JHENIDAH, Dec 31: Dry seedbed covered with polythene sheets is gaining popularity very fast in Shailkupa upazila in Jhenidah. The success of two farmers using the method as a model in the last Robi season has inspired over two hundred peasants to follow it in three villages here.
Yunuch Ali, a farmer of Siddhi village is one of the two farmers, who prepared dry seedbed last year and became successful.
The grower used 10 kgs of BIRRI 28 Dhan for his dry seedbed. Later he planted the seedlings on one acre of land. He is hopeful of getting good output.
According to sub-assistant agriculture officer Ahammad Ali, over 200 farmers of Siddhi, Bakai and Aguniapara villages of Shailkupa upazila have already adopted 'dry and polythene' method in preparing this Rabi season paddy seedbed.
Firstly, paddy seeds are processed for germination. When they get ready, they are sowed on a piece of dry land where soil is made loose beforehand ploughing four-five times. Then seeds are sown, on the dry bed and slight amount of cow dung fertiliser is spread over it. Little water is sprinkled with hands or any other device.
The seedlings grow under the polythene for 20 to 25 days. Then they are uncovered and allowed to have sunlight and air to be stronger. This way seedlings get fully prepared.
Seedbeds prepared in the traditional method are usually affected by cold injuries, leaving many seedlings dead. However, seedlings grown in the dry method do not die even in severe cold weather coupled with dense fog.
Besides, seedlings in the dry method get only 20 to 25 days in place of 40 to 45 days in the traditional system. Shorter space of time at the seedbed give the seedlings 20 days more to get nourished before they start realising stems. So, more stems provide the farmers with more yields.
Chemical fertiliser is not needed for preparing dry seedbed. As the seedlings remain covered with white polythene, fungus-related diseases are not noticed.
No irrigation is required for dry seedbed. And it can be made in any kind of dry land.
Upazila agriculture officer, Shailkupa, Sanjoy Kumar Kundu said less amount of land is needed for dry seedbed. In the traditional wet seedbed system, 7.0 to10 kgs of seed is sown in one decimal of land. As a result, many seedlings grow and they become weaker. Farmers plant two-three seedlings at a time.
However, in the dry seedbed method, 3.0 kgs of seed is to be sowed in per decimal of land, to let the seedlings grow strong, healthy and nourished. At a time farmers plant one seedling that releases more stems; a better yield is experienced, he added.
Five-leaf seedlings are appropriate for planting in the field; they get strong and nourished enough to provide better yield while harvested. But for development of five-leaf paddy seedlings Tk 20 to Tk 25 days in dry bed system whereas they need 40-45 days in the traditional wet seedbed method, Sanjoy Kundu, further added.
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