Consortium for upscaling Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS)
IFAD Grant No: 2000001968
Team of researcher led by Director SAC, carried out monitoring and evaluation (M&E) visit of the site established under participatory research framework in the project Consortium for upscaling Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia (C-SUCSeS) in different locations of Padna, Rajshahi and Rangpur districts of Bangladesh. The M&E exercise aims at tracking the implementation of project activities and ensuring on time deliverability. The team evaluated different sowing methods and technologies and its impact on crop productivity, and general impression of the farmers about its adaptation and suitability in the area.
Research Team:
- Harunur Rashid, Director SAC, Bangladesh
- Raza Ullah Khan, SPS (NRM), RPC, C-SUCSeS
- Palash Chandra SPO (NRM), PPO, C-SUCSeS
- Shahzehan Islam, Sr. Account Officer, C-SUCSeS
C-SUCSeS is an IFAD and SDF cofinanced project being executed by SAARC Agriculture Center (SAC). It aims at upscaling and promoting climate resilience in the production system of South Asia by adopting smart climate agricultural practices
Day 1: Monitoring and Evaluation of farm demonstration sites at PaBna
On 5th February, 2025 the team travelled to on-farm demonstration sites at different locations of Pabna ; Pirpur, Ataikula, Paban. The team was accompanied by regional project collaborator Dr. Md. Samim Hossain Molla and coworker Dr. Arif. In the field three sowing methods; conventional (f
arming practice, land was ploughed and broadcasted), strip planting (zero/minimum tillage) and raised bed (2 rows/bed zero /minimum tillage) in the residues after harvest of boro rice. In strip and raised bed methods, a 2-Wheel 16 hp tractor has been used for strip planting of mustard (BARI Sarisha-20 on 495 decimals area) involving seven farmers, and lentil (BARI Masur-8 176 decimals area) and four farmers were involved.
In the first field lentil was sown in In Pabna where the rice-lentil-rice cropping pattern is dominant. In another field, mustard was sown following rice-mustard-rice cropping pattern. Mustard was also shown in the same way following three treatments.
During the Monitoring and Evaluation visit Dr. Arif (team member of Dr. Md. Samim) told that initially farmer was reluctant to sow lentils on zero/minimum tillage after rice harvest as they used to plough and prepare land for the
next crop. However, following our instructions by sowing lentil on small tractor, they are happy now, and convinced that they would sow lentil this way from now onward even after project finish. Farmer said that they are comfortable with sowing lentil in not too short neither too long but medium left over boro rice residues.At another location the vegetables; cauliflower, cabbage, coriander etc. were sown using different fertilizer levels such as 100%, 75% and 25% of recommended fertilizer dose. It demonstrates the practice of agroforestry by sowing vegetables in the mango orchard.
In Baoikhola, Atghoria, Pabna, rice-garlic-rice is dominant cropping pattern. Traditionally garlic is grown by ploughing the land which is likely to delay the plantation. Contrary, C-SUCSeS project successfully demonstrated garlic was grown by zero/minimum tillage following rice harvest, where farmer usually heaps the residues on field side, and once sowing in completed, the residues are used for mulching garlic. The technology is dissemination occur very rapidly as total of 100 farmers cultivated garlic (BARI Rasun-1) on 4,950 decimals of land, while 20 farmers cultivated pea (BARI Motor-3) on 990 decimals and another 20 farmers cultivated lentil (BARI Masur-8) on 990 decimals during this cropping season.
During face to face interaction with farmers of the Pabna area, The importance of zero/minimum tillage was highlighted by contributing to enhance organic soil matter contents and avoidance of unnecessary exposure of soil microbes to UV light of the sun, preventing the loss of soil biodiversity.Then following site inspection at Pabna, the team move further towards Rajshahi district and held for night stay over there.
Day 2: Monitoring and Evaluation of farm demonstration sites at Rajshahi
On 6th February 2025 the team regional project collaborator Dr. Shakawat and his team accompanied to visit different participatory research sites; Byjoynagar, Godagari established under C-SUCSeS in Rajshahi.
Lentil was sown conventionally as well as on raised bed and strips by 2-wheel tractor after boro rice harvest.
It was noticed that female farmers took intensively in all farm operations right from sowing to harvesting, and the farmer hired some students to provide services to farmers using 2-wheel tractor sowing, he added that up to 16 bigas are usually sown in one day using the services of school free student through daily wages. In Byjoynagar 6 farmers cultivating lentil (BARI Masur-8) on 230 decimals, while 6 farmers cultivating mustard (BARI Sarisha-20) on 264 and another 9 farmers cultivating maize on 495 decimals in Baslitala during this cropping season.
In another field maize was sown on the bed by 2-wheel small tractor. The Benefits of minimum/zero tillage by not disturbing soil ascribed to conserving soil moisture, saving fuel cost due to reduced tillage operation and save time as well. Later, the team visited a crop field using bed planting technology for wheat in Rajabari, Godagari. Farmers shared their experiences and demonstrated their practices for cultivating bed planting wheat (BARI Gonum-33). In this village, a total of 2 farmers cultivated wheat (BARI Gonum-33) on 100 decimals of land. The session also included a demonstration of bed planting wheat sowing using a tractor-driven mulcher.
Mr. Shafikul, a 2-wheel tractor operator shared his experience in interaction with the community told that farmers are now calling him to cultivate their land with the small tractor, and now besides operator, he is providing service of sowing different crops with one machine, and the demand for it is now increasing day by day, he added that he own around four such machines and involved some students when they are free from school in vocations. One student and his team member happily expressed that in my free time I cultivate land using the machine and get wages in return. The is one of the success stories as the person having a team of around 5 persons more is working as the entrepreneur in the region and help motivate farmers to grown crop on minimum/zero tillage, save time, money as well as protect environment and improve soil health and crop productivity as the same time.
After visiting all sites in the Rajshahi area, SAC team travelled further north to Rangpur district and held there for a night
Day 3: Monitoring and Evaluation of farm demonstration sites at Rangpur
On the 7th February team visited on farm participatory sites in team visited Nowda Para, Kalkuri, Pirgachha in Rangpur area. Regional collaborators Dr. Apurbo Kumar Chaki and Dr. Md Zannathul Firdous accompanied us to a participatory research site on the farmer’s field. The team visited the field having maize grown on
raised bed in the standing crop residues of boro rice. There was found a sizeable difference.
Later, the team proceeded to Kherkathyhat, Jaldhaka, Nilphamari where similar activities were conducted for the mustard. The farmers exchange insights on the strip planting system, similar to the previously visited area. One regional collaborator emphasized on the need for organizing set of workshops in the second phase of the project on operational, and trouble shooting of 2-wheel tractor.
The M &E visit captured in-depth understanding of climate smart agriculture technologies; minimum tillage/zero tillage, strip tillage, and bed planting technology in farming practices in the northwestern region of Bangladesh. The hands-on tools enabled participants to observe the tangible benefits of these technologies, including enhanced productivity and environmental sustainability. Moreover, the interactive sessions facilitated knowledge-sharing and strengthened collaboration among the C-SUCSeS project team, local farmers, and researchers.