DataSheet1_Beyond yield: Unveiling farmer perceptions and needs regarding weed management in Bangladesh.docx

More than 3.5 billion people depend on rice for more than 20% of their daily calories. Globally, Bangladesh is the third largest rice producer. With 171 million people, Bangladesh is also among the top consumers. Local rice production not only affects the country’s food security but also influences the global rice trade. A large yield gap has been reported due to weeds. Traditional hand weeding is very costly because of labor shortages resulting from industrialization. Limited data showed a higher yield and profits when using herbicides. However, quantitative data on various aspects of weed management and associated issues representing the country’s variable rice ecosystem, which is characterized by 30 agroecological zones, are lacking. We collected data on weed management practices from 865 farmers and 69 agrochemical shops covering all 30 agro-ecological zones (AEZs) through a structured survey. We observed a significant regional variation among various parameters. Approximately 82% of farmers use herbicides, and few rely solely on either manual weeding or herbicides. Pre-emergence herbicides are the predominant. Application procedures are almost the same across the country. Although 40% of farmers had secondary and higher-level education, most depend upon local sellers’ suggestions rather than reading the product label regarding the dose. Few farmers consider herbicides hazardous, and respondents rarely perceive any environmental impact. Pyrazosulfuron ethyl (35%) and acetochlor-containing bensulfuron methyl (27%) are the most-used chemical species. Approximately 45% of farmers observed that herbicides suppress early seedling growth. Additional fertilizer is required to compensate for this. Multiple weed species that are difficult to control through presently used herbicides were noted in all AEZs. Around 64% of farmers observed that herbicide application contributes to higher yields as a function of timely weeding. Cost comparisons showed that high labor prices will make rice cropping unprofitable in most parts of the country if herbicides are eliminated. Clear adverse effects of pre-emergence herbicides on early crop growth implied the potential benefits of broad-spectrum herbicide-tolerant genetically engineered (GE) rice to sustain the country’s food security. Additionally, such GE rice could incentivize the adoption of alternate wet and dry irrigation methods, leading to water and cost savings.

超过35亿人依赖大米为其日摄入热量的20%以上。在全球范围内，孟加拉国是第三大水稻生产国。该国拥有1.71亿人口，同时也是主要消费国之一。本土水稻生产的波动不仅影响国家的粮食安全，亦对全球水稻贸易产生显著影响。由于杂草问题，已报道存在较大的产量差距。传统的手工除草因工业化导致的劳动力短缺而成本高昂。有限的数据表明，使用除草剂可提高产量和利润。然而，关于杂草管理及其相关问题，涉及该国多变的稻作生态系统的定量数据尚显不足。我们通过结构化调查，从865位农民和69家农化商店收集了涵盖全部30个农业生态区（AEZs）的杂草管理实践数据。我们观察到不同参数间存在显著的区域差异。大约82%的农民使用除草剂，而很少的人仅依赖手工除草或除草剂。除草剂在播种前的使用最为普遍。在全国范围内，应用程序几乎相同。尽管40%的农民接受了中等及以上教育，但大多数人仍依赖于当地销售商的建议，而非仔细阅读产品标签上的剂量说明。很少的农民认为除草剂具有危害性，受访者很少意识到任何环境影响。吡唑磺草酮乙酯（35%）和含乙草胺的苯磺隆甲基（27%）是最常用的化学品种。大约45%的农民观察到，除草剂抑制了早期秧苗的生长，需要额外的肥料来补偿这一点。在所有农业生态区均发现，现有除草剂难以控制的多种杂草种类。大约64%的农民观察到，及时除草的除草剂应用有助于提高产量。成本比较表明，如果消除除草剂，由于劳动力价格高昂，该国大部分地区的水稻种植将变得无利可图。播种前除草剂对早期作物生长的明确不利影响暗示了广泛谱系除草剂耐受转基因（GE）水稻在维持国家粮食安全方面的潜在益处。此外，此类转基因水稻可能激励采用交替的湿润和干燥灌溉方法，从而节约水和成本。