The overall aim of the project is to improve livelihoods of resource-poor rural communities in NW Bangladesh through increasing their knowledge and practice of pulse cultivation. This aim will be underpinned by research to be conducted in Bangladesh and Australia to optimize crop establishment and fertilizer use efficiency of pulses under rainfed and residual moisture conditions.

The project objectives are:

Objective 1: To assemble, improve and disseminate packages of best practices for chickpea cultivation to new areas in the HBT.

Rationale

This objective aims to capitalise on the previous DFID- and ACIAR-funded work by updating integrated crop management packages. Recently validated components of improved technology, such as priming with Mo and Rhizobium, and IPM options, need to be incorporated. The packages need to be widely demonstrated in areas of the HBT still largely remaining fallow after t. aman rice, mainly in the northern part of the HBT. This will form a platform from which to address additional crop constraints through further adaptive research, such as that proposed in Objective 3.

Activities:

1.1 Training of DAE and other NGOs in best practices for chickpea cultivation.
1.2 On-farm technology evaluation and demonstration in new areas.
1.3 Adaptive research on varietal and IPM options.
1.4 Quantification of increased chickpea cultivation and technology adoption by farmers.

Objective 2: To expand cultivation of winter pulses into the northern Rajshahi Division as represented by Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Districts.

Rationale

With the introduction of tubewell irrigation in the NW region, cultivation of winter pulses has declined over the previous 2-3 decades. However, receding water tables, increasing irrigation costs and increasing profitability of crops such as pulses favour the rehabilitation of rainfed cropping after rice. Technologies are available to permit successful cultivation of pulses such as chickpea and lentil in the region but extension personnel and farmers are generally not aware of these technologies. The methodology successfully implemented for chickpea in the HBT in earlier projects will be used to expand legume cultivation in northern Rajshahi Division.

Activities

2.1 Spatial analysis of biophysical and socioeconomic constraints in the northern Rajshahi Division to better target technologies.
2.2 Develop chickpea and lentil packages most suited to promising areas identified in Activity 2.1.
2.3 Training of extension agencies, NGOs and farmers in appropriate legume technologies.
2.4 Farmer-managed on-farm evaluation and demonstration of chickpea and lentil technologies.

Objective 3: To develop, test and disseminate power tiller mounted drills to appropriately place seed of pulses and required fertilizer in the seedbed.

Rationale

Recent use of power tillers in the HBT for broadcast sowing of rainfed pulses has created crop establishment problems due to their enhancement of soil moisture evaporation. To overcome this problem it is necessary to place seed and required fertilizer in the soil in such a way as to maintain surface soil moisture for as long as possible, by use of minimum tillage. Seed and fertilizer drill attachments to power tillers potentially suitable for this purpose have been developed, primarily for wheat. These need to be modified to accommodate seeds of pulses, including primed seed, and the fertilizers needed for pulses (mainly phosphorus and boron). Such drills will only be commercially viable if they can handle seed of all major crops grown in the region.

Activities

3.1 Design and construct power tiller-mounted drills that can handle pulses and other crops grown in the region.
3.2 Evaluate these drills on-farm for their adequacy in placing seed and fertilizer.
3.3 Determine farmer preferences and acceptability for machinery options.
3.4 Conduct cost-benefit analysis of farmer preferred options.
3.5 Engage with local machinery manufacturers for development, manufacture and maintenance of drills.
3.6 Promote commercial production and dissemination of viable seed drill attachments.
3.7 Provide training in the use and maintenance of improved equipment.

Objective 4: To assess the benefits of deep placement of fertilizers for pulse crops and their variation with soil, time of placement, row spacing, and season.

Rationale

Reduced fertilizer use efficiency due to drying of the surface soil is a continuing problem in rainfed cropping. Pulse crops in both Bangladesh and Australia face these constraints and there is a need to improve methods of seed and fertilizer placement in the seedbed in the cropping circumstances of both countries. To achieve this, further understanding is required of moisture x fertilizer x seed depth and row spacing interactions for pulse crops. This will be studied in detail in field and glasshouse experiments in Bangladesh and Western Australia.

Activities

4.1 Conduct experiments to improve understanding of fertilizer x soil moisture interactions relevant to pulses in residual moisture and rainfed environments.
4.2 Develop recommendations for fertilizer placement in cereal-based cropping systems.
4.3 Provide training in Australia for agricultural engineering and plant nutrition specialists from Bangladesh.

METHODOLOGY

Objective 1: Disseminate chickpea technology in HBT

1.1 Training of DAE and other NGOs in improved practices

Within the first month after project commencement it is intended to hold a project inception workshop in Bangladesh, to review collaboration arrangements across the entire project (including the other objectives), to coordinate activities of all partners, formulate detailed work plans for the coming season, and propose conditional work plans for subsequent seasons (to be modified as necessary according to first season experience). A summary proceedings will be produced as a working document for project participants; it will be produced as quickly as possible after the workshop and distributed amongst partners to provide a guide for activities and expected outcomes.

Further dissemination of rainfed rice-chickpea ICM will be focused in central to northern areas of the HBT where deep tubewell irrigation is less prevalent and chickpea technology is least known. It will also include other portions of the HBT, removed from the contiguous western portion, such as in Joypurhat where there are preliminary indications that chickpea is a viable option. Deficiencies of Mo and B, and soil acidity are more likely in the proposed target areas and their amelioration would need to be included in the proposed ICM package. Based on outcomes of DFID Project R8269 and ACIAR Project CIM/2001/039, the chickpea ICM package for the HBT will be revised. PROVA will apprise participating DAE personnel of the revised package and together they will identify target areas and farmers willing to participate in demonstrations, and then arrange farmer training using a whole family approach.

1.2 On-farm technology evaluation and demonstration in new areas

With provision of inputs that farmers do not normally use (e.g. seed of improved varieties, Mo and B fertilizers, HNPV, etc.), farmers will implement demonstrations in 1 bigha (= 0.13 ha) plots on their own land. Around 150 demonstrations are envisaged for the first season, with about 250 in subsequent seasons. There would be regular monitoring by PROVA and DAE to trouble-shoot problems and record progress and constraints. During Jan-Feb, in-the-field training in management of Helicoverpa pod borer and BGM will be provided. Field days and farmer walks will be conducted during late February to early March, inviting as many farmers from the target region as can be arranged, as well as other stakeholders (e.g., research and extension organizations, GO and NGO). Near harvest time, training will be provided in seed preservation, storage and dissemination, to promote local entrepreneurship in quality seed supply. PROVA will continue with efforts to commercialize the supply of inputs not readily available, such as B and Mo fertilizers, lime, Rhizobium and HNPV, using BDS techniques. Rhizobial inoculant will be obtained from Bangladesh Institute for Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) and HNPV from the Botany Department, Rajshahi University, with previous experience of quality assurance. PROVA will continue to work with these organizations in the commercialization of rhizobial inoculant and HNPV. Demonstrations will continue in subsequent years with updated ICM packages. Also in subsequent years, participating farmers will be encouraged to grow direct seeded or short duration rice before chickpea in order to ensure earlier sowing of chickpea under conditions of adequate seedbed moisture.

1.3 Adaptive research on varietal and IPM options

To further refine chickpea technologies, operational scale on-farm trials (OFT) and on-farm evaluations (OFE) will be conducted by PROVA, MU and BARI as required. Emphasis will be on improving IPM options. In subsequent seasons, the ICM package will be updated to better address prevailing constraints. When a suitable seed and fertilizer drill is identified and validated under Objective 3, this will be incorporated into the ICM package.

1.4 Quantification of adoption of chickpea technology

An impact study on chickpea adoption in the HBT is being conducted in the first half of 2006 under DFID Project R8269. This will serve as a baseline study against which subsequent adoption under the present project will be measured. Adoption will be tracked in each year but a comprehensive quantification will be done in the final year.

Objective 2: Expand pulse cultivation in northern Rajshahi Division

2.1 Conduct spatial analysis of biophysical and socioeconomic constraints

Up-to-date information on lentil and chickpea is available to a lesser extent in the northern Rajshahi Division than in traditional growing areas further to the south. A spatial analysis of constraints, firstly based on the extensive database of land resource and agro-climatic information (FAO/UNDP 1988) under the custodianship of BARC, will be conducted using GIS. The approach will be to identify the key risk factors, select appropriate spatial data sets from the database to represent these factors and then use weight-of-evidence modelling to produce maps of constraints (e.g. see Wong et al. 2005) and of areas most suited to rabi pulses. This will be conducted jointly by BARC and MU. In the first season, a comprehensive constraints survey will be conducted across the target region, involving subject matter specialists from MU, RDRS, BARI and DAE. This information would also feed into the GIS analysis. This constraint information will provide a basis for establishing OFTs and OFEs in subsequent seasons, designed to alleviate the major constraints. As part of the constraint survey, and in conjunction with establishing demonstrations, a baseline survey to establish pre-project cultivation of chickpea and lentil in the target region and farmer opinion regarding these crops will be conducted. This will serve as a baseline against which adoption of these legumes will be measured in the final year of the project.

2.2 Develop chickpea and lentil packages most suited to promising areas identified in Activity 2.1

Existing information will be used to update ICM packages for lentil and chickpea cultivation suitable for the target region, to produce extension pamphlets and other training material.

2.3 Train staff of extension agencies, NGOs and farmers in appropriate legume technologies

Demonstrations for these crops will be established in Dinajpur and Thakurgaon Districts, following the procedure as described above for chickpea in the HBT. This activity will be coordinated by RDRS, incorporating their farmer-promoter approach, but will also be done in conjunction with DAE, PROVA (with regard to chickpea) and BARI (providing training in lentil and chickpea technology inputs). Researchers and extension personnel would also be trained in using GIS output concerning legume cultivation through use of the Bangladesh Country Almanac, originally developed by CIMMYT.

2.4 Conduct on-farm evaluation and demonstration of improved legume technologies

About 50 chickpea and 100 lentil demonstrations will be attempted in the first year, with their success or otherwise determining demonstration numbers in future years. On-farm trials and evaluations will be conducted to test factors likely to be determining yields, such as nutrient and lime requirement and IPM options. Although most of the HBT is not suitable for lentil, as its roots cannot penetrate soil of high bulk density, there are some niches in the HBT with lighter soils where it is also intended to evaluate lentil cultivation. Adoption of lentil and chickpea as a result of project activities will be monitored.

Objective 3: Develop, test and disseminate power tiller mounted drills

3.1 Design and construct power tiller-mounted drills

The project will build upon previous achievements of BARI-WRC and CIMMYT-Bangladesh in developing power tiller mounted drills suitable for the major crops and soil types of the region. Specifically, the project would support development of drills that can adequately sow pulses adapted to the region and into difficult, hard-setting soils as in the HBT. BARI-WRC will modify existing prototypes to ensure adequate delivery of seed of chickpea and lentil, including primed seed, as well as the required fertilizers, mainly TSP (triple superphosphate) and borax, as required. Machine development will be done through the machinery development working group coordinated by CIMMYT, involving commercial manufacturers. Jeff Esdaile will advise on machinery development drawing on his extensive experience with minimum tillage in Australia, and on experience in Cambodia applying minimum tillage on small farms.

3.2 On-farm evaluation of sowing technique x fertilizer placement techniques

Improved prototypes will be tested in farmers’ fields covering a range of soil types in the HBT. Drills will also be evaluated for their ability to handle seeds of other major crops of the region, e.g. rice, wheat, mung bean, and to deep place fertilizer. Crop establishment and yield with the improved equipment will be evaluated against existing methods of sowing, such as hand broadcasting into fields cultivated by country ploughs or power tillers. Field testing would be done by PROVA and DAE, but in conjunction with the other project partners.

3.3 Farmer evaluation of machinery options

Farmers will independently evaluate the evolved machinery. It is expected that the preferred machinery will be adaptable for use with a variety of crops so that a single minimum tillage planter can be used for most crops sown by a farmer.

3.4 Undertake benefit-cost analysis of farmer preferred options

A benefit-cost analysis of the preferred equipment options will be done by CIMMYT to assess their commercial viability.

3.5 Engage with local machinery manufacturers for development, manufacture and maintenance of drills

Although local manufacturers would have been involved in the development and testing of prototypes, assistance may be required in preparation for commercial production (e.g. arrangement of credit, based on commercial prospects as estimated above). This would be carried out through the CIMMYT-convened agricultural machinery working group.

3.6 Develop and disseminate commercially viable drills

After successful farmer testing, and a demand for the equipment demonstrated, promotion of commercial dissemination will be undertaken by CIMMYT and WRC, using BDS approaches.

3.7 Training in use and maintenance of improved equipment

An important component of dissemination will be training of retailers, user-farmers and service agencies in the proper use and maintenance of the equipment. This training by CIMMYT and WRC will need to be on-going, and it will provide feedback from users on future design improvements that could be made.

Objective 4: Assess deep placement of fertilizers for pulses

4.1 Improve understanding of fertilizer x soil moisture interactions relevant to pulses in residual moisture and rainfed environments

In the HBT, field experiments will be set up to examine the processes of chickpea establishment in relation to sowing depth, and fertiliser placement on acid and low B soils. Detailed studies of the drying of the seedbed and the increase in soil strength will be conducted in relation to the soil types, fertiliser placement and sowing treatments. Effects of crop establishment on subsequent crop growth, nutrient acquisition and soil water uptake will be examined. These investigations will be focussed on two detailed experiments in each year, supplemented by opportunistic sampling of chickpea in other on-farm trials.

In WA, the aim is to determine the relative response of chickpea, field pea and faba bean to nutrients placed near the seed vs those placed 10-15 cm below the seed or to the side of the seed, and the consistency of responses in different seasons. The major activity will be a field experiment set up in Year 1 with four fertiliser treatments on a non-acid soil in conventional narrow rows and in wide rows: no fertilizer addition; surface fertilizer application; sub-soil fertilizer application; split surface and sub-soil fertilizer. In Year 1, field pea and wheat will be grown as the test crops, followed by chickpea in year 2 to assess residual effects on growth and nutrient uptake. This experiment will determine the relationship between fertiliser placement, root growth, soil water status and nutrient uptake, leading to an understanding of effects on yield. In pot experiments, the dynamics of nutrient uptake and root growth over time will be tracked in relation to fertilizer placement and soil moisture for field pea, faba bean and chickpea. The aim of these experiments will be to determine the relationship between nutrient supply and demand during growth and how this is affected by fertiliser placement and the root characteristics of pulse species. A research assistant will be recruited as the primary researcher conducting field and glasshouse studies, with guidance from Drs Bell (MU) and Brennan (DAFWA). The research assistant will be involved in experiments in Bangladesh as well as Australia.

4.2 Develop recommendations for fertilizer placement in cereal-based cropping systems

Results obtained from the above experimentation will be used to develop fertilizer placement recommendations suitable for pulses grown in cereals-based cropping systems in both Australia and Bangladesh.

4.3 Train agricultural engineering and plant nutrition specialists from Bangladesh

Training would be provided in WA and NSW in the project topic area to develop long-term subject matter specialists in nutrition of grain legumes and appropriate minimum tillage techniques and means of placing seed and fertilizer.