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IRRI Bangladesh Office organized field visit on its recommended technologies |
IRRI Bangladesh Office organized a field visit for FoSHoL partners along with DAE and BRRI scientists on farmer participatory activities at 3 blocks of Kapasia upazila under Gazipur districts on March 30, 2006 for one of its projects titled Enhancing Farmers Income and Livelihoods through Integrated Crop and Resource Management in the Rice- Wheat System in South Asia funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The activites showed the participants the visual effects of using Integrated Crop and Resource Management (ICRM), Urea Super Granule (USG), Leaf Colour Chart (LCC), omission plot, modified mat nursery, and wet seeding by drum seeder technologies in rice so that they could initiate a program for extension of these technologies in their respective areas to minimize yield gaps. Dr. M. Murshedul Alam, Assistant Manager–Project Research of the project coordinated the program with the support of IRRI-IFAD project.
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Mr. Md. Mofizur Rahman of FoSHoL-ActionAid; Ms. Mukta Roy of FoSHoL-ITDG; Mr. Cliford Gonsalvez of FoSHoL-ActionAid-NRDS; Mr. Mamunul Haque of FoSHoL-IRRI; two upazila extension officers; five village extension workers from Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE); three NGO extension officers; and five scientists from Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) participated in the field visit. Dr. M. A. Baqui, Director-Research, BRRI; Dr. Noel P Magor, FoSHoL-IRRI Project Manager & IRRI Representative in Bangladesh; and Dr. M. A. Hamid Miah, IRRI Liaison Scientist in Bangladesh joined the group. Concerned village level extension workers and farmers were present in each block during the visit.
The group visited the field experiment plots and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of these technologies with farmers and village level extension workers. They also exchanged ideas with farmers and received farmers' observations on the above-mentioned technologies.
Few observations from the farmers on the demonstrated technologies: |
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Farmers found usage of young seedlings, balanced fertilizers, and line transplanting are the major factors to increase the existing yield level. |
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They realized that there is a positive correlation between younger seedlings and better yield. They found modified mat nursery method is a good technology to raise 15 – 20 day old seedlings tall and strong enough to transplant and to reduce seed cost. |
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Farmers could save 30 – 70 kg N per hacter by using the LCC or USG. |
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Farmers found LCC as a user-friendly tool. Those who did not use LCC this season showed interest in using LCC in next season. They even showed interest to buy LCC at a reasonable price i.e., Tk 30 - 35 each. |
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They also showed interest in using USG technology if it is easily available to them at a reasonable price. |
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Drum seeder can reduce cultivation cost and seed requirement but needs assured irrigation facilities. |
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Weed is a major problem in wet seeding. They want easy to use weed control method. |
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They wanted extension help and training to use omission plot technique for improving P and K recommendation. |
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They wanted training on uses of LCC, USG, drum seeder and modified mat nursery method. |
Observations of DAE and NGO workers: |
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Extension agents from both DAE and NGO showed keen interest to take extension program or demonstration on usage of LCC, young seedlings, drum seeder, modified mat nursery, and omission plot technique in next Aman season in their respective areas. |
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They want that BRRI and/or IRRI should provide training to the farmers and village level extension workers on the usage of these technologies. |
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Dr. M. Murshedul Alam demonstrating experimental plots to the visitors |
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Visitors in an experimental plot. Seen in the photo (from left) Ms. Mukta Roy of FoSHoL-ITDG and Mr. Cliford Gonsalvez of FoSHoL-ActionAid-NRDS; Md. Abbas Ali Shikder, Upazila Agricultural Officer, Kapashia; Dr. M. A. Quddus, PSO & Head, RFS Division BRRI; Dr. M. A. Hamid Miah, IRRI Liaison Scientist in Bangladesh; Dr. M. A. Baqui, Director-Research, BRRI; Mr. Mofizur Rahman, FoSHoL-ActionAid; Dr. Noel P. Magor, IRRI Representative in Bangladesh & FoSHoL-IRRI Project Manager and Dr. M. Murshedul Alam. |
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Visitors in an experimental plot of Drum Seeder and LCC |
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Farmers and visitors in an experimental omission plot of Zinc application |
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