Improving productivity and sustainability in drought areas through resource conserving technologies: save water and reduce global warming
Material type:
TextPublication details: 2009Description: p. 91Summary: Rice-wheat (RW) cropping systems are critical to food security of increasing population in Bangladesh. However, the sustainability of RW systems is threatened by productivity decline and environmental sustainability. Crop production on permanent raised beds (PRB) with straw retention is expanding worldwide as a way to increase system productivity, diversify cropping and reduce global warming. When coupled with raised beds with straw retention can improve soil moisture retention, soil health, crop productivity and sustainability. A 3 years study was conducted at the Regional Wheat Research Centre, Rajshahi, Bangladesh as a warmer area, to compare the effects of five N fertilizer levels (0%, 50%,100%,150% and 200% N of recommended dose) and two straw retention (SR)/tillage treatments (100% SR of all crops+ Permanent raised beds (PRB), 0% SR +PRB, 100% SR+ Conventional tillage practice (CTP) and 0% SR+ CTP in a intensified RW systems by adding a third pre-rice crop of mungbean. Permanent beds with straw retention produced the highest productivity for all three crops in the sequence. Within each N rate the total system (rice-wheat-mungbean) productivity was greatest with 100% SR on PRB and least in CTP with zero straw retention. At 100% of recommended fertilizer N rate, mean annual system productivity was 12.5 t/ha for PRB with 100% SR, 11.2 t/ha with PRB without SR and 10.3 t/ha with CTP without straw. System productivity in N unfertilized plots increased when straw was retained due to increased supply and uptake of N. The results suggest that N fertilizer rates can be reduced when straw is retained. Soil organic matter in surface soil layers of the PRB had increased by 0.22% after 3 years (3 rice-wheat-mungbean crop cycles) with straw retention, with a greater increase with 100% SR. Straw retention is an important component of crop sustainability and may have long term positive impacts on soil fertility. Water use efficiencies improved 25%, 23% and 29% in wheat, rice, and mungbean crops, respectively when 100% SR with PRB system. By sowing crops on raised bed, irrigation water moves laterally from the furrow to the top and middle of the bed by capillary flow. Resource conserving technology required 103.8 litre/ha fuel per year compared to conventional method 135 litre/ha/year. 31.2 litre/ha/year fuel saved by resource conserving technology in rice-wheat-mungbean system. Compared with conventional tillage with all crop residues removed, the combination of PRB with residues retained appears to be a very promising technology for sustainable intensification of RW systems in Bangladesh.
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Poster Abstract
Rice-wheat (RW) cropping systems are critical to food security of increasing population in Bangladesh. However, the sustainability of RW systems is threatened by productivity decline and environmental sustainability. Crop production on permanent raised beds (PRB) with straw retention is expanding worldwide as a way to increase system productivity, diversify cropping and reduce global warming. When coupled with raised beds with straw retention can improve soil moisture retention, soil health, crop productivity and sustainability. A 3 years study was conducted at the Regional Wheat Research Centre, Rajshahi, Bangladesh as a warmer area, to compare the effects of five N fertilizer levels (0%, 50%,100%,150% and 200% N of recommended dose) and two straw retention (SR)/tillage treatments (100% SR of all crops+ Permanent raised beds (PRB), 0% SR +PRB, 100% SR+ Conventional tillage practice (CTP) and 0% SR+ CTP in a intensified RW systems by adding a third pre-rice crop of mungbean. Permanent beds with straw retention produced the highest productivity for all three crops in the sequence. Within each N rate the total system (rice-wheat-mungbean) productivity was greatest with 100% SR on PRB and least in CTP with zero straw retention. At 100% of recommended fertilizer N rate, mean annual system productivity was 12.5 t/ha for PRB with 100% SR, 11.2 t/ha with PRB without SR and 10.3 t/ha with CTP without straw. System productivity in N unfertilized plots increased when straw was retained due to increased supply and uptake of N. The results suggest that N fertilizer rates can be reduced when straw is retained. Soil organic matter in surface soil layers of the PRB had increased by 0.22% after 3 years (3 rice-wheat-mungbean crop cycles) with straw retention, with a greater increase with 100% SR. Straw retention is an important component of crop sustainability and may have long term positive impacts on soil fertility. Water use efficiencies improved 25%, 23% and 29% in wheat, rice, and mungbean crops, respectively when 100% SR with PRB system. By sowing crops on raised bed, irrigation water moves laterally from the furrow to the top and middle of the bed by capillary flow. Resource conserving technology required 103.8 litre/ha fuel per year compared to conventional method 135 litre/ha/year. 31.2 litre/ha/year fuel saved by resource conserving technology in rice-wheat-mungbean system. Compared with conventional tillage with all crop residues removed, the combination of PRB with residues retained appears to be a very promising technology for sustainable intensification of RW systems in Bangladesh.
Borlaug Institute for South Asia|Conservation Agriculture Program
English
Lucia Segura
CSAY01|CGUR01
CIMMYT Staff Publications Collection