BSS, Rangpur :
There is a brighter prospect of expanded cultivation of short duration local variety Parija Paddy as additional Aus crop in Rangpur division to enhance food security amid changing climate.
RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, has been popularising cultivation of the short duration indigenous parija rice since 2009 by adopting its new cropping pattern of “early Aman rice-mustard- potato-mungbean-parija (Aus) cropping pattern.”
The newer cropping pattern also improves livelihoods of the poor creating jobs during lean period and ensures crop intensification to increase food production enabling the farmers cultivating four crops annually on the same land.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid told BSS that they have introduced the cropping pattern to make agro-activities more profitable and attain sustainable food security. “The programme is being implemented in collaboration with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) under financial assistance of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation,” he added.
Under the programme, 900 farmers cultivated parija rice, completed its harvest and transplanted T-Aman seedling adopting new cropping pattern and 360 others using Aman-wheat/tobacco/rabi maize-parija cropping pattern during this off-season.
After completing harvest of the crop by August 15 , the farmers achieved excellent yield rate of 3.2 to 3.8 tonnes paddy per hectare this time.
“The cropping pattern could be very effective to gradually replace Boro rice cultivation that requires huge irrigation water by introducing alternative mungbean during Rabi season and parija rice during Aus season to save huge underground water,” Mamun said.
Professor Md Moynul Haque of the Department of Agronomy of BSMRAU said there are 35 lakh hectares suitable land in country for farming parija rice to produce additional 90 lakh tonnes rice annually in ensuring food security amid changing climate.
“Parija rice can be harvested in only 75 days with 3.5 tonnes average yield rate per hectare by mid-August without facing floods to transplant Aman seedling timely for enhancing rice production on the same land,” he said.
Knowledge Management & Communication Specialist of Climate Resilient Agriculture and Food Security Project of World Bank Dr MG Neogi narrated about brighter prospect for expanded cultivation of parija rice to increase rice production.
“Parija rice can be cultivated during the off season between late May and mid-August when fields remain fallow after Boro harvest and before plantation of T-Aman seedling and its farming requires no supplementary irrigation,” he added.
Expanded cultivation of parija rice during the off-season as Aus crop would substantially reduce quantity of lifted underground water for irrigating Boro fields saving huge underground water to improve environment, ecology and bio- diversity, he added.
There is a brighter prospect of expanded cultivation of short duration local variety Parija Paddy as additional Aus crop in Rangpur division to enhance food security amid changing climate.
RDRS Bangladesh, an NGO, has been popularising cultivation of the short duration indigenous parija rice since 2009 by adopting its new cropping pattern of “early Aman rice-mustard- potato-mungbean-parija (Aus) cropping pattern.”
The newer cropping pattern also improves livelihoods of the poor creating jobs during lean period and ensures crop intensification to increase food production enabling the farmers cultivating four crops annually on the same land.
Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid told BSS that they have introduced the cropping pattern to make agro-activities more profitable and attain sustainable food security. “The programme is being implemented in collaboration with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) under financial assistance of Krishi Gobeshona Foundation,” he added.
Under the programme, 900 farmers cultivated parija rice, completed its harvest and transplanted T-Aman seedling adopting new cropping pattern and 360 others using Aman-wheat/tobacco/rabi maize-parija cropping pattern during this off-season.
After completing harvest of the crop by August 15 , the farmers achieved excellent yield rate of 3.2 to 3.8 tonnes paddy per hectare this time.
“The cropping pattern could be very effective to gradually replace Boro rice cultivation that requires huge irrigation water by introducing alternative mungbean during Rabi season and parija rice during Aus season to save huge underground water,” Mamun said.
Professor Md Moynul Haque of the Department of Agronomy of BSMRAU said there are 35 lakh hectares suitable land in country for farming parija rice to produce additional 90 lakh tonnes rice annually in ensuring food security amid changing climate.
“Parija rice can be harvested in only 75 days with 3.5 tonnes average yield rate per hectare by mid-August without facing floods to transplant Aman seedling timely for enhancing rice production on the same land,” he said.
Knowledge Management & Communication Specialist of Climate Resilient Agriculture and Food Security Project of World Bank Dr MG Neogi narrated about brighter prospect for expanded cultivation of parija rice to increase rice production.
“Parija rice can be cultivated during the off season between late May and mid-August when fields remain fallow after Boro harvest and before plantation of T-Aman seedling and its farming requires no supplementary irrigation,” he added.
Expanded cultivation of parija rice during the off-season as Aus crop would substantially reduce quantity of lifted underground water for irrigating Boro fields saving huge underground water to improve environment, ecology and bio- diversity, he added.
