Cultivation of Crops

Rice Cultivation

 Rice is the main food crop of Bangladesh. Rice is the food of almost half of the total population of the world. Rice is cultivated in almost 80% land of our country. Bangladesh Rice Research Institute has developed many improved varieties of rice and developed many cultivation technologies. Now High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of rice have been cultivated in many areas of the country. The production of HYV rice is more than that of local varieties.

The characteristics of HYV are:
 1. The leaves of HYV rice are thick, short and straight. Hence get more sun light, and the leaves become deeply green.
2. Plant do not lodge because of their stiffness and shortness
3. Plants can uptake more nutrients and hence give higher yields.
4. As the plants remain green even during ripening of paddy grain they do not suffer from shortage of nutrients
5. Production of rice is relatively higher than straw
6. Infestation of pests and diseases in HYV rice is relatively low.
7. Depending on variety it can be cultivated during any time of the year.
8. Number of tillers is higher.

Selection of Land

 Rice can be cultivated well in silt loam and clay type of soil.

Varieties

 The name of the HYV varieties of rice are mentioned below on the basis of seasons

Broad Cast Aus:

 Nizami and Niamat.

Transplanted Aus:

 Mala, Chandina, Purbachi, Gazi, BRRI-Balam, Biplab, Asha, Sufala, Moina, Shahibalam, Mohini.

Transplanted Aman:

 BRRI-Shail, Pragati, Mukta, Biplab, Kiran, Dishari, Dulhabhog.

Boro:

 Chandina, Gazi, Biplab, Asha, Sufala, Moina, Mohini, Shahibalam, Hashi, Shahjalal and Mangal.

Seed Rate

 Pure and healthy seeds having 80% percent germination should be sown on seed bed. 2-3 kg of seeds are required for one decimal (40 square metre) of land.

Seed Treatment

 There may be various germs of diseases with the rice seeds, which afterwards create various diseases on the rice field. That is why rice seed should be sown on the seed bed after making the seed free from germs. The method of disinfecting rice seeds by applying some chemicals is called seed treatment.

Some easy methods of seed treatment are described below_
1. Healthy and viable seeds should be used raising rice seedlings.
2. One kg of seeds can be treated with 20 grams of Agrosan M-20 or Agrosan GN. The seeds are to be kept 24 hours after mixing the chemical uniformly.

Preparation of Seed Bed
Two types of seed beds are prepared in Bangladesh, Such as _
1. Dry seed bed
 2. Wet seed bed
Two seed beds can be prepared in one decimal (40 square metre) of land. In an area of 10 x 4 metre the size of seed bed will be 9.5 x 1.5 metre including drains. A space of 25 cm should be kept along all the borders and 50 cm space should be kept within 2 sub-bed of the seed bed.
Before sowing seeds in seed bed, the seeds will have to be dipped into water. Different periods are required for different varieties of rice for sprouting. Period required for Aus is 24 hours, for Aman is 48 hours. 3 kg of seeds required for 1 decimal of land will have to be sprouted by dipping into water. Such germinated seeds are to be sown in seed bed.

Nursing the Seed Bed

 It is necessary of provide irrigation by keeping water always in the drains of seed bed. When weeds appear it should be uprooted. Pests and diseases will have to be controlled when infestation takes place. When the seedling, become yellowish. Then after two weeks of sowing urea should be applied to the seed bed at rate of 410 grams.

Uprooting of Seedlings

 When the seedlings attain I month of age then they become suitable for transplantation.Before pulling of seedlings sufficient watering should be done in the seed bed. Then the seedling should be uprooted with care so that the seedlings are not broken. The seedlings, after pulling should be tied in a small bundles and then preserved.

Land Preparation

 Land for rice cultivation is to be prepared by pudding the soil well. Puddle can be prepared by keeping water in the land and cross ploughing and laddering for 4-5 times.

Application of Fertilizer

 Sufficient quantities of fertilizer requires to be applied in case of high yielding varieties of rice.

 Fertilizers are to be applied in specific classes per hectare and per decimal. 

The doses of fertilizers as mentioned above may be considered as average. The chart does not contain cow-dung or organic manure. Applicatiorn of cow-dung or compost at he rate of 20 kg per decimal will give good, yield. All the fertilizers except urea as mentioned above should be applied at the time of first ploughing and those are to be will-mixed with soil. Urea is to be applied in 3 instalments. At the instalments 50% of urea is to be applied after 2 weeks of transplantation. The remaining fertilizer is to be divided into two and first part is to be applied after 45 days and the remaining part is to be applied at dough stage. Applying in the way will not waste fertilizers. These plants well also get their necessary nitrogen.

General Principles of Fertilizer Application

 1. The doses of MP fertilizer should be applied one and a half times in case of red sandy soils and piedmonts of hills.
 2. The amount of zinc fertilizers should be increased in silty soils of the Ganges regions are in the irrigation project areas.
 3. If the lands of haor areas and fertile then the amount of fertilizers needs to be decreased.
 4. The doses of the above fertilizers should be half, in case of local varieties.
 5. If 4-5 tons of dried well-decomposed organic manure or compost is applied per hectare, then the chemical fertilizers are to be decreased by one  third. Organic manures are to be applied at the first ploughing.
 6. In case of sandy structured soils M.P fertilizer should be applied in 2 instalments.
7. If in the previous crop T.S.P M.P and gypsum are applied in proper doses  then the above mentioned fertilizers may be applied at the rate f 50 % of the approved doses,
 8. If zinc sulphate is applied in any crop then there is no necessity to apply it  for next two crops.
 9. The land, where green manuring has been done during the first Kharif season of crop rotation, may be supplied will half the usual does of urea for crop production.

Transplantation

 Seedlings of one month of age should be transplanted to the field. The seedling should be transplanted without any delay after uprooting from the seed bed. Small quantity of water should be kept on the land and transplantation should be plant to 25 cm and hill to hill distance should be 15-20 cm. In every hill three seedlings should be transplanted.

Irrigation and Intercultural Operations

 Irrigation is very important in case of HYV rice. Irrigation should be arranged when the depth of the standing water goes below 5 to 7 cm. When the seedlings attain 50 to 60 days, there should be 7 to 10 cm standing water on the field. But water should be drained out before application of urea as top dressing. The land should be irrigated again after 2 to 3 days of top dressing.