DAE officials passing busy times to popularize Logowo method in Gaibandha

Officials of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) here are passing busy times aimed at popularizing the Logowo method to the farmers of seven upazilas in the district during the current Boro season.

Additional Deputy Director (Horti-culture) of the DAE here Rostam Ali said it is a modern agro technology innovated by a British scientist and it is applied in the land at the time of seedlings planting.

In term of definition, Logowo is to omit or leave one row blank after every 10 rows while rice seedlings are planted, he also said.

For applying the technology, transplanted rice plant in the land gets enough light and air, rice plant becomes strong and healthy.

Beside this, usage of seedlings is less compared to conventional method, he continued to say.

Pest attacks are also reduced consequently rice production is increased, he continued.

As it is a proved technology by the agri scientists, it is being scaled up or extended at the field level farmers of the district, he cited.

Md. Matiul Alam, Sadullapur Upazila Agriculture Officer said he and his other staff have been working relentlessly in the field level to popularize the method to the farmers of the upazila.

To draw the attention of the mass people, a number of demonstration plots were set up in the land of the upazila at the initiative of upazila agriculture office, he added.

Rafiqul Islam, an enthusiastic farmer of Bishnupur village under Faridpur union of Sadullapur upala said like other farmers of the village he transplanted seedlings of Boro paddy on his land during the current Boro season following the Logowo method.

After seeing the rice plantation by applying the method, other farmers of the upazila are expressing their will to cultivate Boro paddy on their land this year, he mentioned.

Talking to the BSS, Deputy Director (DD) of the DAE Alam Sarker said field level sub assistant agriculture officers of the department were provided need base training on the method so that they could motivate the farmers properly.

Apart from it, All DAE officials have been asked to go field and then motivate the farmers to farm Boro paddy applying the Logowo method this season, the DD concluded.

In reply to a query, the DD said the DAE here set a target to bring 1, 28,500 hectares of land under Boro farming during the current Boro season. (BSS)