M. Abdul Aziz
Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ishurdi, Pabna, Bangladesh
M. Matiur Rahman
Regional Agricultural Research Station, Ishurdi, Pabna, Bangladesh
Possibilities, Mung Bean, Black Gram, Minimum-Tillage
Resource Development and Management
Pulses, Minimum tillage
Experiments were conducted during 1985/88 at RARS, Ishurdi, The results are discussed below:
1. Seed rate and potential of mung bean as a relay crop with aus rice: This trial was conducted to study the feasibility of growing mung bean as a relay crop with aus rice and to determine the appropriate method and seed rate. A factorial experiment was conducted during 1985 and 1987 with 3 replications with 3 seed rates (20, 40, and 60 kg ha-1) and 3 sowing conditions, i.e., sowing as a relay crop 15 days before aus-rice harvest (M1 ), sowing after harvest of aus rice leaving 20-cm stubbles above the ground level (M2 ), and sowing after harvest of aus rice to the ground level (M3 ). The results indicate that there were no significant differences in yield and its components with different seed rates or methods of sowing in either year ( BARI 1987).
2. Effect of different levels of tillage on the yield of mung bean and black gram after B. aus rice: The experiment was conducted to evaluate the profitability/ acceptability of minimum tillage compared to conventional tillage. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used to test no tillage (aus rice harvested to the ground level), reduced tillage 1 (1 ploughing +1 laddering), reduced tillage (2 ploughings + 2 ladderings), and conventional tillage (3 ploughings + 2 ladderings) during the late monsoon season (kharif II) of 1985 and 1987.
The results showed no significant differences in yield and yield-contributing characters for different levels of tillage in either year in both crops (B A R I 1987). The maximum cost-benefit ratio was obtained from no-tillage in both crops during both years and the lowest from conventional tillage. It was found that increasing the number of ploughings added to the total variable cost and decreased the net return as well as the cost-benefit ratio. No-tillage gave medium returns but poses the problem of free grazing of cattle, therefore one ploughing is recommended under minimum tillage conditions to overcome the problem.
3. Growing mung bean and black gram in the aus rice mung bean/black gram-postrainy season cropping pattern against the existing cropping pattern of aus-fallow-postrainy season crop: One of the major cropping patterns in the northern districts is aus rice-fallow-postrainy season crop. Farmers usually keep the land fallow for about 80 to 90 days after harvest of aus rice, till the end of October. Mung bean and black gram may be introduced as catch crops in this pattern during the late monsoon season to utilize the non-crop period.
Six cropping patterns (F1) were tested at Ishurdi during 1987 and 1988 against the existing cropping patterns (F) ( BARI 1988, 1989). Aus rice was cultivated using farmers' practice; after harvesting of aus rice to the ground level mung bean and black gram were sown under minimum-tillage conditions and three postrainy-season crops viz., wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), mustard (Brassica campestris L.), and lentil {Lens culinaris Medic), were grown after mung bean and black gram. Recommended management practices were adopted for postrainy-season crops and the cost-benefit analysis was done on the basis of the whole pattern.
Advances in Pulses Research in Bangladesh Proceedings of the Second National Workshop on Pulses 6-8 Jun 1989 Joydebpur, Bangladesh
Report/Proceedings