For the development of agriculture in Sirajganj district, the local agriculture department is producing seedlings for the first time in the tray system. The local farmers of Dighi Saguna village of the Tarash Upazila have started the production of seedlings using the tray system. In this method, seedlings are produced in trays using modern technology. Local farmers have expressed hope that the labor crisis will be resolved along with reducing the cost of rice production.
According to the Tarash Upazila Agriculture Office sources, paddy seeds have been sown experimentally in trays using seed sowing machine. These seeds can be planted in about 150 bigha land. 15 to 20 days old seedlings produced by this method can be planted in the field. 200 grams to 250 grams of rice seeds are sown in each tray. In addition to disease prevention by using certain amount of chemicals on trays, the rice seedlings are mated after 13 to 15 days of sowing. Then the seedling is planted in the field by rice transplant machine. In this method, a worker can plant rice seedlings in about 15 bigha of land with one machine. The tray method does not have to pull the seedlings, so the roots of the seedlings are not torn. As a result, the roots take up nutrients from the soil faster and the plant grows faster.
Golzar Hossain, a farmer of Dighisguna village of Saguna union of Tarash Upazila, said, "I have never cultivated rice seedlings in this way before." For the first time this year under the supervision of the Agriculture Office, I sowed Boro rice seeds in 1800 trays using the simultaneous method.
Tarash Upazila Agriculture Officer Abdullah Al Mamun said, compared to the traditional method, the yield of rice cultivation in this method increases by 30 to 40 percent. In the traditional method, instead of making seed beds, seeds are sown in plastic frames or trays, and seeds are prepared with a mixture of soil and dung in the ratio of 3:2. After that the seeds are sown by means of seed sowing machine and half soil and cow dung mixture is soaked with water and kept in a flat place. Germination occurs within three days of seeding. Seedlings can be produced and planted within 20 to 25 days. In this method the farmer can produce good quality seedlings and grow crops in a short period of time. Apart from this seedbed will be planted in the land with the help of transplanter machine. After ripening, the paddy will be harvested with the help of a harvester machine.