Boro Rice Yield Gap Minimizing Strategies Practiced by the Farmers of Dhamrai Upazila under Dhaka District

Abstract

Rice yield gap minimizing strategies can boost rice production, ensure our food security, and growth in the agriculture sector. The objectives of this study were to describe the selected characteristics of the boro rice farmers to identify the boro rice yield gap minimizing strategies practiced by the farmers, to determine the extent of practice of boro rice yield gap minimizing strategies by the farmers and to explore the contributing relationship between the selected characteristics of the farmers with their practice of boro rice yield gap minimizing strategies. A validated and well-structured interview schedule was used to collect data. Data analysis was done using simple and inferential statistical tools such as range, number, sum, mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage distribution. Multiple Linear Regression was used to test the contributing relationships among the concerned variables. The findings of the study showed that 29.41% of the respondents practiced minimum strategies, 60.78% of the respondents practiced medium strategies and 9.8% of the respondents practiced maximum strategies. The result also showed that farmers’ age, education, yield gap of boro rice, training received on rice production, agricultural extension media contact and problems faced in practicing rice yield gap minimizing strategies had a significant contribution to the boro rice yield gap minimizing strategies practiced by them. In addition, the findings of the study showed that farmers’ annual family income, land area under boro rice cultivation, profit from boro rice cultivation and knowledge on rice yield gap minimizing strategies had no contribution to boro rice yield gap minimizing strategies practiced by them. It is concluded that farmers can minimize rice yield gap by increasing their knowledge of rice production technology through increasing their participation in pedagogic programs, training on rice cultivation, agricultural extension media, adoption of advanced technologies like crop calendar, quality seed, seed treatment, recommended use of fertilizer and pesticide and recommended post-harvest operation.