RANGPUR, March 14, 2020 (BSS) – Agriculturists at a farmers’ field day
event have said adoption of the quadruple cropping patterns produces four
crops on the same land annually enhances food production to make agri-
activities more profitable.
Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS) in Rangpur of Bangladesh
Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) organised the event on the exhibition
plot of local farmers in Ranochondi village of Kishoreganj upazila in
Nilphamari district on Friday afternoon.
Agriculturists demonstrated BARI-evolved three quadruple cropping
patterns, production technologies of potatoes, onions, mungbean, hybrid maize
and short duration T-Aman rice varieties in the even before harvesting potato
as the second crop.
The quadruple cropping patterns are: ‘early potato-onion-mungbean-short
duration T-Aman rice’, ‘early potato-potato-mungbean-short duration T-Aman
rice’ and ‘early potato-potato relay maize-short duration T-Aman rice’.
Director (Training and Communication Wing) of BARI Agriculturist Dr. Md.
Miaruddin attended the event as the chief guest with Principal Scientific
Officer of BARI at RARS, Rangpur Agriculturist Dr. Ashish Kumar Saha in the
chair.
Principal Scientific Officer of Breeder Seed Production Centre of BARI in
Panchagarh Agriculturist Dr. Mahi Uddin and Deputy Director of the Department
of Agricultural Extension for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Moniruzzaman
attended as special guests.
The agriculturists said farmers traditionally cultivate maize or pumpkin
and later T-Aman rice on the same land after harvesting early potato on high
lands and medium high lands in Rangpur division and remain deprived of more
profits.
Dr. Saha said farmers can reap more profits by farming four crops like
high yielding varieties of potatoes, onions, mungbean, maize and short
duration T-Aman rice on same land annually.
The exhibition plot in Ranachandi village is demonstrating proper
fertiliser, pesticide and disease management, selection of quality seeds and
right crop varieties to produce four crops annually and reap lucrative
profits.
Farmers Rashidul Islam and Abdul Aziz said they are cultivating four crops
on the exhibition plot annually adopting BARI-evolved technologies and
reaping excellent profits.
The chief guest said cultivation of vegetables, potatoes, onions, pulses,
oil seeds and maize adopting quadruple cropping patterns in Rangpur division
brings more profits to the farmers to change their fortune largely cutting
imports of these crops.
“Farming four crops annually will ensure maximum use of cultivable land,
protect soil health, environment and ensure food security despite adverse
impacts of climate change,” agriculturist Dr Md Miaruddin added.