the Symposium on Wheats for More Tropical Environments - cimmyt

82Agronomic practicesMuch attention is needed in agronomicresearch. Cultivation techniques for arice-wheat cropping pattern must bestudied in regard to <strong>the</strong> effects oftillage, soU moisture conservation andwater management. For transplantingrice, soU is puddled with a woodencountry plow that creates a strong plowpan in some soUs; this is a barrier topenetration by wheat roots. It causes<strong>the</strong> crop to be more susceptible tomoisture stress or. if irrigated, createswaterlogging and a lack of normal plantdevelopment. Conservation of soUmoisture by appropriate tUlage methodsis also necessary for rainfed areas.Research should be streng<strong>the</strong>ned forrefining fertUizer recommendations.especially for potassium. and studies onmicronutrients. such as sulfur. zinc.Icopper and manganese. should beundertaken. Mixed cropping orintercropping with o<strong>the</strong>r winter crops isa practice followed. and this must beconsidered in all its ramifications.Post-harvest technologyResearch on farm-level seed and grainstorage needs fur<strong>the</strong>r attention. Lowcostthreshing devices must bedeveloped to resolve <strong>the</strong> presentthreshing problem.ConclusionsIn 1981. <strong>the</strong> Canadian InternationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA) providedgrants to streng<strong>the</strong>n <strong>the</strong> existing wheatresearch programs carried out byBangladesh in cooperation withCIMMYT. It is hoped that. as a result ofthis cooperative research program.Bangladesh will be able to close itsrecurring food gap (1.5 to 2 mUllontons) by increased wheat production.