Lentils raise pulse rate in Bangladesh
Production of lentil has long lagged behind domestic demand in Bangladesh, where it is the preferred pulse crop for human consumption. Indeed, lentil is grown so extensively - both as a sole crop and as an intercrop with sugarcane, cereals and mustard - that Bangladesh is the world's fourth largest producer. However, two diseases have limited farmers' ability to increase yields: lentil rust (Uromyces fabae (Pers.) de Bary) and Stemphylium blight (Stemphylium botryosum Wallr). Both diseases can spread rapidly in local cultivars causing in excess of 60% yield reduction.
 |
| Credit: ICARDA |
Attempts to introduce promising cultivars from India (the world's largest producer) proved that they were well adapted to Bangladesh conditions but they succumbed to the same two diseases. This was followed by a joint breeding programme between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas) based in Aleppo, Syria, introducing disease resistance from lentil cultivars held in ICARDA's lentil collection to local varieties provided by BARI. Now, Bangladesh growers have two varieties resistant to the diseases and capable of yielding 24% and 43% more than local varieties: Barimasur 4, released in 1995 has maintained its resistance to lentil rust and Stemphylium blight and yielded 2.3t/ha against 1.3t/ha achieved by the improved local variety Utfala. Barimasur 4 is also erect in habit and therefore well suited for intercropping with mustard, a popular practice in Bangladesh. Barimasur 2, released in 1993 has also proved popular with farmers.
During 1996/97 the Government of Bangladesh launched a nationwide technology transfer programme for pulse crops, with a priority for lentil. This involved demonstrations, farmers' rallies, training, a travelling workshop and a production package incorporating the new varieties. Results speak for themselves: in 1983 lentil production in Bangladesh was 147,000 tonnes harvested from 240,000 hectares and in 1994 163,000t from only 207,000ha.
In a recent survey by the socio-economists of BARI on the impact of released lentil cultivars, it emerged that the Barimasur 4 variety provided a higher cost-benefit ratio and was liked by the majority of the farmers. There was great enthusiasm for the improved cultivars and more than 80% of the surveyed farmers harvested a lucrative yield even in unfavourable weather conditions. Thanks to the involvement of government and private institutions, wide adoption and rapid dissemination of the Barimasur cultivars is underway and, with increased cultivation of improved varieties, Bangladesh can fulfil the demand for increased pulse production.
Email: ICARDA@cgiar.org
