Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Towards Development of Early Rabi Crop Establishment Techniques: Performance of Wheat Under Different Tillage and Irrigation Conditions in the Coastal Region of Bangladesh

M Khairul Islam
Department of Irrigation and Water Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Khalid Mahmud
Department of Irrigation and Water Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Nefaur Rahman
Department of Irrigation and Water Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Manoranjan K Mondal
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Late crop establishment is a major problem for successful harvest of rabi crops in saline coastal zone of Bangladesh. Identification of appropriate crop establishment techniques is also important to overcome the problem. Because selection of proper crop establishment method is the first step towards earlier establishment of rabi crops. An experiment was conducted during December 2013 to May 2014 at Kismat Fultola village in Khulna district to identify appropriate crop establishment techniques for early establishment of wheat. Crop establishment methods tested were- C₁: seeds sown after row-spading at soil moisture in between saturation and field capacity, C₂: seeds sown in furrows at soil moisture in between saturation and field capacity, and C₃: seeds sown on the surface of saturated soil with straw mulch. There were three irrigation regimes- I₁ = No irrigation (rainfed), I₂ = One irrigation at 15–20 days after emergence (DAE), I₃ = Two irrigation at soil suction values of 50 kPa and 70–90 kPa, respectively at 37.5 cm soil depth. Early planting of wheat was 9 December 2013. The establishment techniques and planting dates showed different degrees of influence on the crops. The highest grain yield was obtained in C₃ (1.44 t ha^-1) and the lowest was found in C₁ (1.15 t ha^-1). In case of irrigation treatments, the grain yield in I₃ (1.49 t ha^-1) and I₂ (1.35 t ha^-1) was significantly higher than that in I₁ (1.04 t ha^-1). The highest yield (1.49 t ha^-1) was obtained from the two irrigation and straw mulch treated plot, even though the yield was less compared to standard wheat yield in that region (2.0–3.0 t ha^-1). This is because of less plant density due to uneven germination, damage/death of plants after germination and possibly leaching of the top-dressed nitrogen fertilizer out of root zone through cracks. The results demonstrate that early establishment of rabi crops in the coastal region is possible, which is highly desirable for improving food security and livelihoods of the climate-vulnerable coastal communities of Bangladesh.

Keywords: Sowing date, Planting method, Irrigation, Growth, Development, Wheat

Location: Kismat - fultola village in Batiaghata upazila under Khulna District

Start Date: 00-12-2013

End Date: 00-05-2014

Program Area: Crop-Soil-Water Management

Commodity: Irrigation scheduling, Wheat

Objectives:

To test the impacts of different tillage management practices and different irrigation scheduling towards early establishing of wheat cultivation in the coastal saline soils.

Methodology:

The study was conducted during December 2013 to May 2014 in Polder 30 at Kismat - fultola village (22.7263°N, 89.5163°E) in Batiaghata upazila under Khulna district of the south - west coastal zone of Bangladesh to test the performance of wheat under three crop establishment and three irrigation methods in a split plot design, with six replications. Main plots: Crop establishment method: C₁ = Seeds sown after tillage of the seed row using a spade (5 cm wide strips); C₂ = Seeds sown in furrows made using a hand kota (local name); and C₃ = Seeds sown on the saturated soil surface with 2.5 t ha^-1 (5 cm) straw mulch (zero tillage). Sub – plots: Irrigation scheduling: I₁= No irrigation (rainfed); I₂ = One irrigation at 15 – 20 days after emergence (DAE); and I₃ = First irrigation when soil tension increased to 50 kPa and second irrigation when soil tension was 70 – 90 kPa at 37.5 cm soil depth. The salt and heat tolerant wheat variety BARI Gom25 (growth duration of 110 d) was sown in rows (20 cm spacing, 3 – 4 cm depth) on 9 December 2013 and harvested on 2 April 2014. Seed rate was 125 kg ha^-1. In order to control insect pest (rats) rodenticide was used and in addition protective plastic sheet was used to protect field from rat. The yield attributes and selected agronomic parameters of wheat, such as plant height, total and productive tillers, spike length, filled and unfilled grains per spike, 1000 grain weight and straw yield, were taken five from 1 m² area of each plot, four from four corners and one from the middle of the plot. Grain yield was calculated in t/ha considering the harvest of whole plot (30 m²). Plant height of wheat was measured at fifteen days interval in every subplot. Soil moisture, rainfall and evaporation monitoring and Irrigation water monitoring was done regularly. The experiment laid in split plot design to test the performance of wheat under different management practices in coastal saline soil having a total experimental area of 50m × 60m. The data were analyzed for significance of difference among the means with 5% level of significance using the Statistical Tool for Agricultural Research (STAR) software (STAR 2014).

Source of Information: Fundamental and Applied Agriculture, 2016, 1(1): 1-6, ISSN: 2415-4474

Article Link (Online Journal): http://www.f2ffoundation.org/faa/category/2016/volume-1-issue-1/

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Along with the early sowing date combination of mulching and two or more irrigation seem to be the best combination for obtaining good yield and safe harvest of wheat in the coastal saline soil. This study concludes that early establishment of rabi crops in coastal region is possible which can easily save crops from the natural calamities that is a great problem for existing cultivation practices. Furthermore, high yielding and high value crops (wheat, mungbean, and sunflower) may be a good option instead of low yielding traditional rabi crops which is highly desirable for improving food security and livelihoods of the climate - vulnerable coastal communities of Bangladesh. Further study needs to be conducted for evaluating the appropriate sowing dates of rabi crops in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Cost - benefit analysis needs to be performed, and social acceptance of these changes needs to be further studied. In addition to this, study is needed to be designed on different mulching including living mulch not only to reduce soil cracking and soil salinity, but also to conserve soil moisture for better growth and development of rabi crops in the coastal zone of Bangladesh.

Knowledge Management: Journal