Farmers reaping benefits of AWD

RANGPUR, May 24 (BSS): The farmers have started reaping benefits of the alternate drying and wetting (ADW) irrigation technology saving vast underground water for irrigation to Boro fields.
The use of ADW is also enhancing rice yield to ensure food security.
Following massive awareness building and technology dissemination activities being conducted by various agriculture-related departments and organisations, the simplest and lowest cost ADW technology is now becoming popular among the farmers.
Thousands of farmers of the northern districts adopted the technology while cultivating Boro rice during this season reducing lifting and use of underground water.
The technology has also increased rice production as well as lowered irrigation cost by up to 30 per cent.
According to the experts, lifting of underground water must be reduced to minimum, as future of agriculture depends on availability of water amid the threat of climate change.
Talking to the news agency, Associate Director (Agriculture) of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa) Dr MA Mazid explained the ADW method and suggested large-scale adoption of the simplest and effective technology to cope with scarcity of irrigation water.
He said adoption of the technology can reduce irrigation by one-fifth, save minimum 30 per cent underground water, 30 litres diesel and electricity in addition to producing 500 kg more Boro rice on per hectare of land.
"Due to climate change impacts, the agriculture sector has been facing severe threat," he added.
The expert also advocated for crop zoning to cultivate more irrigation water consuming crop in the southern zones and less water consuming crop in the drought-prone northern zones.
Consultant of International Rice Research Institute in Bangladesh Dr MG Neogi, an environmentalist, said farmers generally have to use 3,000 to 5,000 litres waters for irrigation to produce one kg of Boro rice, whereas 1,500 to 2,000 litres is needed when ADW are used.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh, Mamunur Rashid said mass adoption of ADW can largely help maintaining ecology, environment and bio-diversity amid climate change.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said that the ADW irrigation technology has been becoming popular among the farmers in the northern districts in the recent years.
"A total of 0.10 million farmers of five districts under Rangpur Agriculture Region (RAR) alone have been benefited by cultivating Boro rice on their 31,120 hectares of land reducing use of irrigation water substantially this season," he added.