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A Study on Farmers' Crop Management Practices and Opportunities for Drought Alleviation in Rainfed Lowland Rice Systems

Abul Fazal M. Saleh
Professor
Institute of Flood Control and Drainage Research, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Rainfed agriculture is characterized by uncertainty in amount, frequency and duration of rainfall. The farmers are well aware of these limitations and have, over the years, managed their cropping practices so as to minimize the yield losses. Field experiments and farmers' survey were carried out in the rain fed lowland rice systems of Northwest Bangladesh, in order to understand the present farming practices and the opportunities for drought alleviation. It was evident from the study that the traditional transplanted rice technology has failed to alleviate the droughts that occur during the crop growth period. Rainfall probability analysis has shown that the water availability from rainfall is only about 78% in an average year and drops down to about 50% during the dry years. Opportunities for technological interventions for drought alleviation, like water harvesting through on-farm reservoirs and dry seeded rice, have been explored. Because of physical limitations, the water harvesting technology has been neither suitable nor acceptable to the farmers. But, the dry seeded rice has proved to be superior over the traditional transplanted rice in mitigating the droughts. If dry seeded, the water availability from rainfall is nearly 100% in an average year and nearly 90%, even in the dry years. The agronomic and socio-economic issues that affect tile wider adoption of the dry seeding technology by the farmers need further research.

Keywords: Crop management, Drought, Fainfed, Rice

Location: Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-00-1994

End Date: 00-00-1998

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Non-commodity: Drought

Objectives:

To gain qualitative information on farmers' practices in crop establishment, crop management and production limitations, and
To collect quantitative information on timings of farming activities, input use and productivity of crops.

Methodology:

The study was carried out during the five Aman (monsoon) seasons of 1994-98: two seasons (1994-95) at Godagari and three seasons (1996-98) each at Magura and Pangsha. The study was focused on understanding the crop production practices of rainfed farmers of three different agro-hydrologic zones, without any interference or intervention on cropping systems or crop production practices. The objectives behind this approach were to find answers to- what the farmers do? Why they do it? How they do it? And, the successes and failures of their endeavors. The crop production practices of 50 randomly selected farmers in each of the three study sites were surveyed during the study period using a pre-designed 'questionnaire in order (a) to gain qualitative information on farmers' practices in crop establishment, crop management and production limitations, and (b) to collect quantitative information on timings of farming activities, input use and productivity of crops. For quantitative analysis of the field water status and crop water use, 30 farms were closely monitored in each of three sites by installing 100 cm long PYC tubes (50 cm perforated), 20 cm above and the rest below the ground surface. Water level readings in the PYC tubes (standing or perched water table) were taken every day. Changes in the standing water levels during rainless days were used in order to estimate the seepage and percolation (S&P) loss from the rice fields. Daily rainfall data were measured by installing rain gauges at the study sites and pan evaporation data were taken from nearby weather stations (Godagari, Magura and Pangsha). For the analyses of rainfall, long term rainfall data (1963-95) of Godagari, Magura and Pangsha were collected from Bangladesh Water Development Board. The rainfall probability analysis was carried out with long term rainfall data by using the Gamma distribution. The water availability from rainfalI during the crop growth season was determined by using the concept of relative water supply (RWS), which is defined as the ratio of supply of water to the demand by the crop (Levine, 1982). Thus, the RWS for a given period t can be written as: RWSt = Rt/(ET+S&P)t where, R is the rainfall and ET is the crop evapotranspiration at time t. A RWS value greater than 1 indicates that the supply is adequate, where as, a value less than 1 indicates deficit or drought.

Source of Information: Proceedings of Iriternational Conference on Integrated Water Resources Management for Sustainable Development, 19 - 21 December, 2000, New Delhi, India, ICIWRM - 2000

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The uncertainty and variability of rainfall have been the dominant variables that influence the productivity in the rain fed lowland rice systems. Although the farmers have accepted these realities and have tried to adjust their farming activities in order to mitigate their effects, technological interventions are imperative for achieving sustainable yields in the future. As a floodplain country, water harvesting through on-farm reservoirs has some physical limitations for wider adoption of the technology in Bangladesh. But, dry seeding technology has the potential for alleviation of droughts. Because of earlier crop establishment, lower water requirement for land preparation and effective use of the monsoon rains in the early part of the season, the dry seeding technology has much higher RWS values compared to the traditional transplanted rice. Studies on the effective transfer of the dry seeding technology to the farmers are now necessary for improving the crop productivity in rainfed lowland rice systems.

Knowledge Management: Report/Proceedings