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Enrichment of Homestead Vegetation Through Agroforestry Practices in the Remote Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Sk. Ahiul Islam
Plantation Trial Unit Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Rupatoli, Barisal-8207.

Md. Abdul Quddus Miah
Plantation Trial Unit Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Rupatoli, Barisal-8207.

Md. Ahsan Habib
Plantation Trial Unit Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Rupatoli, Barisal-8207.

Md. Golam Moula
Plantation Trial Unit Division, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Rupatoli, Barisal-8207.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Homestead vegetation is important for social and economic benefits of rural households in Bangladesh. The paper presents the potential role of homestead agroforestry practices through a case study during 2008-2012 at one village of Rangabali island of Patuakhali district and two villages of Char Kukri-Mukri island of Bhola districts. A total of 62 households were selected randomly from three char villages for this study. A total of 19 different tree species (8 timber and 11 fruit species) were planted in both the islands with success of 52 trees/homestead at Rangabali and 54 trees/homestead at Char Kukri-Mukri. The highest survival was found for tamarind (54.0%) followed by guava (52.82%), coconut (52.18%), mango (51.25%), jackfruit (51.25%), betel nut (50.78%) and palmyra palm (40.62%) in Ranagbali. In Char Kukri-Mukri, the highest survival was found for kalo jam (53.80%) followed by betel nut (51.66%), jackfruit (51.33%), coconut (49.66%), tamarind (49.52%), mehogoni (49.12%), guava (47.84%), rain tree (45.45%) and akashmoni (44.0%). In both the study areas, there has been found significant growth and short-term vegetable production that contributes to secure household foods and economic benefits. The study suggests that small-scale agroforestry is increasingly needed for newly settled coastal homesteads for enriching vegetation and improving livelihood capacity of poor farmers.

Keywords: Agroforestry, homesteads, coastal areas, tree species, plantation, Vegetable.

Location: The Plantation Trial Unit (PTU) Division of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) in Char Nazir village at Rangabali island of Patuakhali district and Babuganj and Aminpur villages at Char Kukri-Mukri island of Bhola district.

Start Date: 00-00-2008

End Date: 00-00-2012

Program Area: Farming System

Non-commodity: Income generation

Objectives:

To improve homestead vegetation and economic well being for the poor coastal communities.

Methodology:

The Plantation Trial Unit (PTU) Division of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI) carried out an experiment during 2008-2012 in Char Nazir village at Rangabali island of Patuakhali district and Babuganj and Aminpur villages at Char Kukri-Mukri island of Bhola district. Rangabali is located at latitude 21⁰92´ N and longitude 90⁰45´ E and Char Kukri-Mukri is located at latitude 21⁰85´ N and longitude 90⁰72´ E. The landscape of these areas has been formed through the combined depositions of rivers the Meghna, the Brahmaputra and the Ganges. Soils in the delta consist primarily of the sands, silts, silty sands, sandy silts and clayey silts. The soils of these areas are slightly saline (0.5-9.9 ds/m) and the salinity at this region decreases toward north and increases toward east and west taking Bhola in the centre (Hassan, 1999). Soil pH values varied from 7.5-8.0 and soil organic matter varied between 0.5 and 1.5%. The amount of rainfall varies between 2500-3000 mm at Patuakhali and 3000 mm at Bhola district (Siddiqi and Khan 2004). Socio economic condition of the selected villages is very poor. No school or educational institutions are available in these villages. They do not have facilities of safe drinking water and road infrastructures in the villages also.

A total of 62 homesteads were randomly selected for the study, of which 32 homesteads from Rangabali and 30 homesteads from Char Kukri-Mukri island. Emphasis was given to select the location where the villagers are newly settled in the char lands and having no embankment around the study sites. The age of the settled homesteads varied from 8-10 years only. The surroundings of the homesteads were inundated (flooded) during rainy season and/or high tides due to absence of embankment. In the experiment, mounds of size 10-15m long, 2.0m wide and about 0.5-1.0m height were prepared for planting trees and cultivating vegetables around each homestead. The primary data on size of homestead and diversity of trees were recorded during selection of homesteads. The importance of mound system land use in coastal areas is highly applicable for avoiding inundation risks and diversifying vegetation with non-mangrove plantation and agricultural crops (Nandy et al. 2013).

Seedling of different timber and fruit species were raised in polybag of size 15cm x 10cm filling with sieved soil mixed with cowdung at a ratio 3:1. Coconut seedlings were raised in the nursery bed. Improved varieties of mango and jujube seedlings were purchased from private nursery. Seedlings of timber and fruit species were distributed to the selected farmers for planting on the farmer’s homesteads from 2008-2012. In each year, 5-10 seedlings of each species were distributed to the farmers and planted on the mound or high lands of the homesteads. Sundri (Herietira fomes), a mangrove species were also planted in the ditches or canals adjacent to the homesteads. In each year, vegetable seeds/seedlings of 8-10 different species were also distributed to the farmers for cultivation around homesteads. Financial and technical support was provided for making mounds and scaffolds for planting trees and vegetables. House roofs also used for cultivating some climber vegetables like bean, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, etc. Data on established tree seedlings such as name and number of survived seedlings were recorded from the home gardens in June 2013. Data on vegetable production, family consumption, selling and market value were recorded from each homestead in every year. Microsoft Excel was used to process and analyze the collected data.

Source of Information: BANGLADESH RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS JOURNAL ISSN: 1998-2003, Volume: 11, Issue: 4, Page: 276-283, September - December 2015 Retrieve from http://www.bdresearchpublications.com/admin/journal/upload/1410092/1410092.pdf

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Agroforestry practices in the coastal settings not only act as a source of fruit, timber, fuelwood and vegetable, but also serve as green bio-shield to protect the homesteads against all climatic hazards originated from the Bay of Bengal. The small scale nature promotion of agroforestry in homestead can be considered as one of the major strategies for poverty reduction in the remote coastal areas. Despite the facts, farmers who are practicing agroforestry have small farms; they can contribute to increasing household capacity for avoiding food shortage and malnutrition. Agroforestry can increase home garden with diverse vegetation and conservation of species. In addition, the farmers should be aware and trained with improved management practices of the home gardens. Good quality seed/ seedlings of proven species should be available to the farmers for the development of coastal vegetation. It may be concluded that homestead agroforestry in the remote coastal areas can be practiced with suitable tree and vegetable species for the development of homestead vegetation and improvement of livelihood status of vulnerable poor farmers.

Knowledge Management: Journal