Farmer-friendly technologies to improve chickpea production in the High Barind Tract
2008
Harris, D., CAZS Natural Resources, Bangor University, UK | Johansen, C., 15 Westgate Court, Leeming, WA 6149, Australia | Musa, A.M., People's Resource-Oriented Voluntary Association (PROVA), 204/A Uposhahar, Rajshahi, 6203 Bangladesh
Research in the High Barind Tract (HBT) of Bangladesh to alleviate the effects of drought, pests, and micronutrient deficiencies on the production of chickpea is described. On-farm seed priming, whereby seeds are soaked in water for 8 hours before being sown, was tested by farmers during four consecutive years from 1998-99 to 2001-02 and this increased grain yield consistently in all four years, with a mean increase of 37%. A lack of molybdenum (Mo) was shown to limit the nodulation, and hence the nitrogen nutrition and yield, of chickpea. Adding Mo and Rhizobium to soils increased nodulation and yield but was expensive and somewhat impractical. Adding Mo and Rhizobium to seeds during the priming operation was shown to be a less costly and more viable alternative that increased mean nodulation score in farmers' trials by more than 70% and mean grain yield by 20%. The components of a simple integrated pest management package were tested, separately and together, in farmers' fields. Bird perches, to facilitate access of insectivorous birds to the infested crop, reduced significantly the incidence of larvae of pod borer (Helicoverpa amigera) and the number of pods damaged by the pest. Use of Helicoverpa nuclear polyhedrosis virus was similarly effective, as was growing chickpea as an intercrop with linseed or barley. However, reduced pest incidence was not consistently associated with increased yield because of other constraints such as Botrytis gray mold and terminal drought. Nevertheless, the simple farmer-friendly interventions tested proved to be effective and would contribute to increasing the productivity and profitability of chickpea production in the HBT.
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