Large-scale adoption and popularisation of the latest technologies among the farmers can further increase crop production at reduced costs to ensure food security despite impacts of a changing climate.
Adoption of conservation agriculture (CA)-based technologies would make farm activities more profitable for the farmers saving environment, ecology, bio-diversity, soil health and fertility, reports BSS.
Noted agriculturist and Executive Director of North Bengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said adoption of the latest technologies would increase crop yields, save water, facilitate crop intensification and remunerative markets for produce.
He suggested expanded farming of short duration, drought- , saline- and flood- tolerant rice using patterns like rice- wheat-mugbean/jute, rice-potato-relay/maize, rice-vegetables-wheat, and rice-sugarcane with intercrops like garlic, onion/vegetables.
To facilitate the process, he stressed quicker dissemination of the latest technologies among the farmers with increased subsidies for easier procurement of the necessary machineries, inputs, spares and other materials by them.
Dr MA Mazid, associate director of Agriculture of BRAC International (South Asia and Africa), said adoption of latest technologies would reduce crop durations, help pair-row-sugarcane farming with mugbean/chilly intercropping, nutrient and fertiliser managements, drought escaping and cost- saving by reducing labours, fuel and water.
He narrated how the farmers were already being benefited through using the CA-based minimum tillage or zero tillage, direct seeded rice, bed- planting with two-wheel tractors in light texture soil at different areas amid a changing climate.
Regional Additional Director of the DAE Sikander Ali said crop production cost fell by adopting the CA-based latest technologies including Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation method through public-private and GO- NGO collaborations.
Quick delivery of the latest agri-technologies for system-based crop diversification would help coping with adverse climate change impacts to increase crop production to ensure food security and livelihoods for the people, he said.
