Broad Bed Broad Furrow system to manage flood plains, wetlands and stagnant marshy waste lands
The year 2021 is a reminder of the chronic problem of flooding and water stagnation in agriculture fields causing devastating damage to standing crops. This is a recurring problem in the changing climatic scenario. We need to provide a sustainable solution to the farmers to face and manage this chronic excess water situation. Many permanent water stagnation marsh land is wasted which otherwise could be very effectively utilised.
In fact the Broad Bed Broad Furrow system popularly known as BBF technology was developed way back in 1999 in Andaman to grow vegetables and fodder in rice fields during monsoon. This remained under cold storage. Hence we are coming before farmers through this video to provide an ecologically sustainable permanent solution to such untimely rains and water stagnation problems.
Problem
Almost each year, seasonal floods in every part of the plane area cause innumerable gloom to the farmers living on the floodplains.
Crop loss to the farmers due to water stagnation and diseases is unimaginable.
Large area under chronic stagnant water is wasted
In some places damage by snails and slugs like pests and rats and rodents are very serious. Being nocturnal in habit, and under heavy rainfall, control of these snails rats and rodents is a practical impossibility without causing serious environmental damage
The soils are infested with wilt causing bacterial pathogens and hence most crops are prone to bacterial wilts on these flooded soils. Many crops do not have wilt resistant varieties
One of the possible solutions to this is to manipulate the land in flood prone fields to facilitate cultivation despite continuous rains and flooding.
The broad bed and Broad furrow popularly known as BBF developed by CIARI in Andaman is a technique for flood prone fields throughout the year and can be adopted throughout the country wherever the problem persists. The system also manages salinity and water harvesting in broad furrows for dry season crop production. This system helps the farmer to include various Integrated Farming System components like fish rearing in the furrows, fodder crops on the beds which in turn helps to include animal components in the system. Interestingly the system offers a natural control of African snails, slugs, rats, rodents and other similar nocturnal pests as they do not move towards standing water. It is an ecological model which reduces soil and nutrient losses to a great extent. If the system is adopted in rice belts across the country it offers an effective way to reduce area under rice and put the land under diverse crops.
Making of BBF
The BBF is made by a cut-and-fill method. A 6-8 metre width along the length of the field is cut and filled in a 4-6 metre adjacent area in the same field. The area so-filled is raised and levelled in an inverted trapezium shape. The dimension of width may be adjusted to facilitate tractor operation in both beds and furrows. The edge of the trapezium is stabilised by planting Napier grass. The furrow area is also levelled. After the making of BBF a green manure crop is sown, grown for 45 days and incorporated. The raised-bed portion is limed, if necessary, to a required level so that bacterial-wilt causing organisms are brought to a manageable level. The height of the beds and depth of the furrows may be altered region wise and area wise to cope up with the extent of flooding expected in the region. If furrows are made deep then it is easy to go for rice crop, rice cum fish or fish farming in furrows depending upon the depth of the furrows made and the water collected in the furrows. If the depth is only shallow then any flood tolerant crop other than rice can also be grown in furrows. The BBF helps farmers to include various Integrated Farming System components like fish rearing in the furrows, fodder crops on the beds which in turn helps to include animal components in the system. Several such inverted-trapezium shaped land-forms are made in the flood prone fields in continuity as shown here:
Schematic diagram of BBF showing inverted-trapezium shaped land-forms
In one acre we can make four beds and four furrows easily and the approximate cost involved is about Rs.40000/-. The field stabilises in one season. The BBF system permits fish-rearing in furrows and fodder crops on the beds, both of which help include animal components in the new system. The investment can be recovered in just one year.
Physical and ecological advantages of the technology
Soil erosion is reduced to a minimum as soil, if any, lost from the bed portion is retained in the furrow
Nutrients leached from the bed portion are utilised by fodder growing on the edges, and by rice in the furrow
The BBF helps the farmer to include various IFS components like fish rearing in the furrows, fodder crops on the beds which in turn helps to include animal components in the system.
Absolute control of the African snail, other snails, slugs, rats and rodents without use of any chemical, by virtue of exploiting their behaviour
Bacterial-wilt disease is brought under control by liming and use of soil-borne, disease-suppressing bio-fertilizers
Nutrient use efficiency and productivity is higher, Soil loss is reduced
Water management becomes easier
The present cropping intensity of 100% to 125% in the rice area can be increased to 300% in beds and 200% in furrows by adopting the BBF land manipulation
It helps farmers effectively and efficiently utilise their resources for profit-maximisation
Adoption of the Broad-Bed and Furrow (BBF) system provides an opportunity for crop diversification in low-lying paddy lands.
The system of BBF has all the ecological, economical and social features to qualify for a sustainable soil-management module in flood prone areas and years of extreme events of rains. Even during times of drought whatever rain is received stores better in the furrow assuring a crop in the furrow area. In years of excess rain in dry land area the furrow area conserves excess water and this can be used to grow a short duration crop during the post monsoon period.
The system is very economical. First year the returns may be less. But second year onwards the farmer will be assured of continuous cash flow round the year. Our experience shows that a first year farmer may get about Rs.20000 to 30000 as net income after realising the BBF making cost. But second year onwards the income will be significantly higher varying from about 50000 to 75000 per acre.
If you need any further information you can contact soulofkrishi or through our phone 9449816282. Thank you
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