Innovative way to reduce irrigation cost

Farmers in the district are growing rice with reduced irrigation cost, thanks to a water-saving system developed by local experts.

The method known as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) requires only 1,500 litres of water to grow a kg of rice whereas traditional irrigation method uses 2,500 to 3,000 litres for the purpose, said agriculturists and farmers.

In addition, the method can increase rice production by 0.35 to 0.80 tonnes per hectare.

The innovative method using thrown away plastic bottles was introduced in 2009, after two years of experiment by the officials of International Rice Research Institute, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute and Rural Development Academy.

However, the method became popular only this year, thanks to its cost effective and user-friendly modification by Hossain Mohammad Khaleduzzaman, assistant engineer of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) of Nilphamari Sadar upazila.

The original device requires a PVC plastic pipe or a hollow bamboo around 30cm long and 10cm in diameter.

The pipes, two-thirds of which should be perforated, are set in the paddy field with the perforated part under the surface ten days after transplantation of paddy saplings, said agriculturists.

After the water level goes below the surface and reaches the bottom of the pipe, the farmers should prepare for irrigation.

Developer of the cheap and user-friendly way to save irrigation cost, BADC Assistant Engineer Hossain Mohammad Khaleduzzaman explains the use of the method to farmers at Digholdangi village in Sadar upazila a few days ago. PHOTO: STAR

Unlike in traditional methods, farmers using AWD don't need to keep the whole field wet, and so, it saves both water and consequent cost of fuel for irrigation, agriculturists said, adding that the method can increase rice production by 0.35 to 0.80 tonnes per hectare.

Despite such benefits, the system did not earlier become popular among farmers as PVC pipe is a bit costly and it is difficult to make holes in it.

Against such a backdrop, Hossain Mohammad Khaleduzzaman modified the method at his own initiative.

"In Nilphamari, we experimentally used the method, using thrown away plastic bottles with both ends cut and round holes made on them with thin hot iron rod. Finding positive results, I distributed around 1000 such tools free of cost to farmers and arranged 'farmers' irrigation school' in 30 villages," said Khaleduzzaman. 

BADC and BRRI have approved the local method, said BADC officials in Rangpur.

BADC officials in Nilphamari said six to seven thousand farmers of Nilphamari Sadar upazila have adopted this technology.

Farmer Asimuddin of Sutipara village said AWD helped him reduce irrigation cost by Tk 800-Tk 1000 per bigha.

Prodip Roy of Kundapukur village said he got additional two maunds of rice from a bigha of land in this aman season by using the newly introduced method.