Table 5.
Economics of maize cultivation under low (LF) and high fertilizer (HF) rates (in USD ha−1) during 2 seasons at 3 locations in the coastal delta of Bangladesh.
| Costs and return | Cost | Barisal (n = 9) |
Patuakhali (n = 9) |
Kalapara (n = 9) |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2016 |
Year 2017 |
Year 2016 |
Year 2017 |
Year 2016 |
Year 2017 |
||||||||
| LFa) | HF | LF a) | HF | LFb) | HF | LF b) | HF | LFc) | HF | LF c) | HF | ||
| Seed | 5.09 USD 20 kg bag−1 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 | 101.76 |
| Inorganic fertilizers | |||||||||||||
| Urea | 0.20 USD kg−1 | 48.35 | 108.60 | 48.35 | 108.60 | 50.11 | 108.60 | 50.11 | 108.60 | 50.25 | 108.60 | 50.25 | 108.60 |
| Triple Super Phosphate | 0.28 USD kg−1 | 41.97 | 74.48 | 41.97 | 74.48 | 40.57 | 74.48 | 40.57 | 74.48 | 50.37 | 74.48 | 50.37 | 74.48 |
| Muriate of Potash | 0.19 USD kg−1 | 17.93 | 38.00 | 17.93 | 38.00 | 14.12 | 38.00 | 14.12 | 38.00 | 21.37 | 38.00 | 21.37 | 38.00 |
| Gypsum | 0.29 USD kg−1 | 23.40 | 60.32 | 23.40 | 60.32 | 18.14 | 60.32 | 18.14 | 60.32 | 13.16 | 60.32 | 13.16 | 60.32 |
| Zinc Sulphate | 2.04 USD kg−1 | 0.00 | 28.34 | 0.00 | 28.34 | 0.00 | 28.34 | 0.00 | 28.34 | 0.00 | 28.34 | 0.00 | 28.34 |
| Boron as Boric acid | 2.80 USD kg−1 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 | 0.00 | 14.00 |
| Pesticides and herbicides | |||||||||||||
| Herbicided | 7.25 USD ltr−1 | 23.66 | 23.66 | 16.54 | 16.54 | 23.66 | 23.66 | 16.54 | 16.54 | 23.66 | 23.66 | 16.54 | 16.54 |
| Cut worm controle | USD 12.52 ltr−1 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 | 10.16 |
| Cob borer control | USD 12 for 100 g Belt + USD 1.65 per 100 ml Decis | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 | 32.94 |
| Machinery use for land preparation and sowing | |||||||||||||
| Machine hiring + operation | a. 34.91 USD ha−1 per tillage pass using a power tiller’ b. 78.70 USD ha−1 per strip tillage establishment |
104.73 | 104.73 | 104.73 | 78.70 | 104.73 | 104.73 | 104.73 | 78.70 | 104.73 | 104.73 | 104.73 | 104.73 |
| Irrigation service (pump hire + fuel) | 0.51 USD hr−1 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 | 97.51 |
| Labor | |||||||||||||
| Hired labor | 5.08 USD psd−1 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 | 254.39 |
| Opportunity cost of family labor (imputed)f | 5.08 USD psd−1 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 | 183.16 |
| Total cost of cultivation | |||||||||||||
| Paid-out (USD ha − 1) | − | 756.80 | 948.89 | 749.68 | 915.74 | 748.09 | 948.89 | 740.97 | 915.74 | 760.30 | 948.89 | 753.18 | 941.77 |
| Paid-out + opportunity cost of family labor (USD ha − 1) | − | 939.96 | 1132.05 | 932.84 | 1098.90 | 931.25 | 1132.05 | 924.13 | 1098.90 | 943.46 | 1132.05 | 936.34 | 1124.93 |
| Maize grain yield (Mg ha − 1) | 0.23-0.25 USD kg−1 | 4.64 | 7.41 | 2.77 | 5.98 | 4.53 | 7.41 | 1.70 | 3.44 | 4.58 | 5.71 | 1.09 | 2.77 |
| Maize stover yield (Mg ha − 1) | 0.013 USD kg−1 | 5.44 | 8.74 | 3.35 | 7.06 | 5.31 | 8.37 | 2.08 | 4.10 | 5.04 | 6.97 | 1.34 | 3.38 |
| Gross revenue (USD ha − 1) | − | 1249.97 | 1995.24 | 723.11 | 1559.77 | 1219.38 | 1990.21 | 445.02 | 897.94 | 1113.45 | 1540.92 | 259.23 | 723.34 |
| Profit | |||||||||||||
| Paid-out cost (USD ha − 1) | − | 493.17 | 1046.35 | −26.57 | 644.03 | 471.29 | 1041.32 | −295.95 | −17.80 | 353.15 | 592.03 | −493.95 | −218.43 |
| Paid-out + opportunity cost of family labor (USD ha − 1) | − | 310.01 | 863.19 | −209.73 | 460.87 | 288.13 | 858.16 | −479.11 | −200.96 | 169.99 | 408.87 | −677.11 | −401.59 |
| Benefit-cost ratio in terms of gross revenue | |||||||||||||
| Paid-out cost (USD ha − 1) | − | 1.65 | 2.10 | 0.96 | 1.70 | 1.63 | 2.10 | 0.60 | 0.98 | 1.46 | 1.62 | 0.34 | 0.77 |
| Paid-out + opportunity cost of family labor (USD ha − 1) | − | 1.33 | 1.76 | 0.78 | 1.42 | 1.31 | 1.76 | 0.48 | 0.82 | 1.18 | 1.36 | 0.28 | 0.64 |
Source: Multi-locational trials. Notes: 1 USD = BDT 78.62 is used for computation (https://www.exchangerates.org.uk)], and include only the variable costs of maize production. In costs and returns column, items within parenthesis next to cost or return components in each cell denote corresponding units of measurement. High fertilizer treatments were as recommended by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC).
‘psd’=person day of work, i.e. 1 ps d = 8 h of work.
Fertilizer rates for the LF treatment were as follows:
a) Urea (110.0 kg N ha-1), TSP (30.0 kg P ha-1), MOP (47.0 kg K ha-1), Gypsum (80.0 kg S ha-1), Zinc sulphate (0.0 kg Z ha-1) and Borax (0.0 kg B ha-1).
b) Urea (100.0 kg N ha-1), TSP (36.0 kg P ha-1), MOP (56.0 kg K ha-1), Gypsum (45.0 kg S ha-1), Zinc sulphate (0.0 kg Z ha-1) and Borax (0.0 kg B ha-1).
c) Urea (114.0 kg N ha-1), TSP (29.0 kg P ha-1), MOP (37.0 kg K ha-1), Gypsum (62.0 kg S ha-1), Zinc sulphate (3.0 kg Z ha-1) and Borax (0.7 kg B ha-1).
d) “Glycel” at 3.7 ltr ha−1 and “Gramoxon” at 2.5 ltr ha−1 was applied in first and second years, respectively at all the sites.
e) “Karate” at 0.75 ltr ha−1 was applied to control cut worm.
f) Prevailing wage rates for male and female labors in the area were used to calculate the corresponding value of male and female family labor.