Agricultural research, phase II, volume I; project narrative

Follow-on project will integrate the country"s fragmented AR system and develop programs to generate appropriate technologies and deliver them to farmers. The Bangladesh AR Council (BARC) and other national AR agencies will implement the project. The Field Trials Division of the Bangladesh AR Institute will be strengthened and will become a major focal point for on-farm AR (to improve researcher-farmer ties, multidisciplinary research teams will conduct farming systems research on farms and at AR stations). Researchers will: identify production constraints and related research needs; develop and evaluate new technologies; and demonstrate proven technologies. Agricultural economics divisions of participating agencies will establish a farm-level monitoring and feedback mechanism. Semi-autonomous AR substations will be set up to conduct region-specific AR and outstanding AR will be financially rewarded. Research and extension linkages will be strengthened. The BARC will finance 10 AR sabbaticals and 50 contracts with Bengali researchers. In-country/third-country training will be provided to 2,000 researchers and extensionists; scholarship support up to the M.S. level will be provided to students involved in the project. A central unit will be created to process socioeconomic data generated by AR institutes and the information and library services of BARC and participating agencies expanded. Crop research will focus on soil/water, socioeconomics, and pest/weed control, and will include studies on women"s roles, marketing, and postharvest technology. Livestock research will include gathering baseline data on feed sources; testing 4 fodder crops; and studies in nutrition, farm wastes, byproducts, animal traction, and animal husbandry and health. Soils research will focus on use and maintenance of tillage equipment and on generation of cropping systems data; a central laboratory will perform soils diagnoses for AR stations. Water management research will focus on pump siting, engine and pump performance, equitable water distribution, and rainfed farming practices. Pest control research will culminate in formation of a national pest control program. Some 10,000 farmers will participate in field days and special training. Amendment No. 1 of 7/7/82 adds rice research and expands water management research. Rice research outputs are: high-yield, site-specific rice varieties; training (of 10 Ph.D"s and 25 M.Sc"s, 20 junior Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) scientists, 300 extensionists, and 1,200 farmers, and short courses for 64 at IRRI); and 7 fully equipped/staffed research stations. Water management research outputs include: a range of technologies and practices; training of 10 M.Sc."s, 40 nondegree participants, 1,200 scientists/extensionists, and 720 others); and stress on interdisciplinary approaches. (PD-AAL-487)