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
Md. Enamul Haque: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, South St, Murdoch WA 6150, Australia
M. Jahiruddin: Department of Soil Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Md. Moshiur Rahman: Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Mahfuza Begum: Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
M. A. Monayem Miah: Agricultural Economics Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Md. Ariful Islam: Pulses Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Ishurdi, Pabna 6620, Bangladesh
Md. Anwar Hossen: FMPHT Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Nazmus Salahin: Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Taslima Zahan: On-farm Research Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Mohammad Mobarak Hossain: Rice Breeding Platform (Breeding for Favorable Environment), International Rice Research Institute, Metro Manila 1301, The Philippines
Md. Khairul Alam: Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Mir Nurul Hasan Mahmud: Irrigation and Water Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh

Agriculture, 2018, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: We review the recent development of Conservation Agriculture (CA) for rice-based smallholder farms in the Eastern Gangetic Plain (EGP) and the underpinning research on agronomy, weed control, soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions being tested to accelerate its adoption in Bangladesh. The studies are based mostly on minimum soil disturbance planting in strip planting (SP) mode, using the Versatile Multi-crop Planter (VMP), powered by a two-wheel tractor (2WT). One-pass SP with the VMP decreased fuel costs for crop establishment by up to 85% and labour requirements by up to 50%. We developed strip-based non-puddled rice ( Oryza sativa ) transplanting (NPT) in minimally-disturbed soil and found that rice grain yield increased (by up to 12%) in longer-term practice of CA. On farms, 75% of NPT crops increased gross margin. For non-rice crops, relative yield increases ranged from 28% for lentil ( Lens culinaris ) to 6% for wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) on farms that adopted CA planting. Equivalent profit increases were from 47% for lentil to 560% for mustard ( Brassica juncea ). Moreover, VMP and CA adopting farms saved 34% of labour costs and lowered total cost by up to 10% for production of lentil, mustard, maize ( Zea mays ) and wheat. Effective weed control was obtained from the use of a range of pre-emergent and post-emergence herbicides and retention of increased crop residue. In summary, a substantial body of research has demonstrated the benefits of CA and mechanized planting for cost savings, yield increases in many cases, increased profit in most cases and substantial labour saving. Improvement in soil quality has been demonstrated in long-term experiments together with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Keywords: crop establishment; crop residue retention; fuel use; minimal soil disturbance; planter; non-puddled rice transplanting; strip planting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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