Integrating best management practices for rice with farmers’ crop management techniques: A potential option for minimizing rice yield gap

The major cereal cropping system in Bangladesh is rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the dry season (Boro) – rice in the wet season (Aman). The average productivity (7tha−1) of this system is far below attainable yields (14tha−1) in farmers’ fields, resulting in a large yield gap mainly due to farmers’ traditional management practices. We evaluated a set of selected best management practices (BMP) along with two N management options in the farmers’ crop management practices for rice in numerous farmers’ fields across 24 villages over 5 contiguous seasons during 2006–2008. Across years, BMP and two N management options increased grain yields compared with the farmers’ practice (FP) by 0.73tha−1 in both Aman and Boro seasons. The higher yield response (24.6%…