Please cite this article as: Hossain, M.A. 2012. Land resources appraisal and crop management in Bangladesh. Crop Environ., 3: 67-70 Review Article Land Resources Appraisal and Crop Management in Bangladesh
M.A. Hossain, Principal Scientific Officer, Soil Resource Development Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Mrittika Bhaban, Krishi Khamar Sarak, Farmgate, Dhaka-1215, Bangladesh
www.psa.net.pk
ARTICLE INFO
ABSTRACT Article history: Received Jul., 2011 Accepted May., 2012
Bangladesh compared to many nations in the world has a smaller land holding per person. So the land management is always a big dilemma in the countrys developmental manifesto and provides continuous challenges to the economic emancipation of the country. But the advancement of science and technology, changing socio-economic dynamics and developmental techniques had shown the developmental horizon with newer ideas and concepts. There are historical evidences that survival of a civilization depends on soil productivity. Soil can be singled out as one of the most important environmental factors affecting crop yields. An efficient crop production system requires proper planning and timely management of available agricultural land areas under an appropriate land budgeting scheme. Such a scheme includes an evaluation of land capability and determination of suitability for each of these areas for cultivation of different agricultural crops thereby maximum crop productivity can be ensured. A major challenge of agricultural production is the deterioration of natural resources e.g. land & water due to overexploitation of agricultural land and greater emphasis on mono-cropping (rice). This would impact food security of increasing population. Basic task of wisely using our soil resources require that we should have a periodic and regular inventory of soils: their characteristics, fertility status, distribution and use potential. Such information needs to be readily available through internets as texts, maps and databases so as to assist the stakeholders in making use of this information judiciously for successful crop production as well as sustainability of soil health. 2011 PSA. All rights reserved Key words: Land resources crop management Water Soil health
* Corresponding author: altajolly63@yahoo.com
INTRODUCTION
Land and Land Resources refer to a delineable/declinable area of the earth's terrestrial surface, encompassing all attributes of the biosphere immediately above or below this surface, including those of the near-surface climate, the soil and terrain forms, the surface hydrology (including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps), the near-surface sedimentary layers, associated groundwater, geo- hydrological reserve, the plant and animal populations, the human settlement pattern and physical results of past and present human activity such as terracing, water storage or drainage structures, roads, buildings, etc. (FAO/UNEP, 1997). Land is an essential natural resource, both for the survival and prosperity of humanity and for the maintenance of all terrestrial ecosystems (FAO, 1999a). In many developing countries, inefficient exploitation of the land reduces the amount of resource rent that can be collected, while lowering available future resource rents as land resources degrade over time in a suboptimal fashion (van Kooten and Bulte 2000). A cycle of land degradation occurs as forests are mined, people turn to grasses, crop residues and livestock dung for fuel, which deteriorates the land further (Pearce and Warford, 1993)
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The materials included consultation with key officials, analysis of existing secondary data which is collected from Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI), Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), Bangladesh Meteorological Department and Review of Related Literature. Secondary information was collected through review of available literature. The data were collected, analyzed, assembled and presented in the results and discussion.
RESULTS AND DISSCUSSION Geographical location: Bangladesh is located in Land resources appraisal and crop management in Bangladesh / Crop & Environment 2012, 3(1-2): 67-70 68
Southern Asia, in the Northeast of the Indian subcontinent and covers area of 1, 47, 570 km 2 . It has common border with India in the West, North and East, a small border with Myanmar in the Southeast, and is bordered by the Bay of Bengal in the South. Administratively the country is divided into 6 divisions, 64 districts and 490 upazilas. There are 4 metropolitan areas and the capital city is Dhaka (FAO Aquastat) Agro-ecological zones in Bangladesh: An Agro- ecological Zone is a land resource mapping unit, defined in terms of climate, landform and soils, land cover, and having a specific range of potentials and constraints for land use (FAO Soils Bulletin 1996). In Bangladesh, 30 agro-ecological zones have been defined. These zones can however be grouped into 20 major physiographic units. Each zone has specific characteristics which are related mainly to topography and soil type. Inundation Land Types and cropping patterns: On most floodplain and valley land, cropping patterns are primarily determined by the seasonal flooding regime i.e. the dates when inundation begins and ends, the depth of inundation at peak levels and the risk of damage to crops by early, high or late floods. Farmers traditional cropping patterns and practices are adapted to flooding regimes on a microtopographical scale: differences of only a few centimeters between neighboring fields may influence choice of crop varieties or management practices. Seasonal flooding regimes have been characterized by means of inundation land type and given in table 1: Farm size: Farm holding or size is referred to all land or livestock holdings, which are mainly used for both crop and livestock production (CSA, 2001). Per capita land availability in Bangladesh is about 0.6 hectare. The average farm size is considered too small to allow sustainable intensification of smallholder agriculture. Therefore diminishing farm size has not only affected the profitability and level of technology use, but also the sustainability of rural livelihoods. The effect of land tenure on the choice of crops: Farms are turning smaller in Bangladesh and about 10% of farm households own and operate 51% of agricultural land, while the bottom 40% of farm households own only 2%. The category of larger landowners has been increasing in size and power. Majority of farmers in Bangladesh are sharecroppers or work in the land as laborers for landlords. There are various tenancy arrangements, sharecropping being the most prevalent, under which the tenant agrees to bear all costs and pay 50% (and in some cases two-thirds) of the gross produce to the landowner. In some parts of the country, landowners and tenants share the fertilizer and irrigation costs for growing HYVs of rice; in some cases, the tenancy arrangement is changing from shared cropping to a fixed rent which is more conducive to the introduction of HYVs. Owing to the insecurity of tenure for most farmers, there is little incentive for farmers to think in terms of long-term sustainability of the land. As a result, investments in the long-term productivity of the land are not made, and short-term inputs and practices lacking environmental concern prevail.
LAND RESOURCES APPRAISAL IN BANGLADESH Land and soils are the most valued natural resource of Bangladesh. But they are either over exploited or underutilized due to poor resource management. The floodplain soils of Bangladesh occupying nearly 80% area were formed dominantly by the sediments deposited by the rivers- the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. The rest of the country is occupied by the older formation of Tertiary Hills (12%) and the Pleistocene Terrace (8%). Bangladesh is divided into 20 physiographic units Agricultural development activities have emphasized the critical need for the characterization of soils. For example the salinity and alkalinity status can well determine the likely success of an irrigation project. Nutrient deficiencies and the potential for erosion and drainage problems are to be identified. Beginning with Reconnaissance Soil Survey in the mid sixties Bangladesh has appraised its land resources for agricultural development. SRDI has innovated upazila level Land and Soil Resource Utilization Guide comprising of physical and chemical attributes of land and crop suitability ratings to fulfill the needs of location specific agricultural development planning. A software named Soil and Land Resources Information System (SOLARIS) has been developed to make soil resources data available to end users through internet. A web based Online Fertilizer Recommendation System has also been developed to help the farmers with balanced fertilizer dose available through cell phones. Moreover soil test based fertilizer recommendation is made for farmers at upazila level through Mobile Soil Testing Laboratories. Farmers can also avail these facilities through 16 static laboratories. It was observed that farmers could get 15-25% higher crop yield by using balanced dose of fertilizers.
Table 1: Characterization of seasonal flooding regimes
Highland (H) Land above normal inundation level Medium Highland (MH) Land normally inundated up to about 90 cm deep Medium Lowland (ML) Land normally inundated up to 90 -180 cm deep Lowland (L) Land normally inundated up to 180- 300 cm deep Very Lowland (VL) Land normally inundated deeper than 300 cm. [Source: UNDP/FAO 1988] Hossain / Crop & Environment 2012, 3(1-2): 67-70 69
CONSTRAINTS TO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE Problem soils: Bangladesh's land resources were showing signs of fatigue which was resulting in the stagnation of yields of important crops. Although the adoption of modern varieties had increased, their yields have fallen in recent years. During the green revolution, for example, 1 kg of added nitrogen fertilizer produced 20 Kg of grain, while now it only produces 8 to 10 Kg. Declining productivity as a result of soil degradation is now a key constraint. The organic matter of more than half of cultivated soils in Bangladesh is said to be below the critical level of 1.5% and still declining at an alarming rate. A number of soil-related problems have emerged, owing particularly to current agricultural practices such as the insufficient and unbalanced application of fertilizers and the mono-cultural cropping practice used in rice production. Soil erosion, micronutrient deficiency, waterlogging and salinity (alkalinity) are just a few of the soil-related problems. Unless the use of balanced fertilizers and organic matter in soils are seriously considered, increased and sustained productivity cannot be achieved. Source: SOFA 1997. Degradation of Physical and Chemical Properties of Soils: With intensive cropping in the same land year after year without proper soil management practices, both physical and chemical properties of soils are liable to degradation. Changes in particle size distribution in the top 15 cm of most soils of different physiographic units showed a wide variation over the last three decades. Changes in clay content showed a decline in all the physiographic units. The clay content declined in favour of the sand content of surface soils. The highest decrease in clay content was observed in the top 15 cm of Old Himalayan Piedmont Plains (OHP), Brahmaputra Floodplain (BF) and Meghna River Floodplain (MRF) (about 50%) followed by Tista Floodplain (TF), Barind Tract (BT), Madhupur Tract (MT) and Chittagong Coastal Plain (CCP) (30-40% ). But in lowland situation, decrease in clay content in Surma Kushiyara Floodplain (SKF) is comparatively low (about 20%). Changes in pH showed a decrease of 0.15, 0.37 and 0.48 units within the upper 100cm of Meghna River Floodplain, North-East Piedmont Plain and Madhupur and Barind Tracts respectively during the period 1967- 1997. Most soils showed a decline in the levels of exchangeable K, Ca, Mg and effective cation exchange capacity at the same time (BARC, 1999). Reduction in the availability of Major and Micronutrients: The areas of low fertility comprise about 60% of the total cultivable land of the country. Nutrient uptake by modern crop varieties is usually greater than local varieties. Hence, in areas with increased cropping intensity coupled with the use of modern varieties, the net removal of major nutrients (N,P,K,S) are high and ranges between 180 and 250 kg ha -1 yr -1 (Karim et al. 1994). Most of the soils under high land and medium high land situations were low in fertility level where especially N, P K, and S were deficient. Deficiencies of micro nutrients like Mg, Zn, B and Mo have also been detected in some areas. Imbalance in Fertilizer Application and Negative Soil Nutrient Balance: Removal of nutrients from the soil through crop harvest is substantially high exceeding inputs as natural replacement and fertilizer use. Negative soil nutrient balances have been found for all three major nutrients in Bangladesh. Potassium Table 2. Plant Nutrient Balance Sheet of Bangladesh Nutrients Input Supply (`000 tons) Removal (`000 tons) Balance (`000 tons) Nitrogen (N) 1198 1322 (-) 124
Phosphorus (P205) 339 362 (-) 23
Potash (K20) 481 1585 (-) 1104
Total: 2018 3269 (-) 1251 Source: Karim, et al. (1994). Table 3. Summary of estimates of the cost of land degradation in Bangladesh
Nature of degradation Physical quantity of lost output Taka Equivalent/yr Cost million (US$/yr) Remarks Remarks
Water erosion Cereal Prod. Loss = 1.06 mt/yr 6613.84 140.72 - Nutrient Loss = 1.44 mt/yr. 25576.46 544.18 - Fertility decline Cereal Prod. Loss= 4.27 mt/yr. 26641.48 566.84 - Addl. inputs = 1.22 mt/yr. 21668.88 461.04 - Salinization Total Prod. Loss= 4.42 mt/yr. 27577.25 586.75 - Acidification Total Prod. Loss= 0.09 mt/yr. 561.51 11.95 - Lowering of water table - - - Not assessed Water logging - - - Not assessed Note: mt = million tons Source: Land Degradation Situation in Bangladesh, Soils Division, BARC, 1999
Land resources appraisal and crop management in Bangladesh / Crop & Environment 2012, 3(1-2): 67-70 70
depletion trend in some soils where rice was cultivated over a period of 12 years indicated that 90-95% more potash was removed than applied. Of the total nutrients used in Bangladesh agriculture, nitrogen alone constitutes over 75% while the use of P and K were limited to about 6.0 and 6.6% only. The probable causes were high price and use of substandard phosphatic fertilizers available in the market. But the use of N-fertilizer has steadily increased which shows inappropriate/imbalance ratio of N, P and K (1: 0.12: 0.13). If this trend of fertilizer use continues along with intensive cropping of high yielding varieties, the productivity of our soils will be bound to be seriously affected in future. Loss of Agricultural land and soil resources: In Bangladesh, land areas under active floodplains (unstable char lands) and lands under sloppy situations are subject to moderate - heavy erosion. Further, a considerable area under peat, high hill and haors has limited land use potential. Population expansion is also engulfing much of the land resources in terms of settlements and other related infrastructures. About 220 ha of land go out of cultivation per day which means, nearly 1% of the cultivable land is being lost every year. This has serious implication on the sustainability of agricultural development potential, food supply and security of the country.
CONCLUSION
The demise of earlier civilizations had often resulted from the failure of their agriculture. Several writers have attributed the end of the Mesopotamian civilizations as failure to control salinization and of Greeks, Mayas and other to control erosion. Reliable soil survey information is must for development planning in agriculture. Planners sometimes look upon soils without regard to the vast differences that exist among them to differences that should affect markedly the plans. Soil surveys shall be of special significance in two ways. First, they should make possible the extrapolation of research results from a given area to other area where the same kind of soils is found. Second, they will provide basic information needed for land use planning at local, regional and national level which is of utmost importance for a small country. A major challenge of agricultural production is the deterioration of natural resources e.g. land & water due to overexploitation of agricultural land and greatest emphasis on mono-cropping (rice). This would impact food and nutrition insecurity of increasing population. Our basic task of wisely using our soil resources requires that we should have a periodic and regular inventory of our soils, their characteristics, fertility status, distribution and use potential. Such information needs to be readily available through internet as text, map and other data bases so as to assist the stakeholders in making use of this information judiciously for successful crop production as well as sustenance of soil health.
REFERENCES
BARC, 1999. Land Degradation Situation in Bangladesh, Soils Division, BARC. Central Statistical Authority (CSA), 2001. Agricultural Sample Enumeration-2001/02 on Land use Report. CSA: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia FAO, 1999. The future of our land Facing the challenge. Guidelines for integrated planning for sustainable management of land resources. FAO, Rome. FAO/UNEP,1997. Negotiating a Sustainable Future for Land. Structural and Institutional Guidelines for Land Resources Management in the 21st Century. Pearce, D.W. and J.J. Warford. 1993. World without End. Oxford: Oxford University Press. van Kooten, G.C. and H.E. Bulte. 2000. The Economics of Nature, Oxford, Blackwell, .
Land Equivalent Ratio, Growth, Yield and Yield Components Response of Mono-Cropped vs. Inter-Cropped Common Bean and Maize With and Without Compost Application