Sustaining rice productivity through weather-resilient agricultural practices

Abstract

Background: Enhancing productivity and profitability and reducing climatic risk are the major challenges for sustaining rice production. Extreme weather can have significant and varied effects on crops, influencing agricultural productivity, crop yields and food security.

Results: In this study, a comparative evaluation of two crop management systems was performed involving farmers adopting a weather forecast-based advisory service (WFBAS) and usual farmers' practice (FP). WFBAS crop management followed the generated weather forecast-based advice whereas the control farmers (FP) did not receive any weather forecast-based advice, rather following their usual rice cultivation practices. The results of the experiments revealed that WFBAS farmers had a significant yield advantage over FP farmers. With the WFBAS technology, the farmers used inputs judiciously, utilized the benefit of favorable weather and minimized the risk resulting from extreme weather events. As a result, besides the yield enhancement, WFBAS provided a scope to protect the environment with the minimum residual effect of fertilizer and pesticides. It also reduced the pressure on groundwater by ensuring efficient water management. Finally, the farmers benefited from higher income through yield enhancement, reduction of the costs of production and reduction of risk.

Conclusion: A successful and extensive implementation of WFBAS in the rice production system would assist Bangladesh in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2.4, which focuses on rice productivity and profitability of farmers as well as long-term food security of the country. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Keywords: WFBAS; climate change; crop management system; rice; sustainability; weather-smart rice farming.