Effect of Tillage Operation on the Productivity and Profitability of Rice Cultivation

Abstract

Tillage practices significantly impact rice cultivation by affecting soil properties, which in turn influence crop productivity and profitability. A field experiment was conducted during T. Aman 2016 and Boro 2016-2017 seasons in three fields at Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, aiming to evaluate the effect of different tillage practices on productivity and profitability of rice. In each location the treatments were non-replicated i.e. full set of treatments were replicated in three locations called dispersed replication. The T. Aman and Boro seasons saw the use of the BRRI dhan49 and BRRI dhan29 varieties, respectively. No matter the season, the unit plot size was 25 m x 10 m. In general, regardless of treatment, more labor is needed during the Boro season since it takes longer to uproot and transplant shorter seedlings than during the T. Aman season. Herbicide application, one ploughing, and laddering (T2) took the least amount of labor in both seasons. There was no discernible difference in grain yield across treatments, regardless of season. The greater cost of labor, fertilizer, and irrigation during the Boro season resulted in a higher total variable cost. In both the seasons the highest gross margin was obtained from herbicide application followed by one ploughing and laddering treatment hence the cost of per kg of rice was lowest in herbicide application followed by one ploughing and laddering treatment. It was TK. 26.60 and TK. 25.65 in Aman and Boro season respectively. Irrespective of treatments, the BCR was higher in Boro season than T. Aman. For land preparation, four to five ploughings followed by laddering were not necessary in Bangladesh's clay loam soils. One plowing followed by hand grass removal and laddering or herbicide application followed by one plowing and laddering are two methods of preparing land.