Archives of Agriculture Research and Technology
[ ISSN : 2832-8639 ]
Performance of Different Winter Legumes as Relay Crop for Vegetable and Fodder Production within the Fallow Windows of Two Rice for Improving Income of Resource-Poor Farmers of Bangladesh
Abstract
The field experiment was conducted at the Pulses Research Centre of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Ishurdi, Pabna, Bangladesh during two consecutive years of 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 cropping season to determine the economic viability of planting legumes for both vegetable and fodder purposes in the fallow period between monsoon and spring rice. The objectives were to find out the suitable pulses as relay crop for vegetable & fodder production, ensure better land utilization, break up the mono cropping, improve soil health, and generate extra-income for small and resource-poor farmes of Bangladesh. Pulses as a member of legumes (grasspea, chickpea and field pea) were used in the experiment. Based on data from two years in a pooled analyses, the highest green vegetable (3.25 t/ha) + fodder (18.1 t/ha) were obtained by field pea and the lowest green vegetable (1.5 t/ha) + fodder (6.5 t/ha) were produced by chickpea. The highest gross return of Tk. 119300/ha, net return of Tk. 85050/ha and BCR 3.48 were found in field pea and the lowest gross return of Tk.43000 / ha, net return of Tk. 22,800/ha and BCR 2.13 werein chickpea. This has also generated job opportunities for rural women to pick the green vegetable of field pea.