Abstract
Further efforts are needed to combat poverty and agricultural productivity problems in the delta region of Bangladesh. Sustainable intensification of crop production through irrigation and production of cash crops such as maize and wheat might be a promising option to increase income and diversify food production. Only limited research has however been conducted on the potential of using surface water from canals as an irrigation source for maize and wheat production in the delta region. To better understand the contribution of shallow groundwater to crop production and number of irrigations needed for maize and wheat in this unique coastal environment, we conducted multi-locational trials on farmers' fields over three rabi seasons. In addition to soil moisture and salinity, we recorded the depth and salinity of the shallow water table throughout these experiments. Maize in particular requires considerable capital investment for seeds, fertilizer, irrigation and labor. Although farmers express wide interest in maize – which can be sold as a profitable cash crop into Bangladesh's expanding poultry feed industry – many of them are reluctant to invest in fertilizer because of the high entry costs. We therefore also investigated the profitability of growing maize under low and high (recommended) fertilizer regimens. Volumetric soil moisture at sowing and during the grain filling phase or at maturity indicated that there is ample supply of water in the profile. Most measurements were above the drained upper limit (DUL). We attributed this to the generally shallow water table depths, which never exceeded 2.75 m at any location, but generally stayed between 1–2 m depth throughout the season. The region’s soil texture classes (clay loams, silt loams and silty clay loams) are all conducive for capillary rise of water into the rooting zone. Consequently, irrigation had a significant effect on maize yield in the driest winter only, whereas for wheat, it had no effect. The key for a successful maize and wheat production in the delta region of Bangladesh is to ensure a good crop establishment, which can be achieved with a starter and an additional irrigation at crown root initiation for wheat and at V6-8 for maize. Maize however is not always profitable. Compared to low fertilizer rates, higher rates reduced losses in low yielding site-years and increased profits in high-yielding site years. This indicates that it is advisable for farmers not to reduce fertilizer rates. Low-risk financial credit with rationally structured interest rates that allow farmers to invest in maize could potentially offset these constraints.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Soil moisture at sowing and grain filling or maturity indicated ample profile water, with most measurements above the drained upper limit.
- Taxon
- maize and wheat
Triticum aestivum
Zea mayst0 - Outcome
- Volumetric soil moisturee0
- Direction
- abovee0
- Comparator
- drained upper limit (DUL)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Volumetric soil moisture at sowing and during the grain filling phase or at maturity indicated that there is ample supply of water in the profile. Most measurements were above the drained upper limit (DUL).”
t0“maize and wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Shallow water tables never exceeded 2.75 m and generally remained at 1–2 m throughout the season.
- Taxon
- maize and wheatTriticum aestivumZea mayst0
- Outcome
- shallow water table depthse0
- Value
- 1–2 me0
- Qualifier
- never exceeded 2.75 me0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“shallow water table depths, which never exceeded 2.75 m at any location, but generally stayed between 1–2 m depth throughout the season”
t0“maize and wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation significantly affected maize yield only in the driest winter.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“irrigation had a significant effect on maize yield in the driest winter only”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation had no effect on wheat yield.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- irrigatione1
- Outcome
- wheate1
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“whereas for wheat, it had no effect”
t0“wheat”
e1“irrigation had a significant effect on maize yield in the driest winter only, whereas for wheat, it had no effect”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher fertilizer rates reduced maize losses in low yielding site years compared with low rates.
- Treatment
- higher ratese0
- Outcome
- lossese0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- low yielding site-yearse0
- Comparator
- low fertilizer ratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared to low fertilizer rates, higher rates reduced losses in low yielding site-years”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher fertilizer rates increased maize profits in high yielding site years compared with low rates.
- Treatment
- higher ratese0
- Outcome
- profitse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- high-yielding site yearse0
- Comparator
- low fertilizer ratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Compared to low fertilizer rates, higher rates reduced losses in low yielding site-years and increased profits in high-yielding site years”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend starter irrigation and irrigation at crown root initiation for successful wheat establishment.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Outcome
- a starter and an additional irrigation at crown root initiatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a starter and an additional irrigation at crown root initiation for wheat”
t0“wheat”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend starter irrigation and irrigation at V6-8 for successful maize establishment.
- Outcome
- at V6-8 for maizee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“a starter and an additional irrigation at crown root initiation for wheat and at V6-8 for maize”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors advise maize farmers against reducing fertilizer rates.
- Outcome
- not to reduce fertilizer ratese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“it is advisable for farmers not to reduce fertilizer rates”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest low risk credit with suitable interest rates to enable maize investment.
- Outcome
- Low-risk financial credit with rationally structured interest ratese0
- Qualifier
- could potentiallye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Low-risk financial credit with rationally structured interest rates that allow farmers to invest in maize could potentially offset these constraints”
The same questions in other papers
irrigation · organism · Triticum aestivum (wheat)Positive and negative results
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See all 13 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.