Cropping pattern in Barind region changing

RAJSHAHI, Apr 23: Due to change in climatic pattern and an increased menace of drought, flood and cold during the recent years, the practice and mode of agriculture is also being changed in the Barind region of greater Rajshahi district.
According to sources, last year farmers of four Barind districts had incurred a loss of Tk 3.72 billion crop loss due to flood. The loss was mainly due to inundation and damage of standing Aush and T-Aman paddy varieties in flood.
Despite the loss, cultivation of Aush and Aman has been increased in 1,16,231 hectares of land in Rajshahi region with an increase of 3,14,680 tonnes of paddy production during last five years.
Recently, the farmers of Barind region have harvested BRRI-71 paddy which required no ploughing of land because that paddy is produced along with other partner crops.
In new pattern of crop production Aman paddy is being cultivated during the monsoon, oil seed, pulse, wheat and paddy are being produced during Rabi( winter and dry season) season and Aush paddy, Mungbean and jute are being cultivated during the Kharif-1( pre-monsoon) period. The water required for irrigation in the said cultivation pattern was also low (except the monsoon Aman which is cultivated based on rain water).
It is learnt, a paddy named BINA Dhan-7 developed by Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture has opened an immense possibility to ensure food security of the country. BINA Dhan-7 was a shortly harvested high yield variety of paddy. Farmers can reap the paddy within 110 to 115 days of its cultivation. As a result, aftermath of harvesting of the paddy, farmers get opportunity to cultivate potato, mustard, gram, peanut and some other Rabi crop before clearing their field for Boro cultivation.
On the other hand, according to Dr Harun ur Rashid, senior scientific officer of Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Rajshahi office, said BRRI-71 paddy yield was 19 maund per bigha of land. The paddy sapling is transplanted in jute field as relay cropping system. The cost of labour and transplanting was less by Tk 3,000. Moreover, the paddy was harvested ten-day earlier than other conventional varieties and at least Tk 7,000 was saved in cultivation of this variety in total than cultivation of other varieties of rice in a bigha of land.
At the same time, cultivation of irrigation-free pulse has been widely practiced among farmers in Barind area. During last two years, cultivation of lentil has been increased on 4,500 hectares of land. The cultivation of gram, mungbean and Maskalai has also been increased in the region.
Senior scientific officer of Barendra Centre of Agriculture Research Centre Dr Shakhawat Hossain said during last season lentil was produced in 500 bighas of land under Pulse Research Institute. He mentioned, there having scarcity of water in Padma most of the time of the year, the climate of the region is turning harsh. Due to withdrawal of water of the Padma through the Farakka dam for ages, miles long char of sand dunes appeared on the bed of the river drying up all its tributaries and no water is also available in local waterbodies for the same reason.
Dr Chowdhruy Sarowar Jahan Sajal, professor of the Department of Geology and Mining at Rajshahi University, said due to less rainfall, there was an increased pressure on subterranean water for irrigation and thus the underground water level was decreasing year after year threatening the shortage of not only water for irrigation but also of drinking water.
To get rid of such catastrophic situation, farmers of the region were not being inclined to cultivate the drought resistance, less water consuming varieties of crops, said Dr Enamul Haque, project co-coordinator of Preservation Agriculture Project. Farmers under this project are being taught to cultivate various crops which can be produced without cultivation and less or without irrigation. In cultivation of crops under this project, the cost of fuel has been lessened by 80 per cent, labour cost has also been decreased by 30 per cent totalling 50 per cent less cost in production of crops and pulses and the fertility of the land was, on the other hand, was increasing saving the land from erosion.
Not only pattern of cultivation of crops, lentils has been changed in Barind region during the last one decade but aiming at saving water farmers of the Barind region were now growing vegetables like tomato, strawberry, brinjal and other vegetables and in many crop lands where rain fed paddy was only crop round the year have now turned to guava, mango and litchi orchards.
ATM Rafiqul Islam, deputy project manager of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMCA), said the climate change and recurrent natural disasters have poised to become a major threat for food security of Barind region. To save the crops from such disaster, there was no way but to adopt to crop diversification and short termed, less water consuming HYV crops and vegetables in the region. Such initiative will lessen the use of subterranean water for irrigation purposes recharging the underground water reservoirs.
Dr Akram Hossain Chowdhry, chairman of BMDA, Rajshahi, said the subterranean water reservoir was depleting fast due to excessive use of underground water for the purpose of irrigation. To get rid of the situation BMDA has dug 550 wells to recharge rain water underground. Each of the well is 70 to 120 feet deep. Rainwater at first accumulated in the canals and then that goes deep underground through those wells. He also said BMDA was also encouraging farmers to switch to crops, vegetables and fruits which requires less water, less time to grow and less fertiliser and thus increasing soil fertility.

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