Mohammad Younus Ali, Manikganj :
Biochar, of Krishi Bondhu Chula (agricultural friendly stove) is increasing land fertility as well as yield. The use of Biochar increasing day by day in Manikganj. Farmers are getting benefit using it. In addition to preventing environmental pollution, the use of agricultural friendly stove has increased in Manikganj area. The use of this stove has increased especially at Shibalaya Upazila in Manikganj district. The health of the soil is also being protected by using biochar in land which is producing from agricultural friendly stove besides cooking.
Recently, it has been seen that more than five hundred farmers are using carbon enrich biochar or carbon enrich organic fertilizer technology in various crops land including cauliflower, cabbage, mustard, wheat, paddy, potato, onion, garlic, chili and maize. The project is being implemented by Christian Community Development in Bangladesh-CCDB at the field level with the support of ICCO and Kerk in actai.
According to the concerned people, biochar is obtained by burning wood or cow dung and various types of biomass or agri-residues in the agriculture friendly stove which is rich in carbon. The use of these carbon rich biochar in land increases soil fertility and can be cultivated in drought prone areas to adapt the climate change. Biochar neutralizes heavy and toxic metals (heavy metals) in the soil, so that they do not reach the crop with the help of plant roots. As a result, we can get a safe and non-toxic metal free crops. Agriculture friendly stove consumes 30 to 40 percent less fuel and it protects forest resources and maintains the balance of the environment and plays a major role in preventing climate change.
Ranu Begum, a housewife of Dashchira village of Shibalaya upazila in Manikganj district has relied on cooking in agriculture friendly stove. Biochar is made of the coal/charcoal that is produced from the stove. She claims that he has got better yield by using these biochar and carbon enrich organic fertilizer in her potato, gourd and zucchini crops. According to her, she used biochar from the agriculture friendly stove in the crops. It takes less water, less fertilizer, and the crop grows much faster. Many farmers in this area have used Biochar in different kind of crops and vegetables by seeing her. Users say that the use of biochar and carbon enrich organic fertilizer requires less irrigation and chemical fertilizers, increases soil fertility, and increases crop yields, so crop cultivation is increasing day by day with biochar technology.
Al-Amin, a farmer in the same area, said that in the land where I have used biochar enrich organic fertilizer, the onion and chili plants are quite fresh and green, the flowers and chili have appeared early and the daiga is a little thick. On the other side what I do in my opinion (Farmers practice) is that the chili plant is thinner, flowers has fewer and has not yet appeared the chili.
Ajit Kumar, a farmer, said, “If we use biochar, the soil health is good, the fruit is good and the crop is good and fresh. “Talking to other farmers in the area, it is learned that farmers has been cultivated, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mustard, Garlic, wheat this year and yields had better than last year.
The amount of fertilizer is used much less also.
Recently, Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Department of Manikganj District Sajahan Ali Biswas, District Seed Certification Officer Md. Rowson Ali, Agriculture Officer of Shibalaya Upazila Md. Riazur Rahman, Agricultural Extension Officer Md. Zubayer Ahmed, and officials of CCDB’s Biochar Project visited the production of Biochar from agriculture friendly stove and demo plot of Ulail, Daschira, Goalkhali and Belta villages. Local agriculturists say that it is able to maintain its presence in the soil for hundreds of years if biochar is applied once in land, which increases soil fertility, reduces irrigation costs and increases crop yields.
Therefore, agriculture officials called for the use of biochar to maintain the quality of the land as well as cooking. The deputy director of the district’s agricultural extension department said the use of chemical fertilizers at a higher rate has reduced the organic matter in the soil. The use of carbon enrich organic fertilizer in declining soils will increase carbon. Its use will play a huge role in maintaining the sustainable health of the soil. As a result, farmers will get the desired results even by using less chemical fertilizers, he said.
Samiran Biswas, Coordinator of CCDB Biochar Project, said, Agri-Friendly Stoves and Biochar Production activities can play a major role in tackling climate change. Biochar or Biochar-enriched organic fertilizers can enrich the soil to increase carbon emission and play a major role in maintaining the sustainable health of the soil. The CCDB Official said that the Biochar Technology is said to be excellent in tackling climate change in agriculture.
