With the growing use of bed-sown wheat in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia, the use of permanent raised beds (PRB) within the rice–wheat system has become a researchable question for growers and scientists alike. Permanent bed use in the rice–wheat system in Bangladesh and Pakistan is limited to a few hectares for demonstration and on-station or on-farm research. However, initial fi ndings indicate potentially sustainable increases in both productivity and profi tability when the use of residue mulching on permanent beds is included. There are still major hurdles to overcome before the practice can become widespread, including: • selection of rice germplasm that performs well under aerobic conditions such as PRB • perfection of machinery design and manufacture that can deliver seed and fertiliser precisely, reliably and affordably using the 2-wheel tractors plentiful in Bangladesh or 4-wheel tractors in Pakistan • involvement of all stakeholders, ie growers, agronomists, machinery manufacturers, agricultural engineers and equipment operators, to further extend and expand the use of PRB in Bangladesh while continuing to monitor and collect data on how its use can be maintained within the Bangladesh and Pakistan contexts. When some of these major constraints can be overcome through participatory research with growers, agriculture manufacturers, scientists and machinery operators/service providers, the potential of this system in productivity, sustainability and profi tability can continue to be developed.

Conservation Agriculture Program

Text in English

0604

CJUS01|CSAY01

CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection