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Improving System Productmty and Sustainabiuty in Drought Prone Area Through Resource Conserving Technologies

1. Hossain
Senior Scientific Officer (Agronomy)
Regional Wheat Research Centre, BARl, Rajshahi

1. Hossein
Principal Scientific Officer (Ag. Engineer)
Regional Wheat Research Centre, BARl, Rajshahi

S. Islam
Director (Research)
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur

R. 1. Mandal
Director General
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Joydebpur, Gazipur

J. Lauren
Professor
Cornell University, USA

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A three years study was conducted at the Regional Wheat Research Centre, Rajshahi as drought prone ecosystem to compare the effects of four tillage/straw treatments (300/<) straw retention (SR) + permanent raised bed (PRB), 30% SR +conventional tillage (CT), 0% SR + PRB and 0% SR + CT) and five N levels (0, 40, 80, 100 and 120% of recommend nitrogen) on total productivity of rice-wheat-mungbean system. Permanent beds with straw retention produced the highest productivity for all three crops in the sequence. Within each N rate total system productivity was higher with 30% SR on PRB and least in CT with zero straw retention. At 100% of recommended fertilizer N rate, mean system productivity was 12.5 t/ha for PRB with 30% SR and 10.3 t/ha with CT without straw. The results suggest that N fertilizer rates can be reduced when straw is retained. Water use efficiencies improved 25, 27 and 29% in wheat, rice, and mungbean crops, respectively in 30% SR with PRB system. Resource conserving technology required 119 litres/ha/year fuels compared to conventional method 213 litres/ha/year. PRB systems saved 94 litre/ha/year of costly diesel fuel and produced 44% less emission of CO₂ into the atmosphere.

Keywords: Wheat-Mungbean-Rice system, Productivity, Sustainability

Location: Regional Wheat Research Centre, Rajshahi

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Non-commodity: Adoption of technology

Objectives:

To assess the potential productivity and mitigation of GHG and estimate N uptake and use efficiency by resource conserving technologies in rice-wheat-mungbean system.

Methodology:

The trial involved a three-crop (wheat-mungbean-rice). The experiments consisted of four tillage/straw treatments (30% straw retention (SR) + permanent raised bed (PRB), 30% SR +conventional tillage (CTP), 0% SR + PRB and 0% SR + CTP) and five N levels (0,40, 80, 100 and 120% of recommended nitrogen) with three replication. The width of the beds was 60 cm (furrow to furrow) and the depth of the furrows on average was 12.5 cm. Two rows of wheat (var. Shatabdi) or rice (var. BRRI dhan39) with a spacing of 30 crn were planted by hand transplanting on the beds. Mungbean (var. BARI Mung 6) was sown by the bed former in the furrows between the beds. The mungbean was harvested about 60 days after sowing (DAS). In CTP, wheat, rice and mungbean were planted in 20 cm (row x plant) and 30 cm rows, respectively. A basal dose of P (20, 22 and 26 kg/ha) from triple super phosphate, K (15, 35 and 33 kg/ha) from muriate of potash and S (10, 11 and 20 kg/ha) from gypsum was applied to mungbean, rice and wheat, respectively. In rice the entire amount of PKS was broadcast before transplanting with straw retention for both PRB and CTP. For CTP the fertilizer was broadcast before tillage, as is the usual practice. The recommended rate of N (80 kg/ha for rice, 100 kg/ha for wheat and 20 kg/ha for mungbean) was applied as urea. For mungbean all N was applied before seeding. With CTP rice, N was broadcast, while with beds it was banded on top of the bed between two rows in three equal installments 15, 30 and 45 days after transplanting. With wheat, two-thirds of the N was applied before seeding and the remaining one-third at crown root initiation (CRI) (Zadoks growth stage 1.3). Sufficient irrigation water was applied to fill the furrows between the raised beds. The wheat received three irrigations-at CRI (21.3), booting (Z4.0-4.9) and grain-fill stages (Z8.0-8.9). For rice, irrigation water was applied for CTP with approximately 4 cm of irrigation and then re-irrigation when the soil was near saturation, maintaining this up to grain filling by measuring. For rice irrigation in PRB, water was applied and maintained initially over the beds for 14 days after transplanting to ensure seedling establishment. Thereafter, water was added only to fill the furrows (not over the beds). Generally, both CTP and PRB were irrigated on the same days, but less water was needed to fill the furrows with PRB compared to CTP. Mungbean received pre-sowing irrigation to enhance germination. Chemical weed control in all crops was administered 1 or 2 days before planting through the application of 1.4 kg/ha a. i. glyphosate [N- (phoshonomethy). Manual weed control was done after the first irrigation for wheat, and at 45 days after transplanting for rice. Total system productivity (TSP) was calculated using the method of Tanaka (1983).

Source of Information: Bangladesh Agron. J. 2012, 15 (1): 33-42, ISSN 1013-1922

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Retention of 30% crop residues together with permanent raised bed seeding systems offer an important soil restorative management strategy likely to have a long-term positive impact on soil quality and crop productivity in intensive rice-wheat-mungbean (RWM) cropping systems in Bangladesh. Lignified residual straw and roots added more organic matter and nutrients into the soils under PRB, resulting in increased nutrient uptake by the crops. Crop productivity on permanent beds system with 30% straw retention rose by about 7% for rice, 12% for wheat and 16% for mungbean at 100% N rates over a 3 year cycle of the RWM cropping pattern compared with 0% SR+PRB at the same N rate. When compared with the farmers' conventional tillage practice, crop productivity with PRB improved 50% for rice, wheat and mung bean crops, respectively, at 100% N rates over a 3 year cycle of the RWM cropping pattern. With increasing N up to reducing amount of irrigation water (25, 23 and 29%), diesel saved (94 litre/ha/year) and less CO₂emission (44%).

Knowledge Management: Journal