Fallow land coming under cultivation with new technologies

Farmer Subhash Mistry in the Hatiadanga village of Khulna's Koira upazila is very happy as he has managed to utilise his 7.5 katha of land with eggplant cultivation using polythene mulches and drip irrigation technologies. The land used to be fallen in the past due mainly to its soil nature and unavailability of water.

"Everything has become possible with new technologies. I use a solar pump and my small pond for watering crops in a controlled manner. The mulching technology helps soil keep up moisture for long, which reduces irrigation costs and increases production," Subhash Mistry told The Business Standard.

His crop bed was seen covered by transparent polythene mulches in lines, and every sapling had a narrow pipe of water. The pump supplies the required amount of water to the plants. Thanks to watering and mulching, soil temperature remains suitable all the time.

Hundreds of farmers like Subhash Mistry are now farming different types of crops and vegetables using such technologies in the Khulna region. They all were only able to grow paddy or a crop in the entire year once. Even a large portion of land could not be arable then.

According to the Department of Agriculture Extension, the amount of cultivated land in Khulna region is 4.71 lakh hectares. Out of this, 2.13 lakh hectares of land is cultivated only for Aman, other times it is left abandoned due to lack of water. Besides, two crops are grown on 1.82 lakh hectares and three crops on 73,000 hectares.

Now, the directorate is working to bring these lands under increased cultivation through the use of various agricultural technologies such as drip irrigation with solar pumps, mulching, sack farming, and digging ponds on fields under a project, titled "Adaptation to climate change through climate-smart technologies in Khulna agriculture region".

With the help of the project, farmers have started to grow capsicum, sunflower, maize, watermelon, cucumber, tomato, eggplant, chilli and some other items using the technologies.

"I tried to farm watermelon once earlier but failed because of lack of water. This time I am successful and in huge profits; making Tk70,000-80,000 per bigha," said Ranjan Sana from Patnakhali upazila who has cultivated watermelon on three bighas of land. Many others also shared similar experiences.

The Adaptation to Climate Change through Climate-Smart Technologies in Khulna Agriculture Region project is being implemented in 28 upazilas and 2 metropolises in the Khulna region at a cost of Tk49 crore. Started in July 2021, the project will continue till the end of 2024.

A total of 27500 hectares of land has been brought under increased cultivation under the project, according to officials.

"The agricultural technologies suitable for bringing the land under increased cultivation are being promoted among farmers. The biggest problem in this region is lack of water," Shaikh Fazlul Huque, director of the project, told TBS.

Mentioning that water management is a big challenge, he said, "If we can retain the monsoon water through effective management and use it in other seasons through technology, then we can use the fallow lands to cultivate more crops."

Farmers said if the government digs canals next to the lands, holding monsoon water will be easy.