By dint of much interest among the farmers and others concerned, acreage of wheat farming in bed-planting method has started gaining momentum in the region including its vast barind tract for the last couple of years.
Farmers, scientists and researchers narrated salient feature of the method while talking to reporters on Wednesday.
They said bed-planting wheat farming is suitable in the areas where ground water level is receding and herbicide-resistant weeds are creating problems.
In the current season, the wheat farmers are expecting better yield like the previous year through adopting the bed plantation system.
Farmers, Anwar Hossain and Yousuf Ali, of Nandigram village under Durgapur upazila of the district said they got two bed-planter machines from Regional Wheat Research Centre (RWRC) and cultivated wheat on around 250 bighas of land last year.
They harvested over 5/7 mounds yield from per bigha of land than the conventional system.
The donation inspired them to purchase two machines. By which, they brought around 450 bighas under the wheat farming this year.
The farmers, however, said they need subsidy to purchase adequate planters for expansion of other crops farming with the method.
RWRC Principal Scientific Officer DrIlias Hossain said that the wheat was cultivated on around 0.16 million hectares of land in the region this year and 5,000 hectares of those were brought under the bed-plantation method.
He expected that the wheat farming in the modern system will be increased in the next season.
Bed planting improves water distribution and irrigation efficiency, gives better results in using fertilizers and pesticides.
The method also reduces weed infestation and crop lodging. It saves crops from disturbance from rats, Dr Hossain opined.
According to BSS the pattern helps farmers save 30 per cent irrigation water and 30 to 40 per cent of seeds and fertilisers.
To maintain sound soil health, it could be advisable to grow rice using a different system in order to improve compatibility between monsoon rice and upland winter crops.
