Integrating best management practices for rice with farmers’ crop management techniques: A potential option for minimizing rice yield gap

The major cereal cropping system in Bangladesh is rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the dry season (Boro) – rice in the wet season (Aman). The average productivity (7 t ha−1) of this system is far below attainable yields (14 t ha−1) in farmers’ fields, resulting in a large yield gap mainly due to farmers’ traditional management practices. We evaluated a set of selected best management practices (BMP) along with two N management options in the farmers’ crop management practices for rice in numerous farmers’ fields across 24 villages over 5 contiguous seasons during 2006–2008. Across years, BMP and two N management options increased grain yields compared with the farmers’ practice (FP) by 0.73 t ha−1 in both Aman and Boro seasons. The higher yield response (24.6% in Aman and 8.6% in Boro season) occurred with BMP in combination with leaf color chart (LCC) aided N management (BMP–LCC) than BMP with Urea Super Granule as N source (BMP–USG). Best management practices and two N management options reduced the yield gap of FP by 45%, with an average of 1.5 Mg ha−1. The average added net returns with BMP were US$22 to US$120 ha−1 in the wet season and US$93 to US$115 ha−1 in the dry season. Our study shows that the integration of BMP and either LCC-aided N management or USG as an N source with the farmers’ management techniques and its adoption has the potential to boost rice yield and profit and total rice production in Bangladesh.

► The major cereal cropping system in Bangladesh is rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the dry season (Boro) – rice in the wet season (Aman).
► There is large yield gap mainly due to farmers’ poor management practices.
► We evaluated a set of selected best management practices (BMP) in the farmers’ own portfolio of practices for rice in their fields during 2006–2008.
► Our study shows that the integration of BMP in the farmers’ own portfolio of practices and its adoption has the potential to boost rice yield and profit from rice farming and total rice production in Bangladesh.