RAJSHAHI, Jan 8, 2019 (BSS)-Bed-planting wheat farming acreage has started
boosting in this region, including its vast Barind tract, for the last couple
of years as a result of much interest of farmers in the method.
In the current season, the wheat farmers are expecting a better yield like
the previous year through adopting the bed plantation system.
Not only in wheat farming, farmers are seen adopting the method in some
other seasonal crops like mugbean, maize, potato and lentil.
Some of the farmers, scientists and researchers narrated the success story
while talking to BSS here yesterday.
They revealed that raised-bed planting of wheat is advantageous in areas
where ground water level is receding and herbicide-resistant weeds are
creating a problem.
Farmers, Anwar Hossain and Yousuf Ali, of Nandigram village under Durgapur
Upazila of the district said that they got two bed- planter machines from
Regional Wheat Research Center (RWRC) and cultivated wheat on around 250
bighas of land last year.
They harvested five to seven mounds more yield from per bigha of land than
the conventional system. The donation inspired them to purchase two machines.
By which, they brought around 450 bighas under wheat farming in the current
season.
Besides, they have become machinery service providers and are doing
business and making money through sowing seeds on others lands.
Similarly, the landowners are also getting benefits from the system. The
farmers, however, said they need subsidy to purchase adequate planters for
large-scale expansion of the wheat and other crops farming in the region.
RWRC Principal Scientific Officer Dr Ilias Hossain said wheat was
cultivated on around 0.16 million hectares of land in the region this year
and 5,000 hectares of those were brought under the bed-plantation method.
He expected that the wheat farming in the modern system will be increased
in next season. For planting wheat on beds, a tractor drawn bed planter is
used. The bed planter is mounted at the back of a medium size tractor.
In one pass of tractor, the front big lines of planter makes two beds and
three furrows and seed drill at back sow three or four rows of wheat and
heavy iron bar behind it close the seeded rows and smoothen the beds.
Bed planting improves water distribution and irrigation efficiency, gives
better results in using fertilizers and pesticides and reduces weed
infestation and crop lodging.
It saves crops from disturbance from rats, Hossain opined. The pattern
helps farmers save 30 percent irrigation water and 30 to 40 percent of seeds
and fertilisers.
To maintain sound soil health, it could be advisable to grow rice using a
different system in order to improve compatibility between monsoon rice and
upland winter crops.
The farmers of the area said they need help to buy planters for large-
scale expansion of the wheat and other crops farming in the region. For this
method, a tractor drawn bed planter is needed.
Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has set a target of
producing around 4.39 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from around 1.34 lakh
hectares of land in all eight districts under Rajshahi division.
“We have adequate preparations and all the field level officials and staff
concerned are working relentlessly to attain the target,” said SM Mustafizur
Rahman, additional director of DAE, while talking to BSS here today.
He mentioned that the farmers were seen bringing more lands under wheat
farming than that of the target fixed by DAE for the last couple of years.