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Project Record

Objectives:

Methods to optimise cropping systems by agronomic means developed, tested, piloted and promoted in the SA production system.

Background:

As the population of Bangladesh increases, there is a need to increase food production and security. One way is to increase cropping intensity, especially where irrigation is not available. There is also a need to diversify cropping systems to better meet the dietary requirements of the population and improve soil and crop health. The High Barind Tract (HBT), comprising some 2,200 km2 of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapai Nawabganj Districts in north-western Bangladesh, is a potential area for crop intensification and diversification. The traditional cropping system of the HBT has been transplanted aman rice (t. aman) grown in the rainy (kharif II) season (June/July-Oct/Nov) followed by fallow. Although irrigation from deep tube wells has increased in recent years, allowing some cropping during the winter (rabi) season (e.g. of boro rice and wheat), prospects for further extension of irrigation in the HBT are poor, due to limited availability of ground water and limited re-charge capacity. Progress has been made in introducing rainfed rabi cropping, following harvest of t. aman. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) has been found to be the most successful rabi crop, because of its deep-rooting characteristics and the availability of short-duration varieties that can mature before drought and heat stress limit yields. It is estimated that chickpea has covered around 10,000 ha of the HBT in recent years. Nevertheless, despite increased coverage of irrigation and rainfed rabi cropping, some 55% of the HBT remains fallow after harvest of t. aman. The dependence of a large proportion of the population of the HBT on the cultivation of just one rice crop per year, confines these people to an increasingly severe poverty cycle due to the ever-declining profitability of rice cultivation alone. The expansion of chickpea cultivation in the HBT has assumed increased importance recently due to the decline in chickpea production in the traditional growing regions of Bangladesh (central-west). This decline has been primarily due to the devastation of the crop by botrytis grey mould (BGM), particularly from the 1997/98 season, as well as increased cultivation of irrigated rice and wheat. The resultant scarcity of chickpea grain, along with that of other pulse crops, has caused marked increases in relative prices, pushing the nutritive value of pulses beyond the reach of the poor. To maintain a reasonable supply of chickpea and other pulses, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has to import increasing amounts of pulses. The incidence of BGM is much less in the HBT than elsewhere in Bangladesh, due to its elevation and slightly less humid environment. This makes the HBT a region of high potential for chickpea, provided the major constraints to its cultivation can be alleviated. The major limits to the further expansion of chickpea in the HBT are lack of availability of seed of improved varieties, inadequate farmer knowledge of optimum chickpea cultivation practices, including recently introduced (in the predecessor project) technologies like seed priming, and risk caused by weather variations and pests and diseases. However, the continued cultivation of chickpea on the same land is also not desirable because of the build-up of soil-borne diseases, particularly Fusarium wilt and collar rot (Sclerotium rolfsii). Possible solutions are alternative rabi crops that can rotate with chickpea, and chickpea varieties with increased disease resistance. The development of suitable rabi crops must also be compatible with a maximization of t. aman rice yields. Therefore, improvements in cropping practices need to be done in a cropping systems context, targeted on livelihood improvement of the rice-cultivation-dependent inhabitants of the HBT.

Intended Outputs:

Best-bet technology for chickpea cultivation in a rice-rabi cropping systems context widely demonstrated across the HBT.

Sustainable village-level systems for chickpea seed production, preservation, storage and dissemination developed.

A participatory varietal selection programme for chickpea and t.aman rice in the in the HBT established.

Economically viable alternative rainfed rabi crops to chickpea demonstrated.

Optimum fertilizer requirements for chickpea established, especially with regard to nitrogen (through Rhizobium application) phosphorus and molybdenum.

IPM system for chickpea established, evaluated and demonstrated.

Progress and Impact:

The following were given training in chickpea agronomy:
*21 Department of Extension officers trained in Rajshahi
*135 DAE Block Supervisors from 3 Districts
*600 farmers from 9 Upazilas (sub-districts) were trained and implemented their own plots of 0.13 hectare.

100 seed production plots (0.13 ha) sown.

3 mother trials of chickpea implemented, each with 16 new varieties.

Trials of 14 alternatives to chickpea implemented at 2 sites.

Trials of micronutrient, phosphorus and rhizobium responses implemented at 5 sites.

Multiplication of NPV at 1 site.

2002-2003
*Field days were held in 10 Upazilas across three Districts. 700 farmers and 120 DAE staff participated.
*Yields from 585 demonstration plots were very poor due to late infection by Botrytis Grey Mould (BGM) as a result of highly unseasonal rainfall.
*A baseline survey of chickpea adoption was administered by DAE Block Supervisors.
*A sub-sample of 50 farmers reported continued enthusiasm for chickpea and planned to sow at similar levels despite poor results.

2003-2004
*150 demonstration plots sown in three Districts.

2002-2003
*122 farmers produced 6.5 tonnes of seeds despite the BGM epidemic.

2003-2004
*100 seed production plots sown in three Districts.

2002-2003
*Only two mother trials of chickpea were viable but allowed farmers to appreciate differences between varieties in expression of plant type. Design and implementation was revised for the next season.

2003-2004
*Nine mother trials and 75 baby trials sown in three Districts.
*Mother and baby trials of short-duration rice varieties from India and Nepal sown. Almost all were preferred by farmers over the local varieties available. Preliminary analysis of yield data seem to confirm farmers' estimates.

2002-2003
*Trials of 14 alternatives to chickpea showed that, even in this BGM-affected year, chickpea was the most profitable rabi crop. However, linseed, barley and coriander were also profitable and recognised as such by farmers during field days.

2003-2004
*Five replicated trials of best-bet alternatives (linseed, mustard, coriander, barley and wheat) to chickpea sown.

2002-2003
*There was a large positive response (for both nodulation and yield) to molybdenum added to Barind soils at 3 sites.
*The response to added rhizobium was less clear.
*Trials of chickpea response to phosphorus added to the preceding rice crop were inconclusive.

2003-2004
*Three replicated trials of priming with molybdenum (and rhizobium) sown.

2002-2003
*Use of bird perches, NPV and mixed cropping were all found to be effective in reducing pod borer damage.
*NPV was at least as effective as the best locally available insecticide.
*Village-level production of NPV encountered difficulties with quality control.

2003-2004
*MSc student at Rajshahi University engaged to optimise NPV production protocols.
*Five replicated trials of IPM components sown.

*250 farmer managed chickpea demonstrations were conducted, including 100 following rice the rice x herbicide demonstrations conducted jointly with DFID Project No. R8234.
*In-the-field training for farmers and DAE staff was conducted in management of Botrytis grey mould and chickpea pod borer; farmers could subsequently manage these constraints.
*Follow-up adoption surveys were conducted for all blocks surveyed in the first season as a baseline survey.
*Chickpea was sown after rice in the on-farm evaluation of transplanted vs direct-seeded rice; conducted with Project No. R8234.
*Formal and informal training was provided to farmers and DAE personnel in chickpea seed preservation techniques.
*About 5t chickpea seed was preserved by PROVA, for use and distribution in the 2004-05 season.
*Four dispersed reps of Mother Trials of short duration rice (SDR) lines derived from Nepal were conducted

General Notes:

See also the TECA Records Participatory varietal selection: Improved chickpea for Bangladesh (BARI chola 2, 4, 5 and 7, ICCV 88202 and ICCV 2) and Participatory varietal selection: Rice in Bangladesh (Judi 582, Judi 572, Sugandha 2002, Bahke 3004 and Super 3004).

Publications:

Johansen, C. & Musa, A.M. (2004). Botrytis grey mould of chickpea. An extension pamphlet in Bangla. PROVA, Rajshahi.



Johansen, C. & Musa, A.M. (2004). Pod borer of chickpea. An extension pamphlet in Bangla. PROVA, Rajshahi.



Johansen, C., Musa, A.M., Kumar Rao, J.V.D.K., Harris, D., Ali, M.Y., & Lauren, J.G. (2004). Molybdenum response of chickpea in the High Barind Tract of Bangladesh and in Eastern India. Paper presented at ,Micronutrients in South and South East Asia. An International Workshop on Agricultural Strategies to Reduce Micronutrient Problems in Mountains and Other Marginal Areas in South and South East Asia,, Kathmandu, Nepal, 8-10 September, 2004.



Kumar Rao, J.V.D.K., Harris, D., Johansen, C. & Musa, A.M. (2004). Low cost provision of molybdenum (Mo) to chickpeas grown in acid soils. Poster presentation at the IFA International Symposium on Micronutrients, New Delhi, India , 23-25 Feb 2004.

Associated References:

R7540, R7471