Abstract
A study on identification, characterization, and dynamism of farming systems (FS) and impact of farming systems research (FSR) in two different agro-ecological regions (AERS) of Bangladesh was conducted from 1996 through 2004. The two different AERS, namely Old Brahmaputra Floodplain (AER-9) and Sylhet Basin (AER-21) were represented by two sites, Kazirshimla and Noagaon, respectively. The Kazirshimla site was medium high land above flood level, and the Noagaon site was very low land with deep flooding during monsoon. The study included long-term system monitoring (from 1986 to 1998) and short- term (1991-1992 to 1997-1998) impact monitoring of FSR in both sites/There were 28 FS at Kazirshimla identified during 1986, which varied from 18 (during 1988) to 28 in 1998. There were 13 FS identified during 1986 at Noagaon and varied from11 (during 1994) to 14 in 1998. The highest number of enterprises under one FS was five like Crop-Cattle-Goat-Poultry-Fish and minimum was one like Crop or Cattle or Poultry etc. The production components of FS in both the AERS were four and these were crop, livestock, fisheries and agro-forestry. The enterprises under each component varied between the sites and a classification was made. The characterization of FS indicated statistically significant increase in household number (5.332/year) at Kazirshimla, while decrease (7.0224/year) at Noagaon. There was statistically significant decrease in homestead, pond and cultivated area under FS at the rate of 0.1432 ha, 0.2358 ha and 0.8834 ha, respectively at Kazirshimla. Similarly, at Noagaon there was no pond; and homestead and cultivated area decreased significantly at the rate of 0.194 ha and 0.2816 ha respectively. The cattle in Kazirshimla area increased while decreased at Noagaon area. There was statistically significant increase in chicken status 5.1936 and 5.884 number respectively in Kazirshimla and Noagaon sites, respectively. The food deficit status increase was statistically significant (0.488 month/year), while food self-sufficient status also increased significantly (4.5928 months /year) at Kazirshimla. The food deficit status decreased by 0.4904 month/year while food self-sufficient status increased by 3.0966 months /year at Noagaon. The dynamism study indicated that ten FS at Kazirshimla and seven FS at Noagaon were sustainable over the years. The total FS disappeared per year varied from eight to one and four to one respectively at Kazirshimla and Noagaon sites. Similarly, the total FS reappeared per year varied from eight to one and two to one, at Kazirshimla and Noagaon sites respectively. The FS also emerged at the rate of one per year during four years at Kazirshimla and five years at Noagaon. The FS under individual farmers also showed dynamism character. It was observed that changing of FS was most prominent in landless, less prominent in the small farms while medium and large farm had stable farming systems over the years indicating its long term sustainability. This sustainability of FS of medium and large farmer was due to surplus rice production which ensured household food security and cash income. The impact of FSR indicated that under linear regression model the value of adjusted R2 before intervention explained about 87.9% and 94.7% of the variation respectively, and while after intervention, explained about 95.4% and 91.4 % respectively at Kazirshimla and Noagaon sites; if all the inputs for crop, livestock, fisheries, agroforestry were increased by one percent, output would increase by 0.815 and 0.785 per cent respectively. FSR impact is positive in improving food security through productivity increase of farming systems, land, labour and capital. It is evident that the Cobb-Douglas production function model is well capable of explaining the data of Farming system models.