By Md Aynal Haque

RAJSHAHI, Feb 17, 2024 (BSS)- Prospects of boosting additional around one lakh tons of lentil output are bright in the region including the vast barind tract.

Agricultural extension officials, scientists and researchers concerned unanimously revealed the prospect referring to some on-farm research findings.

They evaluated a set of techniques to address how to use residual soil moisture in rain-fed areas, higher cost of production and low productivity due to late planting in the region.

They stressed on substantial and sustainable promotion of high yielding varieties and modern farming technologies to materialize the existing potentialities for meeting up the country's gradually increasing demand of the cereal crop.

Around 80,000 hectares of land remain fallow for more than three months after the harvest of transplanted aman paddy every year.

There has been a bright scope of bringing the huge land under the pulse farming for the best uses of those alongside increasing cropping intensity amid the current water-stress condition.

Dr Ilias Hossain, Chief Scientific Officer of Regional Wheat and Maize Research Center (RWMRC), said recent research has uncovered two new high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties of lentil which has the potential to significantly raise productivity and strengthen food and nutritional security in Bangladesh.

There are enormous prospects of harvesting additional one lakh tonnes of lentil every year including the high barind tract consisting of Rajshahi, Naogaon and Chapainawabgonj districts.

He said there should be adequate measures for motivating the farmers to make the farming popular and profitable at the growers' level.

The farmers need power tiller operated seeder and bed-planter machines on subsidized rate for successful promotion of farming mechanizations for expansion and adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) system.

RWMRC has started conducting various programmes including farmers' motivation and training, field demonstration and supplying necessary inputs like seed in association with International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and Krishi Gobeshona Foundation.

He said "No additional cost for fertilizer, pesticide and irrigation is needed to cultivate this short-term cash crop".

Strip tillage is being replaced by existing conventional systems with higher crop productivity, which reduces cost of planting.

Residual soil moisture can be utilized through strip tillage technique by advancing the seeding of wheat and lentil after T. Aman harvest.

ATM Rafiqul Islam, Manager (Agriculture) of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority, said the cultivation of pulse has been playing a significant role in crop intensity and diversification.

As the crop is short-term, it could be cultivated easily on the rice-based cropping pattern. The country has to import a huge quantity of pulses, especially lentils to meet up its domestic demand.

Since there is a bright prospect of increasing its acreage, lentils could be produced in larger amounts with less production cost.

Shamsul Wadud, Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension, said they are working to boost lentil production through motivating the grassroots farmers.

Most of the modern and high yielding varieties, including BARI Masur-1 to 9 are being promoted among the farmers so that they can derive total benefits of those.

On Thursday last, Agriculture Secretary Wahida Akter accompanied by the Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Lilly Nicholls visited different projection pots of pulse crops, including lentils, in the region.

Shamsul Wadud said the government has been working to boost lentil production through promoting the modern and high yielding varieties supported by the Canadian government.

Meanwhile, around 54,101 tonnes of lentils are expected to be produced from 35,380 hectares of land in the division during the current Rabi season.

 The DAE has set the target of producing 32,411 tonnes of lentil from 20,620 hectares of land in four districts of its Rajshahi Agricultural Zone, while 21,690 tonnes from 14,755 hectares of land in four other districts of Bogura zone.

Shamsul Wadud said all possible measures were adopted to attain the production target of lentil as its newly developed high yielding varieties were provided to the farmers.

 
 Most of the small and marginalized farmers were given seed and fertilizer support for lentil farmers free of cost under the government's agriculture incentive programme.