IFDC’s main objectives in Bangladesh have been and continue to be to increase food security and support poverty alleviation by improving the productivity of agriculture. The Accelerating Agricultural Productivity Improvement in Bangladesh project (AAPI) is expected to achieve an immediate impact on improved yields and increased farmer income due to improved resource use efficiency. AAPI is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Project emphasis is on technology diffusion and development of support systems to achieve sustainability. The main technology employed is fertilizer deep placement (FDP), which is similar to urea deep placement (UDP) technology.
IFDC pioneered the development of FDP/UDP – a technology that reduces nitrogen losses significantly – and introduced it to Bangladesh. FDP is an important technology that has great potential to substantially improve crop yields using less fertilizer and is well-suited to rice production.
Most farmers broadcast urea (the most common nitrogen-based fertilizer) directly into the floodwater of lowland rice. Because of its composition and environmental factors, two of every three bags of urea do not reach the plants. FDP, the insertion of large urea briquettes into the rice root zone after transplanting, reduces fertilizer use by 35 percent while increasing crop yields by 20 percent. Because the briquettes are placed beneath the soil, fewer weeds grow with this type of fertilizer application.
Working to improve resource use efficiency in agriculture production systems, the AAPI project is implementing water management techniques such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD), a water-saving technology that lowland (paddy) rice farmers can apply to reduce water use in irrigated fields. In AWD, irrigation water is applied to flood the field a certain number of days when pond water is not available. Hence, the field is alternately flooded and then not flooded. In addition to saving water, AWD results in higher paddy productivity, less harm to the environment, enhanced efficiency of nutrients and less infestation of insects.
FDP/UDP technology offers entrepreneurs small business opportunities supplying briquettes to farmers. Establishing village-level businesses to manufacture simple briquette-making machines, as well as the briquettes, is part of IFDC’s strategy to strengthen the private sector.
AAPI is facilitating opportunities for women to participate. The project has set a target of 20 percent participation by women in technology diffusion and also in entrepreneurial and managerial training. Women will also be encouraged to own micro-enterprise briquette machines.
The Bangladesh Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Agricultural Extension are playing key roles in disseminating information, particularly by implementing demonstrations of the FDP and AWD technologies and ongoing farmer education. The Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA) is supporting efforts to strengthen the supply system for FDP products.
IFDC Progress (January 1-March 31, 2012)
Cumulative totals:
- 849,305 hectares (ha) of paddy (rice) have been brought under FDP technology to date.
- 964 ha of vegetables have been planted under FDP technology.
- 2,782,618 farmers have adopted FDP technology (175 percent of the target of 1,589,798).
- 307,017 rural households have benefited from FDP technology to date.
- There are 593 machines producing briquettes (compared with a target of 420). Of the 593 owners, 495 are men and 98 are women.
- Rice yields have increased by 465 kilograms per ha.
- 11 motivational field trips were completed during the last quarter. Of the 525 people who attended, 170 (32 percent) were women.
- 30 stakeholder workshops were held this quarter against a target of 19; 1,571 people attended the workshops (406 were women).
Vegetable demonstration field totals:
- Eggplant yields increased by 26 percent over broadcast urea.
- Cabbage yields increased 11-15 percent.
- Cauliflower yields increased 34-39 percent.
- Tomato yields increased 14-24 percent; yields were lower than expected because of late planting but were still higher than by the broadcast method.
- Potato yields increased by five percent. There was a 53 percent saving on urea. The potatoes were larger in the Guti urea demonstration plots.
Past Highlights
- 167,858 ha of rice (paddy) were brought under FDP technology.
- 70,002 rural households benefited directly from FDP.
- 614,192 farmers adopted FDP.
- The AAPI project scaled up activities in Year 2 (which began in October 2011) to include 56 additional upazilas in 11 districts. The project has been divided into Feed the Future (FTF) districts and Mymensingh and Sherpur (M&S) districts.
- AAPI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with national research institutes to start research on nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium (NPK) Guti to validate its use at the farm level through the Government of Bangladesh’s approval process. A policy assessment was completed and, based on the recommendations of the policy assessment, policy dialogues were initiated with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Department of Agricultural Extension and the Bangladesh Fertilizer Association (BFA). An MoU was signed with BFA.
- AAPI achieved a high level of success for several key project activities. Of the 19 activities, AAPI either exceeded or achieved the target in 14. Participation of women in each activity ranged from nine percent to 93 percent.
- AAPI continued to conduct field demonstrations and trials for Guti urea and NPK Guti.
- 7,546 new jobs were attributed to FDP implementation in Year 1.
[Project began Sept. 29, 2010; ends Sept. 28, 2015]
[Last update May 10, 2012]
AAPI Articles
BRRI and AAPI Collaborate on New Research
Women's Important Role in Rice Production
Rewarding Retirement for Bangladeshi Accountant (Taken from IFDC Report Volume 37, No 1)
AAPI Project Participates in Feed the Future Initiative and AAPI Project Hosts USAID Officials
IFDC Core Competency: Gender Equity is Key to Feeding the Hungry
Bangladesh Minister of Agriculture Chowdhury and U.S. Ambassador Moriarty Launch AAPI Project
AAPI Press Releases
IFDC’s AAPI Project to Measure Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Bangladesh
Bangladesh Minister of Agriculture and U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh Launch
USAID Awards New Project in Bangladesh to IFDC
AAPI News Bulletins
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 25, March 2013 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 24, February 2013 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 23, January 2013 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 22, December 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 21, November 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 20, October 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 19, September 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 18, August 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 17, July 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 16, June 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 15, May 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 14, April 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 13, March 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 12, February 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 11, January 2012 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 10, December 2011 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 9, November 2011 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 8, October 2011 (English Version)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 7, September 2011 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 6, August 2011 (English Version)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 5, July 2011 (English Version)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 4, June 2011 (English and Bengali Versions)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 3, May 2011 (English Version)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 2, April 2011 (English Version)
AAPI News Bulletin, Vol 1, March 2011 (English Version)
AAPI Videos