Neogi 2009 – Rice and Monga in Bangladesh

A series of experiments was conducted at the proposed RDRS University Campus Farm, Rangpur Bangladesh during aman season in 2005 and 2006. The overall objective was to evaluate the effect of direct seeding and transplanting system of short duration variety of aman rice in Aman rice-Potato-Mungbean cropping pattern on the employment of day laborers during monga months (mid-September to mid-November). In 2005, a short duration aman variety (BRRI Dhan33) with three planting dates (15th June, 30th June and 15th July) and two planting methods (direct seeding and transplanting) was tested through on-station research to identify suitable time of planting in support of early harvest during monga period. In 2006, the same experiment with two aman varieties viz BR11 and BRRI Dhan33 under three planting dates (1st, 15th and 30th June) and the two planting methods (direct seeding and transplanting) was also tested for the same purpose. Significantly the higher panicle number (408/m2) and yield (4.14 t/ha) were obtained with 30th June planting under direct seeding of BRRI Dhan33 compared to those of all other planting dates. Similar result was also obtained with direct seeding of BR11, where both 15th and 30th June planting provided significantly the highest panicle (464/m2 and 468/m2 respectively) and yield (4.49 t/ha and 4.5 t/ha respectively) compared to all other planting dates. Crop duration was reduced to 100 days with 30th June planting of BRRI Dhan33 and 128 days with 15th and 30th June planting of BR11 under direct seeding compared to all other planting dates of BRRI Dhan33 (120 days) and BR11 (150 days). The harvesting of 30th June planting of BRRI Dhan33 under direct seeding occurred during the peak monga periods (during October). Under transplanting, the harvesting of 15th June planted BRRI Dhan33 also occurred during October. Due to harvest of rice in monga months, a total of 60 laborers were employed per hectare for the operations viz: harvesting, threshing, drying and storing, which would have been otherwise done in December. The total labor required by drum seeding (186 laborers/ha), which is almost similar to traditional transplanting system (191 laborers/ha). The overall result indicates that the crops under direct seeding of BRRI Dhan33 in late June and under transplanting of the same variety upon seeding of mid June were harvested during peak monga months, which created a significant access of day laborers to employment. The result also implies that because of early harvest of rice, the succeeding crops (potato and mungbean) could be established in due time and thus performed better compared to their traditional planting.

File: Neogi 2009 - Rice and Monga in Bangladesh.pdf