The on-farm research division of the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) in Kishoreganj has succeeded in growing black gram (mashkalai) without tillage in the district's haor area. Farmers can harvest this black gram in 80-85 days. It has a protein content of 21-24 per cent and yields 1,500-1,600 kg per hectare, and the variety is resistant to yellow mosaic disease.

BARI sources said that, for the first time this year, the variety was grown on 10 acres of Balikhola haor in Karimganj upazila of Kishoreganj through the Consortium for Scaling Up Climate Smart Agriculture in South Asia project, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and coordinated by the SAARC Agriculture Centre. BARI-3 black gram was sown on 30 October last year in the fields of 25 farmers, led by local farmers Md Kutub Uddin and Abul Hashem Munshi.

BARI developed a high-yielding black gram variety called BARI Mash-3 in 1996. Its seeds are larger than local varieties and its pods are densely hairy. Grown on haor land from which water recedes by the end of October, it allows Boro rice to be planted easily afterwards. Broadcast sowing needs 35-40 kg of seed per hectare. Per bigha, it needs 5-6 kg of urea, 10-13 kg of TSP, 5-6 kg of MoP, 7-8 kg of gypsum and 1-1.5 kg of boron. All fertiliser must be applied before sowing.

Farmer Abul Hashem Munshi said: "The new black gram variety was grown entirely without tillage. Beforehand, the agricultural research division trained the farmers and gave seed free of charge. Harvesting will start within the next 15 days. The yield is better than local black gram. Seeing our fields, many other local farmers are showing interest in growing it."

Dr Mohammad Mohiuddin, senior scientific officer of BARI's on-farm research division in Kishoreganj, said: "We have succeeded with BARI-3 black gram without tillage. We hope it will draw a big response among haor farmers. This is the first time 25 farmers have grown the variety on 10 acres."

BARI Director General (Grade-1) Dr Debashish Sarkar said: "This black gram variety will create great enthusiasm among farmers. This first time in the haor, its yield has also met expectations."

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.