Basanta K Barmon
Department of Economics, East West University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Sanzidur Rahman
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK
Prawn, Fish, Rice, Integrated farming, Food security, Livelihoods promotion, Bangladesh
In Bilpabla, which is located about 7 km west from headquarter of Khulna district, and about 310 km south from the capital Dhaka
Socio-economic and Policy
Performance
3.1 The study areas The present research was conducted in Bilpabla, which is located about 7 km west from headquarter of Khulna district, and about 310 km south from the capital Dhaka. Bilpabla village was selected purposively because it is one of the typical villages in RPG farming. The demographic characteristics of the villages are very similar to other villages where RPG farming is practiced. Also, two year-round modern varieties (YRMV) of rice farming villages were purposively selected. These are Lebubunia and Chanchra village. Lebubunia village was selected purposely because the cropping pattern of Lebubunia was similar to Bilpabla village prior to the RPG farming system. Moreover, Lebubunia is the neighbor of Bilpabla village. The altitude level of rice fields in Lebubunia is slightly higher than the land for RPG farming in Bilpabla village. As a result, the farmers in Lebubunia village cannot convert their rice field into gher farms. The farmers in Lebubunia village mainly grow YRMV rice twice a year. The location of RPG farming (Bilpabla village) and YRMV rice farming (Lebubunia village). Twenty farmers were randomly selected from Lebubunia who mainly practice YRMV rice farming throughout the year.
3.2 The farm surveys Several field surveys were conducted between 2006 and 2007. The first survey was conducted from November to December in 2006. First, a census was conducted in Bilpabla village to collect the general descriptions of RPG farm households. Second, 90 RPG farmers were randomly selected from Bilpabla village and the basic information concerning main inputs and outputs of MV rice and prawn production as well as household income and labor demand was collected. To compare the main inputs and outputs of MV rice production, household income and labor demand of RPG farmers, 100 YRMV rice farmers were also randomly selected from Chanchra village.
3.3 Soil sampling and soil analysis methods In order to assess the impact of RPG farming system on soil quality of MV rice fields, the soil samples were taken from RPG and YRMV rice farming systems. A total of 40 farmers (20 farmers from RPG and 20 from YRMV rice farming) were randomly selected from two study villages. Each of the sampled 20 RPG and YRMV rice farmers belonged to 30 farm plots. Soil samples were collected first at the beginning of rice transplantation and second after harvesting of MV rice of both RPG and YRMV rice farmers of Lebubunia village who produced rice in 2005-06. Soil samples of YRMV rice farming of Chanchra village of Jessore were not collected because of time and resource limitation. Each sample of soil was a mixture of nine sub-samples collected from nine different places of a particular farm plot. The soils were taken at 0-15 cm depth, which represents the cultivated topsoil. After collecting soils, the sample soils were placed in polythene bags and well dried by natural sunshine. After drying, the soils were again placed in polythene and levelled numerically and sealed for transportation to the laboratory for testing. As the present study conducts to explore the impact of RPG farming on soil quality (fertility), therefore, the samples, as well as plots number, were identified with same numerical value at the beginning of rice transplanting and at the harvesting times of MV rice cultivation. Soils were dried in air, grinded, and sieved with 0.5 mm mesh. Some soil chemical properties were analyzed by routine methods; briefly, pH (H2O, 1:2.5), pH(KCl, 1:2.5), EC (1:5), total carbon and nitrogen by the combustion method (C-N analyzer, Sumigraph NC1000), exchangeable cations extracted with ammonium acetate, phosphorus absorption coefficient, available P by the Troug method, hot-water extractable NH4-N and B, available zinc and cupper extracted with 0.1 mol/L HCl and easily reducible Mn.
‘Gher’ farming system of Bangladesh: a win-win strategy for agricultural development? Dr. Sanzidur Rahman, Associate Professor in Rural Development; School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, PL4 8AA
Report/Proceedings