This document summarizes a project in Bangladesh that aims to introduce short duration pulses like lentils and peas into rice-based cropping systems to increase pulse production. The project is a collaboration between universities and research organizations in Bangladesh and Australia. It plans to widen the window between rice crops and use techniques like relay cropping and early maturing varieties to grow pulses. Initial findings showed pulses can be grown before or after rice. Constraints identified were waterlogging and diseases. Potential future collaborations discussed other countries and projects addressing similar cropping patterns and climate change adaptation.

1. Introduction of short duration pulses
into rice-based cropping systems in
western Bangladesh
Imran Malik, Ken Flower, Matiur Rahman, William Erskine
Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture

2. Project: CIM-2009-038
Partners and Collaborators
• ACIAR- funded from January 1, 2011 for 5
years
• Commissioned organisation:
The University of Western Australia
• Collaborating partner: PBA/Vic. DPI (Peas)
• Collaborating IARC: ICARDA (Lentils)
• In-country coordination: IRRI
• Major research partners: BARI, BRRI
• Other partners: DAE and NGOs

3. Bangladesh statistical information
Population : 164 million
Area: 144 000 km2
Agricultural land: 90 000 km2
Forest area: 8664 km2

4. Outline
• Background
• Approach taken
• Possible constraint
• Potential collaborations and prospects

5. Background 100 Pea
80
60
Rice (main crop) 40
Production ton (X1000)
20
0
77% agricultural area
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
82% of calories
53% of protein 200
Lentil
150
100
Pulse production 50
decreased 0
1960
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
Year
FAOSTAT, 2011

6. Change of major crop production
1985 2009
Area Prod Area Prod
Crops (10000 ha) (10000 t) (10000 ha) (10000 t)
Boro 153 367 472 1781
Wheat 54 104 39 84
Potato 11 110 39 53
Maize 1 0.7 13 73

7. Crop Calender and rain pattern of Bangladesh
J F M A M J J A S O N D
400 mm
Boro
300 mm
Aman
200 mm
Aus
100 mm
Robi
0 mm
Sowing
Harvest
Rain data from S. Shahid (2010) Int. J. Climatol. 30: 2299–2313

8. Aim of the project
Increase pulse production
• In rice cropping system
• New agronomic practice
• Capacity building of the
researchers and growers

9. Pulses
Lentil Field Pea Mung Bean

10. Strategies to achieve the goal
• Widen window between rice crops
• Early maturing lentil and field pea
• Relay cropping of short duration pulses
• Short duration Mung bean
• Up-scaling of short duration pulses varieties

11. Cropping patterns targeted
Current practice Target practice
Aman rice- Fallow- Boro Aman rice-pea-Boro
Aman rice- Fallow- Boro Aman rice- lentil/pea (relay)-Mung
Aman rice-rabi crops- Fallow Aman rice-rabi crops- Mung

12. Widen window from rice side
T. Aman
BRRI dhan33 119 days
BRRI dhan49 141 days

13. Super early lentil
Local lentil
(flower in 65 d)
Super early lentil
(flower in 50 d)

14. Why Relay Cropping
• Resource capture (e.g. moisture, nutrient)
• Conservation tillage
• Hasten maturity

15. Lentil into standing rice
Pea after rice harvest
Lentil after rice harvest

16. At field day
Happy Farmer with his relay Pea crop

17. Major findings of year 1
• Early aman rice allow green pea before Boro
• Identified early pea genotypes
• Relay sown lentil/pea between T.Aman and T.aus/Mung
• On-farm Lentil (relay sown) and Mung demonstrations

18. Crop Calender
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Boro
Aman
Lentil
F. Pea
G. Pea
Kharif 1
Sowing
Harvest

19. Constraints for growing legumes
• Soil Waterlogging
• Diseases and Pests
These constraints have adverse effect on plant growth and yield

20. Boro rice
Lentil
Soil Waterlogging
Drought

21. Rust
Flower dropping caused by thrips
Stemphylium blight
Powdery mildew

22. Strategies to cope with climate change
at agronomic level
• Management practice:
– Resource capture
– Conservation tillage
– Modelling reliability of window
– Intercropping
• Altering inputs:
– Cultivars
– fertilizer

23. Potential collaboration and future
direction
• LWR/2008/019 (CCAS)(Developing multi-scale climate change
adaptation strategies for farming communities in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Bangladesh and
India )
• LWR/2010/080 (OAMC)(Overcoming agronomic and
mechanisation constraints to development of conservation agriculture in diversified
rice-based cropping in Bangladesh)

24. Potential collaboration cont......
• Similar cropping pattern to Bangladesh
• Myanmar (need to explore)
• India (Eastern)
• Nepal (relay cropping of lentil)

25. Dimension of impacts
• Nutritional benefit
• Water use (resource capture)
• Climate change and mitigation
• Greenhouse gas emission
• Energy budget
• Soil health
• Beyond agronomy

26. Thank you