RAJSHAHI, July 07: Farmers in Godagari upazila of the district are growing brinjal by covering the soil with polythene sheets with a view to saving the plants from being damaged by rain water.
Brinjal is generally a winter vegetable but the growers here are farming the item in advance. As the plants are susceptible to excessive water and water logging, they are usually transplanted in the field when the rainy season is over.
But farmers in the area are covering the beds with polythene to save those from rain water. Sufficient space has also been left at both sides of the bed to allow excessive water to be out.
A good number of cultivators said during rainy season, the vegetables field may be inundated at any time and the farmers would face a huge loss if there was water logging at the vegetables field. To get rid of such losses, farmers are now transplanting brinjal saplings in their fields through the new method of spreading polythene sheets over the bed.
They said each sapling is covered with thin sheet and a small hole is made at the point where the saplings have been transplanted. The upper parts (leaves and stem) of the saplings are inserted outside the polythene sheets to save those from being damaged in water.
The polythene also keeps the soil under the seed-bed dry and free from being too wet to damage the plant. Also the polythene saves those plants from the grip of excessive rain water.
Many farmers in Kakonhat area are also applying the method in cultivating vegetables.
Peasants said at first saplings of brinjal or other vegetables are kept in rows at a certain distance on the bed. Then polythene sheets are spread on the bed and saplings are transplanted by inserting the roots in soil through a small hole made on the polythene. In this system of cultivation, water cannot be deposited at the root of the sapling as rain water drops go away over the polythene.
Farmer Shafiqul said this is the first time they are cultivating brinjal by applying the method and it is working well. There was no damage of brinjal sapling in the rain.
