ADOPTION AND ADAPTABILITY OF MODERN AMAN RICE CULTIVARS IN FARIDPUR REGION - BANGLADESH

Rice is not just a staple food; but it is at the center of culture, politics, and economy of Bangladesh. The determinants affecting the adoption of modern rice cultivars and their adaptability in the Aman season (June to November) at the Faridpur region in Bangladesh were discussed. A total of 500 farmers from five different districts such as, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Rajbari, and Gopalganj through multistage sampling technique participated in the survey. Before the survey, 15 farmers were selected for the cultivation of eight modern T. Aman rice cultivars in their fields during three consecutive years 2018 to 2020 in the mentioned five districts of Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire was used to identify the determinants associated with the adoption of modern rice cultivars by replacing the popular old ones. Results revealed that beyond preferences, some other determinants (age, education, risk aversion, land size, yield, and perception of modern rice cultivars and their seed availability) directed the decision to adopt or not. Considering the average grain yield of the tested rice cultivars, the genotypes BRRI dhan72 (G-6) and BRRI dhan87 (G-8) were the high yielding cultivars for the above five districts. Despite having a comparatively low yield, the cultivars BRRI dhan71 (G-4) and BRRI dhan49 (G-3) were more stable compared to other cultivars in the Faridpur region of Bangladesh.