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Organic Rice Cropping in Bangladesh: Is It a Sustainable Alternative to Conventional Practice!

Z. Islam
Entomology Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur; 3 Present Address: 61 Coleman Avenue, Toronto Ontario, M4C1P8, Canada

M. Hossain
Entomology Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur

T. Chancellor
Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, United Kingdom,

N. Ahmed
Entomology Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur

M. Hasan
Entomology Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur

M. Haq
Entomology Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Pesticides and inorganic chemical fertilizers were introduced in Bangladesh in 1950s, until when agriculture was organic. In 1950, Bangladesh population were 43.6 million which has increased to 69.2 million in 1970 and exceeded 140 million by 2000. Raid Population growth over last half a century has similarly increased the food demand. In order to improve food security for the rapidly increasing populations high input-based Green Revolution was initiated in the country in mid 1960s. By mid 1970s, problems such as emergence of new pests and increased incidence of some pests started to appear. In order to investigate the merits of claims of pressure groups for ecological/organic farming, and whether such cropping systems can provide food security for current and future populations of Bangladesh, we conducted replicated field experiments in six successive seasons under boro-aman pattern. Organic rice cropping did not reduce insect pests or increases their natural enemies. In most cases there was no benefit in using insecticide either as preventive or as curative application. Fertilizer application in the aman season did not increase rice yields over the organic treatment, mainly due to monsoon weather conditions. However, fertilizer application increased boro rice yields significantly over the ecological/organic farming. Research on the rational and effective use of fertilizers in the aman season may increase rice production. However, wide-scale adoption of ecological/organic farming in the boro season will reduce rice production by several million tons resulting food crisis, jeopardizing all efforts for achieving food security thus, not a sustainable alternative to conventional practice.

Keywords: Rice, Insect pests, Insecticide, Prophylactic and need-based application, Grain yield

Location: BRRI experimental farm at Gazipur in 1998

Start Date: 00-00-1998

End Date:

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Commodity: Rice

Objectives:

An attempt was made to investigate whether organic farming can produce similar yields to that of cropping with chemical inorganic inputs.

Methodology:

In order to determine influences of organic farming, and the possible benefits of insecticide use, either as a preventive or a curative measure on grain yield, an experiment under aman (monsoon rice) – fallow/green manure crop - boro (dry season rice) cropping system was established at BRRI experimental farm at Gazipur in 1998 aman season. Experimental treatments were i) organic rice cropping without any inorganic fertilizer or pesticide, ii) rice cropping with inorganic fertilizers at recommended rates without any insecticide, iii) rice cropping with inorganic fertilizers and granular insecticide as preventive measure and iv) rice cropping with inorganic fertilizers and need based insecticide use. Sixteen 13 m by 11 m permanent plots were developed, which were separated by 100 cm wide bunds. During six successive rice seasons over a three year period, the same plot was used for a specific treatment. Recently developed and released modern rice variety BRRI dhan29 was grown in the boro season and BRRI dhan32 in the aman season. Inorganic fertilizer and insecticides were used at the recommended rates on the annual basis for two rice crops (aman and boro). In the organic farming plots cow dung was applied at 5 t/ha before each boro crop, once in a year. Lathyrus (a pulse) crop was grown as a green manure crop in the ecological/organic plots between the aman and boro rice crops. These plots also received quick compost made out of cow dung, oil cake and saw dust mixed at 4:1:2 ratio and allowed 2-3 weeks for decomposition. Quick compost was used at land opening at each season at the rate of 750 kg/ha, as was recommended by Proshika. Rice ratoons and/or stubble, Lathyrus and weeds that had grown in each plot during the fallow period were incorporated at land preparation. The incorporated biomass was estimated by collecting three 1m² samples from each plot. Diazinon 10G applied at 1.68 kg a.i./ha in the plots assigned for preventive use at the time of first top dressing of N fertilizer. Need based insecticide was used only in 1999 and 2000 aman season against green leafhoppers at mid-tillering and rice hispa at early tillering stages respectively, because their population reached at ETL. Diazinon 60EC was applied at 0.90 L a.i./ha by a knapsack sprayer. Insect pest and natural enemy populations were monitored at four-week intervals by sweep net (20 sweeps per plot) and stem borer and gall midge damage by direct count of 20 random hills per plot. Grain yields were estimated by harvesting 20m² areas from each plot.

Source of Information: J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 3(1): 233-238, 2010 ISSN 1999-7361

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Recently, in 2007-08 Bangladesh had experienced a crisis situation due to rice shortfall associated with bad weather and hike of rice price in the world market. Because of weak economic back bone and slim world rice market Bangladesh can not afford to take such a risk of wide-scale adoption of organic farming in the boro season. Results clearly indicated that Bangladesh can not afford the luxoury of organic rice cropping at large scale. Such an effort will jeopardize our struggle for achieving staple food security thus not sustainable. The problem associated with N-fertilizer overuse can be partly minimized by the adoption of real time N management through the use of inexpensive and simple to use leaf color chart and intensive extension campaign.

Knowledge Management: Journal