Built on deep-rooted political and cultural heritage, ‘rice security’ is the foundation of ‘food security’ in Bangladesh. The country has been in production-surplus of rice in the current decade feeding over 165 million people. This on-going ‘selfsufficiency momentum’ would require to maintain to meet increased demand from growing future population. On developmental side, Bangladesh is placed among the three of the world’s fastest growing economies in the years through to 2050. Rice sector would need to match with the pace of this growth. In addition, agriculture sector, that includes rice, is to double the productivity as the government commits to meet the SDG goal 2.3.1. This study addresses those issues through scoping increased rice production and productivity in Bangladesh, developing a plan of work (POW) on translating the scope and designing implementation plans and actions, incorporating efficiency, resilience, stability and sustainability issues, to achieve the POW. The study has used brainstorming, and rigorous analysis to achieve the objectives. The productivity has been explained in terms of yield- and labour-productivity. The developed three-winged ‘doubling rice productivity (DRP)’ framework directs yield enhancement and production accumulation in unexplored spaces (Wing-1); increased adoption of mechanization to impact on labour productivity (Wing-2), and improvements in nutritional quality and rice-based product diversity, and stabilizing the farmgate price (Wing-3). Analyses show, from the baseline figure of 35.29 MT in 2015, rice production in the country can be raised to 46.90 MT in 2030, 54.09 MT in 2040 and 60.85 MT in 2050 with combined contributions of three pillars – yield improvements by enhanced varietal potential (Pillar 1), reduction in existing yield gap (Pillar 2) and production increase by exploring unexplored spaces for rice (Pillar 3) of Wing-1 of the DRP. This production will produce a surplus of 6.50, 10.29 and 13.65 MT in 2030, 2040 and 2050, respectively, over the production target (40.40, 43.80 and 47.20 MT in 2030 and 2050, respectively). Results further reveal that through scale-appropriate mechanization backed up by estimated fair price, labour productivity in rice will be doubled by 2029, meeting the SDG 2.3.1. Good number of released varieties have been identified to have specific nutritional trait, and value adding quality. We have emphasized on much needed actions on demand-driven research for varietal development and field-adoptable management, mechanization for transplanting and harvesting operations, accommodation of rice in unexplored spaces, farmer-based speedy seed multiplication and dissemination system, establishment of commission for agricultural costs and prices, input buffer stock terminals for managing production risk, long-term storage and export of surplus production, and research-publicity-market development for rice-based products through public-private partnership. It is concluded that efficiency, resilience and sustainability around the three wings of DRP in the rice production systems to be ensured to achieve the rice production, productivity and labour use estimates. Bangladesh Rice J. 24 (2): 1-47, 2021

Mechanical transplanting is an emerging technology in Bangladesh agriculture. Deadong DP480 rice transplanter was used to conduct the experiment which is imported from South Korea and China. The performance of this machine needs to be thoroughly investigated in local condition. This experiment was conducted in Boro (2015) season in the farmers’ field at Gosaidanga in Shailkupa upazila under Jhenaidah district and at Rashidpur in Mithapukur upazila under Rangpur district. Two treatments, i.e. T1 = Hand transplanting (HT) and T2 = Mechanical transplanting (MT) were used in the experiment. The experiment was carried out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) and replicated in six plots in each location. Rice variety BRRI dhan28 was used to conduct the experiment in both locations. Fuel consumption of 4-row walking type mechanical transplanter obtained 5.25 L/ha. The field capacity and field efficiency of rice transplanter   obtained 0.11-0.12 ha/hr and 64-70 percent, respectively. Conventional seedbed preparation required 37-55 man-hr/ha whereas 71-77 man-hr/ha required in mat type seedling suitable for mechanical transplanting. Labor requirement in hand and mechanical transplanting ranged from 123-150 and 9.0-10.5 man-hr per hectare which was 19-22 and 1.65-2.00 percent of total labor requirement in rice cultivation, respectively. Number of seedling tray requirement ranged from 215-230 per hectare. Calibration should be done on space and seedling density setting before operation in each plot to get optimum plant spacing and seedling tray requirement. Missing hill obtained 1-2 percent in mechanically transplanted plot. Mechanically transplanted plot showed significantly the higher grain yield (9-14%) than hand transplanted method due to use of infant seedling. The input cost in the form of labor and material was found similar in hand transplanting whereas in mechanical transplanting, labor cost found 12 percent lower than material cost. The cost of growing mat type seedling for mechanical transplanter found 53 percent whereas the cost of raising traditional seedbed found 34 percent of the cost of hand transplanting. Mechanical transplanting reduced 1.8 percent input cost than hand transplanting in crop cultivation. BCR of MT and HT showed 1.18-1.19 and 1.03-1.06, respectively. Mechanical intervention in crop production drastically reduced the labor requirement which can offset the peak labor demand. Mechanical transplanting systems increased yield, improved labor efficiency, ensured timeliness in operation and faster transplanting.Progressive Agriculture 27 (3): 369-382, 2016

Mechanization is a vital issue to modernize agriculture. The entrepreneurship development is imperative to provide service to the farmers at an affordable price, especially in haor areas. The study was conceived to estimate the combine harvester's rental charge and payback period. Data were collected from 86 rice fields harvested by a whole-feed combine harvester (Model: Zoomlion) in Mithamain upazila under the Kishoreganj district representing haor area of Bangladesh. Land size, operational time, loss time, repair time, idle time, daily area coverage and constraints of harvester machine were also recorded to predict the business viability of combine harvester. The rental charge and payback period was calculated following standard protocol to make business venture profitable. The perception of farmers regarding the prospect of using combine harvester in harvesting has been recorded through personal interviews. The field capacity of combine harvester was observed as 0.20 ha hr-1. Field efficiency of combine harvester depended on the land size. The daily area coverage can be increased after careful selection of the plots. Fuel consumption was found 4.18 l ha-1. Operational consolidation is the best approach to reduce the time of movement resulting in increased daily area coverage. Seasonal use of combine harvester in one locality of the study area was observed for 22 days. The rental charge of the machine was estimated as 10,000 Tk ha-1 and payback period was 3.5 years for the area coverage of 40 ha rice fields. Farmers would be able to save 40% harvesting cost for the rental charge of Tk 10,000 ha-1. Combine harvester rental service has emerged as a viable business model in the haor basin. Whole-feed (Zoomlion model) combine harvester appeared as an effective, economical, and labour-saving harvesting machine in the haor region land tenure system. Bangladesh Rice j. 2019, 23(2): 65-75

Rice is cultivated in the three seasons (Aus, Aman, and Boro) across four ecotypes, including irrigat-ed, rainfed upland, rainfed lowland, and deep water in Bangladesh. Rice farming in unfavourable ecosystems is highly exposed to abiotic stresses and extreme weather events (floods, droughts, storm surges, and cyclones), and its performance is frequently affected by the multiple-stresses and extreme weather events. Besides, the increasing demand for rice for the growing population and decreasing scarce resources, including arable land and fresh-water for irrigation aggravated the concern about sustainable rice production systems under future conditions. Thus, the paper aimed to exploit unfa-vourable ecosystems to increase total rice production for meeting future demand. Secondary data were analyzed to achieve the objectives of the study. BR23, BRRI dhan40, BRRI dhan41, BRRI dhan47, BRRI dhan53, BRRI dhan54, BRRI dhan61, BRRI dhan67, BRRI dhan73, BRRI dhan97, BRRI dhan99, BINA dhan-8 and BINA dhan-10 are resilient to salinity. Besides, BRRI dhan56, BRRI dhan57, BRRI dhan66, BRRI dhan71, and BRRI dhan83 are resilient to drought, and BRRI dhan51, BRRI dhan52, BRRI dhan79, BINA dhan11, and BINA dhan-12 are tolerant to submergence. The BR18, BRRI dhan36, BRRI dhan67, and BRRI dhan69 are some-extent resilient to cold. The research has been con-tinuing for developing further stress-tolerant higher yield potential rice cultivars for unfavourable ecosystems. The increased adoption of currently available stress-tolerant rice cultivars has the poten-tial to give a substantially higher yield than that of locally popular rice cultivars in the unfavourable ecosystems. Therefore, the dissemination of stress-tolerant cultivars to 75% of total rice cropping are-as of saline (0.37 Mha), submergence (1.08 Mha), and drought (2.94 Mha) ecosystem may contribute to increasing rice production in the ecosystems by 1.26 MT, 3.45 MT, and 9.18 MT, respectively. Re-sulting from that 13.89 MT rice will be added to the national rice basket in 2050. The policy supports are needed to strengthen for developing and rapid dissemination of the stress-tolerant cultivars in the unfavourable ecosystems for meeting the increased demand of rice of the growing population under future conditions. Bangladesh Rice J. 24 (2): 83-102, 2021

This study was undertaken to investigate the rental charge and labour cost of five major operations in rice production in the north-west region of Bangladesh. Farmers’ group discussions (FGDs) with 10-15 key informants farmers were conducted for collecting farm level data from 15 villages of both Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions. Rental charge and labour cost of rice cultivation were converted to paddy equivalent cost (PEC) for tillage, transplanting, weeding, harvesting, carrying and threshing. Farmers mostly relied on the service providers of either power tiller or tractor for tillage. They also relied on the service providers of close drum power thresher for threshing rice and other crops. However, farmers still manually carried out transplanting, weeding, harvesting and carrying of rice. Both the contractual and daily basis hired labour and family labour performed those activities. The wages of labour of harvesting and carrying was paid in cash or kind (e.g., share of harvested grain or fixed amount of grain per unit of harvest area). The average paddy equivalent cost for the five major operations was ranged between 37-47% of total paddy production cost in the study locations. The mechanized transplanting and harvesting may reduce rice production cost largely as well as would resolve the labour scarcity problems. Therefore, transplanter and harvester have the great prospect of widespread adoption. However, prospect of mechanical weeding is limited because of the availability of low cost intensive chemical control methods. Thus, providing the larger financial assistance on purchasing both the transplanter and harvester facilitates the end users to enhance the productivity and reduce the cost of rice farming.Bangladesh Rice j. 2017, 21(1): 35-45