Location: Bangladesh

For more information, contact CIMMYT’s Bangladesh office.

Gap filler

Written by on May 14, 2012. Posted in Features.

CIMMYT E-News, vol 3 no. 3, March 2006

Triticale finds a niche in Bangladesh

“This is just what I was looking for,” says Al Mahmoud Hasan, a farmer near the town or Rangpur in Bangladesh. “I wanted a crop to fill the fallow gap between the rice crops.”

In Bangladesh rice is king, with farmers often growing two rice crops a year. Now, in a pilot project funded by the Danish development agency, Danida, a new crop is making its debut. The aim of the on-farm trials is to see if triticale can make a difference in the lives of Bangladeshi farm families who keep dairy cattle.

Triticale is a cross between wheat and rye that CIMMYT researchers and partners have improved and promoted over recent decades. It makes good animal fodder because its leaves and stem are high in protein. In Bangladesh triticale was virtually unknown. Cows can eat Napier grass when it is in season but feed mostly on a diet of dry rice straw, a poor quality fodder. CIMMYT researchers realized that even in the intense cropping system in Bangladesh, there might be room for triticale as a high-quality cattle forage, filling a gap in the cropping season and a gap in cattle diets.

During the rainy season virtually every farmer in Bangladesh grows aman or monsoon rice. Then during the dry season they usually grow another rice crop (called boro), wheat, or even tobacco. Triticale can fit that second crop niche. The idea is to plant triticale as early as possible after the rice harvest and then cut it at 30 days and again at 50 days. The green cuttings are used as fodder. When the crop does mature, the grain can be used to feed chickens or ground and combined with wheat flour for Chapatti, the standard flat bread of south Asia.

Rokeya Begum has cash and 20% more milk from triticale-fed cows.

Farmers who grow two full rice crops also have an option with triticale. That is because there is a 60 day fallow period between the two rice crops. It isn’t enough time for triticale to mature and produce grain, but it is long enough to produce good green fodder. That is exactly what Al Mahmoud Hasan is doing. He and his family were among 120 households participating in the trials throughout Bangladesh. He, his wife and his two oldest children received instruction in triticale cultivation as part of a whole family training system organized by CIMMYT and partners.

Participation and training has paid off for other farmers, including Rokeya Begum and her family. She sold her first triticale cut to neighbors and used the money to buy new clothes for an important religious festival. Mrs Begum also says her cows are giving 20% more milk on triticale than they did on a diet of rice straw.

The triticale seed for the trials came from CIMMYT in Mexico. The one-year pilot project is near its end and the data are not yet analyzed but reports from participating farmers are encouraging. Many like Mrs. Begum say their neighbors will buy seed from them for next season so they too can try triticale.

For further information contact Stephen Waddington (s.waddington@cgiar.org)

Farmers in the Charlands of Bangladesh benefit from new wheat and maize interventions

Written by on April 23, 2012. Posted in News.

CIMMYT-CSISA-Bangladesh organized a field day in collaboration with the Wheat Research Centre (WRC) and the Department of Agriculture and Extension (DAE). In all, 162 farmers from Mymensingh, Bangladesh, attended the field day, held on 21 March 2012. CSISA–BD is a collaborative venture funded by USAID that includes CIMMYT, IRRI, WorldFish, and relevant national research and development partners. Also participating in the field day were other partners who work with CSISA-BD, CIMMYT, and Mymensingh Hub, such as the Directorate of Agricultural Extension and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), and NGOs, such as CARE, ASPADA, POPI, and JABC.

Bangladesh55

Although cropping intensity in the region is 212%, just one crop (black gram) is grown in the charlands of the Brahmaputra River. Charlands are formed through the sedimentation, over time, of huge amounts of sand, silt, and clay carried by rivers. Growing the preferred crop (Boro rice) in these lands is not feasible for lack of surface water.

CSISA–CIMMYT identified the charlands as a potential area for new wheat and maize hybrids, and organized demonstrations and on-farm participatory research on Ug99 tolerant wheat varieties BARI Gom 26 and BARI Gom 27 (Francolin) and hybrid maize. Farmers were happy to see both wheat and maize growing in demonstrations with limited irrigation. They said this was the first time in history that maize and wheat could be grown in charland areas with this level of success, and expressed an interest in significantly expanding the area sown to these materials next year. It has been estimated that such technologies could impact hundreds of hectares in this region and thousands of hectares across Bangladesh.

During the demonstrations, Dr. DB Pandit, cropping systems agronomist for CSISA-CIMMYT, gave an overview of CSISA-BD activities in the charlands. DAE Adjunct Director Dr. ASM Affazuddin and WRC Director Dr Jalal Uddin Ahmed spoke very highly of these efforts and assured farmers they would establish more wheat and mungbean demonstrations next year. Dr. TP Tiwari, CIMMYT-BD cropping systems agronomist, asked farmers to share the knowledge and skills they have gained so far from CSISA-BD interventions with their neighbors and relatives. He also initiated discussions on improved maize production technologies. All NGO participants expressed their determination to support the implementation of CIMMYT-CSISA activities aimed at achieving sustainable food security and improving the livelihoods of charland farmers. M. Islam, administrative coordinator of the Mymensingh Hub who led the organization of the field day, ended the program by thanking all participants.

Francolin: Ug99-tolerant wheat variety released in Bangladesh

Written by on March 23, 2012. Posted in News.

The danger posed by the Ug99 strain of the disease stem rust to global wheat production is well recognized, and Bangladesh is no exception. Wheat is one of the major cereals in Bangladesh, ranking second after rice with a cultivated area of 0.38 m ha and average yield of 2.6 t/ha. In a major step in countering the disease threat, a new wheat variety, named Francolin, was released on 06 March 2012. Also known as BARI Gom 27 (previously BAW 1120), Francolin, first introduced to Bangladesh in 2008 from CIMMYT-Mexico, possesses good resistance to all variants of Ug99 along with an impressive agronomic performance. It yielded approximately 10% more than the most popular variety Shatabdi in three years of multi-location testing in Bangladesh.

Its performance in on-farm testing was also significantly superior to all check varieties. “Francolin is popular among the participating farmers because of its high grain yield potential and good agronomic traits,” said T.P. Tiwari, cropping systems agronomist at CIMMYT-Bangladesh, adding that it also performed better than other varieties during on-farm testing.

Francolin is already under demonstration in farmers’ fields through participatory variety selection (PVS), the multi-location testing (MLT) program of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), and a participatory seed multiplication program. These activities are being jointly implemented by BARI’s Wheat Research Centre (WRC) and CIMMYT, and are also well integrated into the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) validation and demonstration programs in Bangladesh. According to CIMMYT scientists T.P. Tiwari and Arun K. Joshi, seed multiplication of this variety is in progress on 55 ha in 23 different locations in Bangladesh during the current crop cycle. This is expected to produce around 150 tons of seed that will be available for the next planting season, meeting the needs of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) and the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), the government agencies responsible for large-scale seed production and distribution. Francolin is also being disseminated through informal channels (farmer-to-farmer).

This step toward mitigating the threat of Ug99 was made possible in part by a USAID seed-multiplication famine fund program. The WRC and CIMMYT-Bangladesh are working together under this program to identify suitable Ug99-resistant varieties, and carry out seed production and delivery. Israel Hossain, Abu Zaman Sarker (WRC), T.P. Tiwari, M. Gathala, and T. Krupnik (CIMMYT) also report that Francolin is performing exceedingly well under conservation agriculture (CA) practices such as strip- and zero-tillage.

The WRC and CIMMYT are developing linkages between seed producers and traders to facilitate marketing. Additionally, information regarding the benefits of growing Ug99-resistant varieties is disseminated through media outlets such as newspapers, radio, and television. The first Ug99-resistant wheat variety to be released in Bangladesh was BARI Gom 26 (previously known as BAW, and popularly called Hashi), in 2010. The two new varieties are expected to cover just over 5% of the total wheat area in 2012/13.

Wheat scientists involved in the development of Francolin include Naresh C.D. Barma, Paritosh Kumar Malaker, Dinabandhu Pandit, Md. Abdul Hakim, and Jalal Uddin, among others. Agronomists and soil scientists from BARI and CIMMYT-Bangladesh were also involved in its validation and promotional activities.

CIMMYT and IRRI Bangladesh build capacity on upland cropping systems

Written by on December 5, 2011. Posted in News.

As part of the Cereal System Initiative in South Asia expansion in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD), 21 agricultural field staff and extension personnel from CIMMYT and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) undertook training on improved upland cereal and legume production systems during 01-02 November 2011 in Dhaka.

Focusing on adaptation to conservation agriculture/based cropping, participants received advanced training on elite wheat and maize varieties, quality seed production, fertility, and integrated pest and weed management practices. A key purpose of the training was to prepare staff to support farmers in the upcoming Rabi planting season in Bangladesh. Additional courses were given on the integration of legumes and high-value vegetable production in cereal-based farming systems.

This short course was jointly organized with the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), and will provide a foundation for the intensive, practical field training to be conducted with farmers throughout Bangladesh in early 2012. TP Tiwari, Timothy Krupnik, Dinabandhu Pandit, Elahi Baksh, and BARI’s B. R. Banik, Shahabuddin Ahmed, M. Amiruzzaman, and M. Omar Ali facilitated the training. A.K. M. Salah Uddin (CIMMYT) provided organizational assistance and support.

Conservation agriculture gaining momentum in Bangladesh

Written by on October 25, 2011. Posted in News.

Capacity building and improved technical knowledge of conservation agriculture (CA) are crucial elements of the Cereal System Initiative in South Asia expansion in Bangladesh (CSISA-BD).

As part of CSISA-BD, CIMMYT recently organized an intensive course on CA-Based Crop Management, during 1-2 and 13 October 2011. The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) is a principal partner for CSISA-BD, and the course was developed in collaboration with it’s Farm Machineries and Post-Harvest Processing Engineering Division, and conducted in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Twenty-three participants, including CSISA agricultural development officers from CIMMYT and IRRI, and BARI Engineers, undertook the course.

Course topics included the rationale and principles behind CA-based crop management, the justification for the CA-based hub structure and adaptive research, and key issues associated with CA machinery. The majority of the course consisted of practical, hands-on exercises to calibrate and prepare two-wheeled tractors (2WT) for the direct seeding of maize, wheat, lentil, and rice under strip and zero till conditions. Further discussion and exercises centered on the potential of raised bed planting and crop residue management to conserve soil moisture, ameliorate salinity problems, and decrease production costs in Bangladesh.

In collaboration with BARI, similar intensive, hands-on workshops on CA-based crop and machinery management will be conducted with Bangladeshi farm service providers throughout the country. Thanks to Ken Sayre and Timothy Krupnik (CIMMYT), and M.A. Wohab and Md. Arshadul Haque (BARI) for leading the workshop, with organizational assistance and backstopping from A.K. M. Salah Uddin and Dinabandhu Pandit (CIMMYT).

Spreading the word on CA from Mexico

Written by on July 3, 2011. Posted in News.

AC21 “It is very difficult to find conservation agriculture machinery. You have to go to China or India to get it,” said Mahesh Kumar Gathala, new CIMMYTBangladesh-based cropping systems agronomist for South Asia. Gathala, a native of India, was just one of the 15 participants invited to attend a five-week conservation agriculture course at CIMMYT-El Batán, Mexico, where improving machinery and professional capacity were hot topics.

Begun in late May 2011, the course combined research advances in multidisciplinary approaches to sustainable crop management with the vast experience of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The main aim was to enhance participants’ understanding of the use and application of conservation agriculture sowing technologies and relevant agricultural implements in irrigated and rainfed wheat and maize production systems.

The participants came from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Morocco, Tunisia, India, and Turkey. For many, it was their first time in Mexico. They spent most of their time at CIMMYT-El Batán, but also visited the Toluca station and farmers’ fields in Hidalgo to see CA practices in action and share experiences from their own countries.

Gathala noted the major differences in CA farming in Mexico and South Asia. “Fields are much smaller in Bangladesh, and crop residues are in much higher demand as animal feed,” he said. “These conditions make CA more difficult to push.” A CA practitioner for a decade, Gathala nonetheless felt the course was useful: “There is always something new to learn and share.”

Participant Raju Teggelli of India agreed. “I enjoyed the coursework, especially the practical experience. I found the instrument calibration and the hands-on training most useful,” said the Entomologist from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, in Karnataka, India.

Sincere thanks to all who made the course possible, and especially to the participants for their valuable and engaging contributions.

Safe use of herbicide and effective weed management course

Written by on February 2, 2011. Posted in News.

In Bangladesh, approximately 350 species of weeds have been identified, and in Asian countries, these weeds cause roughly 33% of total crop loss. Because of the threat posed by weeds, the use of herbicides in Bangladesh has risen rapidly in the past few years. Herbicides are a great asset to protect crops from weeds; however when not used properly, they can be dangerous to human health or lead to the premature development of herbicide-resistant weeds.

For this reason, a training program entitled “Safe Use of Herbicide and Effective Weed Management” was held at the Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service office (RDRS) in Rangpur during 16-20 January 2011 for national scientists, extension officers, and herbicide marketing agents. The 21 participants included scientists from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Sylhet Agricultural University, RDRS Bangladesh, and Peoples Resource Oriented Voluntary Association (PROVA); as well as agricultural chemical companies Syngenta and ACI.

The training was led by Abul Hashem, Australian senior weed scientist from the Department of Agriculture and Food of Western Australia and renowned Bangladeshi weed scientist, SM Rezaul Karim from Bangladesh’s Agricultural University; and coordinated by Md. Enamul Haque, CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist, and KM Marufuzzaman, program manager of RDRS Bangladesh.

The training course covered a range of topics on weeds management theory and practice as well as on the safe use of herbicides. In the theory classes, the trainees learned about the scientific classification of weeds, various weed control methods, herbicide resistance, the significance and utility of herbicide label and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), safety requirements for spraying herbicides, personal protection equipment required in operation, among other subjects.

In the practical classes, the participants received instruction on how to set up a weed management trial, how to make assessments on weed control treatments, sprayer calibration, how to calculate spray volume and herbicide volume, how to read and use herbicide related information (e.g. spray chart, herbicide level and Material Safety Data Sheet), how to identify weed species, and how to develop a comprehensive weed management plan.

Based on post-course informal assessments, the training has already proven useful to the participants. They came to the training course with 5- 25% knowledge of safe herbicide usage. Most of the participants indicated that at the end of the training, their knowledge and understanding about weed management, herbicide use and herbicide safety requirements increased by 75- 90%. They also confessed that they had not previously received such training on herbicide use at university or during their employment with various research or extension organizations.

The training was organized under the collaborative research project “Addressing constraints to pulses in cereals-based cropping systems, with particular reference to poverty alleviation in north-western Bangladesh” which began in 2006 and involves the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), BARI, RDRS, PROVA, DAE, CIMMYT, and Murdoch University-Australia.

The training program was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), Crawford Fund Australia and co-sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and Food of Western Australia (DAFWA), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Murdoch University, Australia, and RDRS Bangladesh.

Exploring wheat improvement

Written by on December 17, 2010. Posted in News.

Nepal-training1 The Wheat Research Center (WRC) in Bhairahawa welcomed 20 early and mid-career wheat breeders from four CSISA countries (Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan) to its scenic campus in Nepal’s Terai region to participate in a two-week regional Wheat Improvement and Pathology course which was organized in collaboration with Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) from 29 November- 12 December 2010.

The course, the first of its kind, was prepared and led by Arun Joshi, CIMMYT-Nepal wheat breeder, to stress the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to wheat improvement. The program was officially opened by NARC Executive Director Bhartendu Mishra, and included lectures on modern breeding methods and approaches, genetic diversity, wheat pathology, experimental design and statistical analysis, conservation agriculture, participatory variety selection, literature and data sources for wheat scientists, e-learning, and knowledge management. Diversity was prevalent among the participants, visible in their backgrounds, levels of experience and the variety of organizations which they represented. Resource persons represented CGIAR centers, NARS institutions and NGOs of the region. It was also great to see several young women scientists among the participants. Special thanks to staff of NARC/WRC Bhairahawa for providing a great venue and logistical support; and to Mr. Surath Pradhan for course administration.

USAID Famine Seed Project meeting held in Nepal

Written by on August 3, 2010. Posted in News.

On 30 June 2010, a USAID Famine Seed Project meeting was organized at CIMMYT’s South Asia Office in Kathmandu, Nepal. Seventeen participants, including those from the Nepal Agriculture Research Council (NARC), CIMMYT-Nepal, CIMMYT-Bangladesh, and Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) HUB partners in Nepal, attended the meeting. The objectives of the day were to: (1) review 2009-10 crop cycle work and progress, (2) to develop a work plan for the upcoming 2010-11 cycle and, (3) to strengthen collaboration with technology-delivering stakeholders.

Arun Joshi, CIMMYT wheat breeder, opened the event with an overview of the progress and on-going challenges facing the six countries involved in the USAID project (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, Pakistan, and Nepal). He identified the project’s major activities as: (1) identification of suitable Ug99 resistant varieties and their pre- and post-release seed production, and (2) delivery of seed to farmers and rapid dissemination. CIMMYT, ICARDA, the BGRI, and national wheat programs are jointly implementing these activities.

This year, 2010, marks 25 years of strong partnership between CIMMYT and NARC, a milestone highlighted by NARC Executive Director B. Mishra, who also pointed out that the Famine Fund meeting was the first major NARC-CIMMYT meeting this year. Mishra said that Nepal is doing its best to produce sufficient amounts of Ug99 resistant seed, with a goal of producing enough to replant at least 5% of Nepal’s wheat area within the next two to three years. He happily announced that the new Ug99 resistant variety BL 3063 (GS348/NL746//NL748) has been approved by NARC’s technical committee, and will soon be released for cultivation.

Next, NARC scientists J. Tripathi, S.R. Upadhyay, and N.R. Gautam presented the specifics of Nepal’s work and efforts from the 2009-10 crop cycle, and outlined a potential 2010-11 work plan. They said that the estimated seed production of resistant lines in 2010–11 will be sufficient to meet 7.3% of the effective seed market, and to cover 2.4% of the total wheat area in Nepal. M.R. Bhatta and Sarala Sharma highlighted the importance of farmer participatory research for successful dissemination of new resistant seed varieties in Nepal.

The following presentation included explanations and deatils about the progress of the field demonstrations overseen by Nepal’s CSISA HUB. D.P Sherchan, CSISA HUB manager, and A.P. Regmi, agronomist, said that field demonstrations are important for the delivery of Ug99 resistant seed and seed resistant to other rusts, and that in large-scale trials, the yield of newly obtained resistant varieties (BL 3063 and Francolin) under zero tillage was significantly superior to the local checks.

Toward the end of the meeting, K.D. Joshi, South Asia regional coordinator for CAZS Natural Resources, part of Bangor University, UK, explained ways to enhance linkages with NGOs and newly emerging private sector companies to promote seed production and dissemination. T.P. Tiwari, CIMMYT-Bangladesh cropping system agronomist, summarized his experiences with particular agronomic interventions that could benefit field trials in Nepal.

The discussion outcomes led to the development of similar agronomic plans for Nepal and Bangladesh to harness the potential of Ug99 resistant lines. The meeting also provided a good update on progress in the USAID seed project, and provided ideas on how to strengthen ties between CSISA, NGOs, and the private sector, as well as providing suggestions on new agronomic innervations that could be integrated into trials in the upcoming crop cycle.

Training on conservation agriculture in Bangladesh

Written by on May 20, 2010. Posted in News.

185 Over 60 researchers, field technicians, farmers, machinery manufacturers, service providers, and extension workers attended two recent conservation agriculture (CA) training events in Bangladesh. The first event was held at the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute (BARI) station in Comilla on 28-29 April, followed by an event at the Wheat Research Centre of BARI in Dinajpur on 04-05 May. The events focused on machinery operation and maintenance, as well as the agronomy of dry direct-seeded rice (DSR). Both were part of joint CIMMYT-IRRI efforts to promote sustainable ricemaize systems in collaboration with several national Bangladesh partners.

At both locations, participants learned about the power tiller operated seeder (PTOS) and the bed former/planter attached with the Chinese-made two-wheel tractor. This equipment is promoted by the project for the rapid establishment of maize, rice, and other crops under CA-based tillage systems such as zero tillage, reduced or minimum tillage, and raised beds. Participants also learned various methods to calibrate seed rates for DSR and decided that fluted roller metering devices with 8 or 16 grooves are the best currently available option for sowing DSR. They also learned basic agronomy for DSR and unpuddled transplanted rice, both of which require the use of the demonstrated machinery.

Temporary-Internet-Files “Machinery operation and maintenance is vital for rapid dissemination of CA-based technologies,” said Jagadish Timsina, IRRI-CIMMYT senior cropping system agronomist. He added that this ACIAR-funded ricemaize project has been adapting and evaluating the PTOS and the bed former/planter at project sites, and has been refining these machines for their use in different soils with the help of agriculture engineers from the national agriculture research intuitions involved in the project. The project has given special emphasis to training and capacity building for machine use and has already trained more than 120 people from government and non-governmental organizations, as well as farmers, service providers, machinery manufacturers, and extension workers since it started in November 2008.

Thanks to those who assisted with and attended these two events, including Israil Hossain and M. Wohab, principal scientific officers and agriculture engineers from BARI who helped in Dinajpur; M. Wohab and A. Rahman, principal scientific officers and agriculture engineers from BRRI who helped in Comilla; T. P. Tiwari, CIMMYT cropping system agronomist and the coordinator of the USAID Famine project; and Timsina.

Five farmer field days focus on rice and maize

Written by on May 5, 2010. Posted in News.

untitled Various research and extensions workers collaborating with the project “Sustainable Intensification of Rice-Maize Systems in Bangladesh” organized five farmer field days throughout March and April 2010. The events took place in the districts of Comilla, Rangpur, and Rajshahi and attracted over 350 farmers.

During the field days, farmers gathered in front of maize fields with site-specific nitrogen management (SSNM) and conservation agriculture (CA) trials and shared their experiences, both positive and negative, with the researchers and extension workers. At all the project sites, there are CA farmer-participatory adaptive trials and researcher-managed SSNM trials for maize and rice. Some of the key new and improved CA technological options being introduced and promoted through these trials include maize planted under minimum tillage using a powertiller operated seeder (PTOS), strip tillage, zero tillage, fresh beds, and permanent beds. In all trials, farmers’ common practice is compared with CA technologies, and researcher-managed SSNM trials have treatments ranging from zero to reduced levels of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

“These field days provided ample opportunities for farmers, stakeholders, and researchers to share their experiences with each other on these new CA technologies being introduced and promoted by the project,” said Jagadish Timsina, IRRI-CIMMYT senior cropping system agronomist and project leader. “Grain yield and cost of production data are being collected from these trials that will allow us to compare the production and profitability of various CA technological options against farmers’ current practice of growing maize.”

untitled2 Though the project, which started in November 2008, initially focused on adaptive research in farmers’ fields, it is now starting to emphasize dissemination of improved CA practicies and SSNM technologies to farmers as well. This will be done through training and capacity building with researchers, farmers, extension workers, machinery manufacturers, and service providers.

The project is run jointly by CIMMYT and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) with national partners from governmental and non-governmental organizations. This project was recently featured in The New Nation: Bangladesh’s Independent News Source.

Traveling workshop in Bangladesh unites researchers

Written by on April 22, 2010. Posted in News.

The ACIAR-funded project “Sustainable intensification of rice-maize (R-M) systems in Bangladesh” held a traveling workshop in Bangladesh during 03-08 April. Fifteen researchers attended and traveled to four featured project sites in the Bangladesh districts of Comilla, Gazipur, Rajshahi, and Rangpur.

Participants visited fields at many collaborating institutions, as well as farmers’ fields. The selected visits focused on rice and maize cropping systems sown with conservation agriculture (often in comparison to farmers’ practice) and site-specific nutrient management (SSNM). At each site, they formed three groups to critically evaluate key trials and they often had the opportunity to talk with local farmers.

The workshop took participants to numerous sites and field locations, including several Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) research locations, Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Services (RDRS) trials, and project sites of the Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), among others. Participants came from four collaborating organizations: the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), BRRI, and RDRS. Jagadish Timsina, IRRI-CIMMYT senior cropping system agronomist and project leader, led and coordinated the workshop.

This workshop was modeled off of a previous rice-wheat consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains and a fruitful experience from the ACIAR rice-maize project conducted in October 2009.The course helped established further links among researchers and the Cereal System Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) project.

Researchers explore new data analysis tools

Written by on January 26, 2010. Posted in News.

Fifteen researchers gathered at the headquarters of the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Gazipur, Bangladesh, earlier this month to learn more about data processing. The course, “Statistical analysis of field experimental data using CROPSTAT,” ran from 11- 13 January 2010 as part of the project “Sustainable intensification of rice-maize systems in Bangladesh,” which is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

CROPSTAT is a data analysis program that uses balanced and unbalanced designs for single and multi-site analysis. None of the participants had used CROPSTAT before, though several had some background knowledge on other statistical software. CIMMYT-IRRI senior scientist and project leader Jagadish Timsina coordinated the course; Shahjan Kabir from BRRI, and Shalimuddin from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), provided handson training. The project is jointly implemented by CIMMYT and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in collaboration with national partners: BARI, BRRI, the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), the Rangpur-Dinajpur Rural Services (RDRS), and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC). The 15 researchers who attended the training were from the four project sites (Comilla, Gazipur, Rajshahi, and Rangpur) of BARI, BRRI, BARD, and RDRS.

After course completion, participants expressed interest in using CROPSTAT 7.2 to analyze ACIAR project data, and suggested a second, more advanced CROPSTAT course. One of the objectives of this ACIAR-funded, 5-year project (2008-13) is to provide training for researchers, farmers, and extension workers from governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The CROPSTAT training is one example of researcher-geared training.

First annual review and planning of the CIMMYT-IRRI collaborative rice-maize project

Written by on November 10, 2009. Posted in News. 1 Comment on First annual review and planning of the CIMMYT-IRRI collaborative rice-maize project

AnnualReview1 Partners of the “Sustainable intensification of rice-maize production systems in Bangladesh” met 25-29 October 2009 for the project’s first annual review—the program started in June 2008 and will run until 2013. Nearly 50 people attended the meeting held at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) in Gazipur, Bangladesh. The Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funds the project, which focuses on research and technology delivery for conservation agriculture (CA) and site-specific nutrient management (SSNM).

Several speakers opened the meeting, including Jagadish Timsina, senior CIMMYT-IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) cropping system agronomist. Timsina highlighted the teamwork between CIMMYT, IRRI, and multiple organizations in Bangladesh who together are working to develop, test, and disseminate sustainable CA-based management systems for highly intensive and productive rice-maize systems. CIMMYT and IRRI are jointly implementing the project. Representatives from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), BRRI, IRRI, and CIMMYT also delivered speeches, presented project results, and collaborated to form a revised work plan for the project’s next four years.

AnnualReview2 The last three days of activities took place in the research stations of BARI, BRRI, and the Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), as well as at on-farm sites in Rajshahi and Comilla. Scientists spoke with farmers about the benefits of CA technologies and received feedback from the farmers about the different technologies tested in their fields as well as overall project activities. First year CA activities for maize primarily focused on seeding on flat land with a power tiller operated seeder (PTOS) and seeding with a bed former/planter on raised beds under reduced tillage. For rice, emphasis has been on direct-seeded rice with the PTOS, direct-seeded rice using a bed former/planter, and transplanting seedlings on raised beds.

In the Comilla project sites, locally managed by BARD, participants focused on SSNM trials. Three treatments for rice are currently being tested in these trials: farmers’ current fertilizer management practice, BRRI’s current recommendations, and the Nutrient Manager softwarebased recommendations. The goal of these comparison trials is to refine and evaluate Nutrient Manager and to optimize fertilizer recommendations to achieve the best benefits for farmers.

Representatives from the International Plant Nutritional Institute, Delhi and the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) also attended the meeting.

Machine mastery

Written by on November 3, 2009. Posted in News.

Nearly 50 two-wheel tractor operators in Bangladesh examined, adjusted, and tested several planting machines during in a four-day practical training course at the Wheat Research Center (WRC), Dinajpur. The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), and CIMMYT organized the course, which ran during 12-15 October 2009 and focused not only on the operation, repair, and maintenance of farm machinery, but also on different crop establishment techniques.

Course leaders divided participants into groups of four and gave each a Sayre Smart Planter (SSP), a farming implement with built-in seed dispensers for multiple crops and a fertilizer application mechanism. The small group size allowed each person to practice converting the machine into its various modes: bed planter, strip tillage seeder, minimum tillage seeder, and zero tillage seeder. All participants then operated the machine in its numerous settings and learned seed calibration techniques for crops such as rice, wheat, jute, lentil, and chickpea. To ensure full understanding of SSP mechanics, each group dismantled the seeder, indentified its various parts, and then reassembled it.

On-hand to provide assistance were Enamul Haque, CIMMYT cropping systems agronomist; Israil Hossain of BARI; and Abdur Rahman, AKM Saiful Islam, and Bidhan Chandra Nath of BRRI. The Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Development Cooperation (BMZ), and USAID Famine Fund Projects funded the course.