Effect of tillage and residue retention on maize productivity

In Bangladesh, maize is generally sown after extensive tilth and minimum residue retention. Conservation agriculture (CA) systems reduce the input costs, machinery use, CO2 emissions; and improve soil health (Raper et al., 1994). Crop residues are known to affect soil physical properties (Hulugalle et al., 1986), availability of nutrients (Wade and Sanchez, 1983; Asghar et al., 2006) and soil biological activity (Tian et al., 1993). Crop residue retention has been suggested to improve overall soil fertility and to support sustainable crop production. Crop residue retention under no tillage system reduce soil erosion, increase soil organic matter (SOM), and reduce requirement of labour and fuel under cereal grain and row crop culture (Salinas-Garcia et al., 1997). Kumar and Goh (2000) reported that incorporation of crop residues is essential for sustaining soil productivity through replenishing SOM that not only a key indicator of soil quality, but it also supplies essential nutrients upon mineralization (N, P, and S) and improves soil physical, chemical, and biological properties (Kumar et al., 2001). In our country, the crop residue is used mostly for cattle feed (Saadullah et al., 1991), fuel for stove and some cases burning. It is essential to estimate the amount of crop residue that should be retained in field to get the benefits. Therefore, the present research investigated to find out the minimum tillage with residue retention could be an effective element for maize production

Introduction of emergency contraception in Bangladesh: Using operations research for policy decisions

The Directorate of Family Planning, Bangladesh, the Population Council, Pathfinder International, and John Snow Incorporated collaborated to conduct this operations research study to assess the acceptability and feasibility of providing emergency contraception pills (ECP) as a backup support to existing family planning methods. The study demonstrated that all categories of health providers, including NGO outreach workers, could be effectively trained to provide ECP services. The study also demonstrated high acceptability of ECP and revealed that if used correctly, the success rate in avoiding unwanted pregnancy was extremely high. The positive findings of the study have helped the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh, to approve introduction of ECP in the National Family Planning Program. The present study thus also serves as a good demonstration of how operations research can contribute in policy decisions and how research findings can be translated into action

Mechanical weed control by Versatile Multi-Crop Planter in strip-planted wheat

Non-control of weeds will reduce wheat grain yield significantly (Sing et al., 2015). In Bangladesh, farmers use 2-6 tillage passes by 2-wheel tractor (2WT) to control pre-plant weeds and prepare the land to sow the seeds. Minimum soil disturbance is one of the key principles of conservation agriculture (CA). However, minimum soil disturbance planting systems could enhance weed infestation (Sing et al., 2015) if pre-plant weeds are not controlled properly. Although the use of herbicide is increasing quite rapidly in Bangladesh (Hossain, 2015), the use of non-selective herbicide (e.g., glyphosate) to control pre-plant weeds is limited due to higher price of glyphosate and non-availability at farmers' level. The Versatile Multi-crop Planter (VMP) (Haque et al., 2011) performs strip planting of various crop seeds and application of fertilizer in lines, and covering seeds simultaneously in a single pass operation. To manage pre-plant weeds in the field, the rotary shaft of VMP was redesigned with small blades attached between strips to cut the existing weeds while sowing seeds in the field. To evaluate the performance of the VMP for controlling pre-plant weeds in wheat crops, experiments were conducted at Rajbari, Rajshahi, and Thakurgaon districts of Bangladesh during 2015-16

Transplanting rice seedling in dry strip-tilled soil: A strategy to minimize soil disturbance during non-puddled transplanting

Continuation of soil puddling for rice transplanting will negate the benefits of conservation agriculture (CA) particularly minimum soil disturbing in other crops in the rotation as is reported for the rice–wheat system (Singh et al., 2011). Although, development of non-puddled transplanting of rice with minimum soil disturbance methods has created the opportunity to adopt CA in rice-based cropping systems (Haque et. al., 2016), critics suggest that during transplanting of rice seedling, significant soil disturbance has occurred in non-puddled field due to foot-steps or wheel traffic of the transplanter. To minimize the soil disturbance during transplanting rice seedling in non-puddled condition, two experiments were conducted at Durgapur and Godagari upazila of Rajshahi, Bangladesh during the boro rice season of 2016

On-farm performance of non-puddled Boro and Aman season rice

Continuation of soil puddling for rice transplanting will negate the benefits of minimum soil disturbance practiced in other crops in the rotation (e.g. see Singh et al. (2011) for rice–wheat system). Generally, the methodology of non-puddled transplanting of rice seedlings is the same as for puddled transplanting except for the absence of soil puddling (Haque et al., 2016). Several hundreds of farmers have adopted non-puddled rice cultivation methods where the technologies were demonstrated earlier in Bangladesh. However, the acceptance and profitability of the technology when managed by farmers was not well understood. The aim of the present study was to understand acceptance and profitability of farmers managed non-puddled transplanted rice

Effects of inundation period and tillage option on field performance of self-propelled rice transplanter

Mechanized transplanting of rice could decrease costs and use of labor in the peak of transplanting periods. Self-propelled rice transplanter requires an ideal field condition as well as optimal inundation of non-puddled soil before transplanting. Hence, self-propelled rice transplanters (four rows walking type, model DP480 except clay loam soil during the Boro season in 2013-2014 where six rows riding type rice transplanter, model S3-680) was evaluated in clay loam, loam and sandy loam soil during the irrigated dry season (Boro) in 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. Tillage treatments in a strip plot design were stripped, zero and conventional tillage and irrigation treatments as inundation periods before transplanting as sub-plots were 12, 18 and 24 hours (hrs). Soil penetration resistance decreased with the increased of inundation period in both the seasons and three soil types. Field capacity of both the walking (0.11 to 0.14 ha hr-1) and the riding type rice transplanter (0.21 to 0.22 ha hr-1) had not varied significantly with the tillage options. Averaged of two seasons, strip tillage gave higher field capacity for 12 hrs inundation period in clay loam soil and 18 hrs inundation period in loam and sandy loam soil whereas zero and conventional tillage gave higher for 24, 18 and 24 hrs inundation period and 18, 12 and 18 hrs inundation period in clay loam, loam and sandy loam soil, respectively. The non-puddled strip and zero tillage reduced fuel consumption by 22% to 13% and 8% to 13% for transplanting in clay loam and sandy loam soil compared to conventional tillage, respectively. However, strip tillage reduced the percentage of missing hills (9.7%) compared to zero (13.0%) and conventional tillage (10.7%) while percentage of missing hills, averaged of two seasons and three soil types, decreased 13.7% to 9.2% with the increased of inundation periods 12 to 24 hrs. The highest percentage of picker missing hills was observed in zero tillage irrespective of seasons and soil types. However, zero tillage also gave higher percentage of damage hills compared to conventional and strip tillage. Floating hills decreased with the increased of inundation periods in non-puddled strip and zero tillage. Conventional tillage increased the buried hills significantly in both the seasons. Strip tillage gave higher grain yield compared to zero and conventional tillage in both the seasons except clay loam soil during the Boro season in 2012-13 where zero tillage gave a higher grain yield. However, 18 hrs inundation periods for strip (6.1 t ha-1), 24 hrs for zero (6.0 t ha-1) and conventional (5.9 t ha-1) tillage gave the highest grain yields. Finally, it can be stated that non-puddled minimum tillage (strip and zero) is a resource saving technique while 18 hrs inundation prior to transplant for strip and 24 hrs inundation for zero tillage showed more benefited for rice production

Comparative levels of soil disturbance under reduced and minimum tillage types with two-wheel tractor planting operations

Minimum soil disturbance is one of the key principles of conservation agriculture (CA). However, little is known about levels of soil disturbance caused by 2-wheel tractor (2WT) -based planters being used in small farms to practice CA (Haque et. al., 2013). Several types of single pass minimum soil disturbance are being used to establish crops in Bangladesh. To quantify the impact of various tillage types on soil disturbance, breakage of soil aggregates, and operational cost, a study was carried out during 2015 at two long-term CA sites at Godagari upazila, Rajshahi; and Baliakandi upazila, Rajbari. The aim was to determine which forms of planting involve minimum soil disturbance according to the requirements of CA

Growth and yield of recently release wheat varieties under raised bed system in drought prone areas

In Bangladesh, the cereal, pulse and other crops have traditionally been planted after 3-4 ploughing operations followed by laddering which is slow, laborious, time consuming and also costly (Singh et al. 2003 and Timsina et al. 2001). Added to this is the increasing labor shortage especially in the peak period. Raised bed planting reduce production cost, save labor and water increases input efficiency, increases yields (Witt et al.2000). This experiment was undertaken to select the best genotypes bed planting and to determine their growth characteristics under this system

Improving soil and crop productivity through resource conservation technologies in drought prone area

Resource conserving technologies (RCTs) enhance input use efficiency and provide immediate identifiable and demonstrate economic benefits such as reduction of production costs, savings in water, fuel and labor requirements and timely establishment of crops resulting in improve yields. Rice is transplanted in flat fields that are typically ponded for long periods that negatively affect soil properties for the non-puddled crop (Kumar et al. 2000). Wheat is then planted in structurally disturbed soils, often after many tillage operations to prepare the seedbed. Growing crops on the raised beds offers more effective control of irrigation water and drainage management. Permanent raised beds might offer significant advantages for crop yields and be further increased by using residue retention (Sayre et al. 2005). Yields of rice and wheat in heat and water-stressed environments can be raised significantly by adopting RCTs, which minimize unfavorable environmental impacts, especially in small and medium-scale farms. Inclusion of grain legumes in rice-wheat cropping system may be another option for increasing cropping intensity, soil fertility and productivity. Limon-Ortega et al. (2000) observed that permanent beds with straw retention had the highest wheat grain yields with positive implications for soil health. Thus, crop residue management along raised bed strategies, are likely to be key components of increase crop productivity and soil fertility in rice-wheat system

Development and validation of unpuddled riding-type rice transplanter for wet land rice establishment

Manual transplanting is tedious and time consuming which often the causes of delayed planting resulting yield loss of rice in Bangladesh. Mechanized rice transplanting is seen as a solution of labor problems. Likewise, using mechanized rice transplanting ensures uniform plant spacing as well as fast and efficient planting that contributes to high productivity (Manjunatha et al., 2009). Transplanters have been developed for rice seedling planting into puddled soils to alleviate labour shortages and reduce costs of rice establishment (Adhikari et al., 2006). Although, tillage for rice establishment has significantly mechanized in Bangladesh, 16-18 % of total production cost are involved in tillage and land leveling (BRRI, 2013). Development of a rice transplanter suitable for unpuddled transplanting under minimum tillage conditions could further minimize the land preparation cost, which will be of interest to the farmers. No significant work to date has been conducted in Bangladesh to develop a rice transplanter for minimum tillage unpuddled soil conditions. Therefore, the following development and validation study was conducted during 2013-15 with modifying and evaluating a riding-type, 6-row mechanical rice transplanter for unpuddled soil conditions