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Conservation Agriculture Options for a Rice-maize Cropping Systems in Bangladesh

AKM Saiful Islam
Principal Scientific Officer
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh.

M M Hossain
Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

M A Saleque
Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Over the last two decades, Rice (Oryza sativa L.)-Maize (Zea mays L.) cropping systems have become one of the most dominant cropping systems in Bangladesh. This has coincided with the expansion in use of two-wheel tractors, which has facilitated options for minimum tillage. A three-year trial examined the prospects of conservation agriculture practices for Rice-Maize cropping in Bangladesh, with respect to minimum tillage and residue retention. Main plot tillage treatments of conventional full tillage, single pass wet tillage in rice (rotated with zero tillage in maize), bed planting and strip tillage were combined with residue retention treatments of 0, 50 and 100% in sub-plots. Compared to conventional tillage, minimum tillage saved 60-66% of fuel and 70-74% of labour required for land preparation. Although minimum tillage reduced the land preparation cost significantly through saving fuel and labour, weed infestation was higher compared to conventional tillage, which influenced the cost of production. Rice seedlings transplanted under unpuddled strip tillage required more time than in conventional or single pass wet tillage due to poor visibility of strips and the hard surface of untilled soil. Bed planting incurred the lowest production cost. Tillage methods and residue treatment produced no significant grain yield differences. Rice grown with single pass wet tillage and maize grown with strip tillage gave the highest gross margin over time. Despite lack of treatment effects on yields, the results suggest that profitability of Rice-Maize cropping could be increased with minimum tillage, provided there is adequate control of weeds by herbicides.

Keywords: Minimum tillage, Residue retention, Transplanting, Weeds

Location: Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, regional station, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-00-2009

End Date: 00-00-2002

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Rice, Maize

Objectives:

To determine the extent to which minimum tillage options combined with crop residue retention affect input requirements, yield and profitability of a Rice-Maize cropping system in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

A field experiment with a Rice-Maize rotation was conducted during 2009-2012 at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, regional station, Rajshahi, Bangladesh (24°69´N and 88°30´E). The soil is classified as High Ganges River Flood Plain - soil type is calcareous dark grey and soil texture sandy loam. Initial bulk density at 0-0.75 m depth was 1.24 Mg m ^-3 at 39.7% gravimetric water content and bulk density at 0.75-1.5 m depth was 1.51 Mg m^-3 at 26.3% gravimetric water content. The soil pH in the experimental field was 7.96 and organic carbon was 7.9 g kg^-1. The soil exchangeable potassium (m equivalent 100 gm soil^-1 ), total nitrogen (%) and available phosphorus (mg gm soil^-1 ) at initiation of the experiment were 0.28, 0.05 and 15.1 respectively. Presents the monthly rainfall and mean maximum and minimum temperatures at the experimental location during the course of the study. The experiment was laid out in a strip plot design with tillage options as main plot treatments and crop residue retention in subplots, with three replications, to explore the interaction between tillage and residue retention. The tillage treatments were: puddled conventional tillage for rice and maize (CT), puddled single pass wet tillage for rice and zero tillage (ZT) for maize (SPWT), unpuddled bed planting (BP) for rice and dry BP for maize (BP), unpuddled strip tillage (ST) for rice and dry ST for maize (ST). The crop residue retention treatements in subplots were 100% (CR100), 50% (CR50) and 0% (CR0). Subplot size was 8.5 × 8 m. There was a 1 m wide trench between blocks to allow irrigation water flow. For rice cultivation, CT consisted of two passes of primary rotary tillage by 2WT, inundating the whole plot after two days and puddling with two passes of rotary tillage. In SPWT, there was one pass of 2WT rotary tillage after inundating the field. ST and BP for rice were done by Multi-crop Planter (VMP) in a single pass operation, but without placing seed and fertilizer, before inundating the field. In maize cultivation, CT consisted of two passes of primary rotary tillage by 2WT and after two days, another two passes of secondary tillage. ZT, BP and ST were done in a single pass operation by VMP. The land in unpuddled plots was fully inundated one day before transplanting of rice seedlings for both puddled (CT and SPWT) and unpuddled (BP and ST) treatments. Seedling spacings were (cm): for CT 25 × 15, SPWT 25 × 15, BP 29 × 15 and ST 20 × 15. Maize seeding was done manually at 60- × 20-cm spacing. Rice variety BR and maize variety NK40 were grown. presents the transplanting dates, rice seedling age, maize seed sowing and harvesting dates of both the crops. As per treatment sequence, previous crop residue was spread in between rows of rice and maize at 20 days after transplanting/seeding. Residue treatments began after the first rice crop.

Source of Information: Bangladesh Rice J. 18(1&2): 44-53, 2014

Article Link (Online Journal): http://www.banglajol.info/index.php/BRJ/article/view/23002/15837

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Rice and maize yield did not differ significantly among various tillage and residue retention treatments during study period. Minimum tillage (SPWT, ZT, BP and ST) with residue retention saved fuel (38-61%) and labour (39-73%) in Rice-Maize cropping systems. Although no yield advantages of minimum tillage over conventional tillage were apparent in this study, production costs can generally be lowered, and profitability increased with minimum tillage, provided there is effective herbicide control of weeds.

Knowledge Management: Journal