Not all crops require flood irrigation, and using it on wheat, corn, onions, garlic, sugarcane, and other winter crops causes water wastage and may even harm the crop itself. To address this, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) is testing a centre-pivot irrigation system to deliver water precisely to maintain optimal soil moisture.
Widely used in Europe and other developed regions, centre-pivot irrigation involves a long, wheeled pipe rotating around a central pivot to water fields in a circular pattern. Water flows from the central pivot through the lateral pipe, supported by towers on wheels, and sprinklers distribute it evenly over crops, similar to natural rainfall. The distance between two adjacent towers, called the span, is typically 45-60 metres, though it can be longer in larger systems.
The system reduces labour, ensures uniform water application, and can be automated, making it suitable for large-scale farming, with the irrigated area depending on the pivot arm length. However, it is unsuitable for paddy fields, which need flood irrigation.
“Paddy fields need flood irrigation, but crops like onions and wheat need light, regular watering, similar to rainfall,” said Faisal Ahmed, executive engineer of BADC in Pabna. “During winter, rainfall is scarce, so farmers often use flood irrigation, wasting water. With the centre-pivot system, we can supply only what the field needs. This is an automated irrigation technology.”
BADC installed the first system at Muladuli agriculture farm in Ishwardi, Pabna, covering over 400 bighas, and a second at Bhabanipur sugarcane farm in Natore. The government-funded trial uses Austrian technology and cost around Tk 4 crore
BADC installed Bangladesh’s first centre-pivot system at Muladuli agriculture farm in Ishwardi, Pabna, with six spans irrigating over 400 bighas, and a second at Bhabanipur sugarcane farm in Natore.
The government-funded trial, using Austrian technology, cost about Tk 4 crore. Austrian engineers first trained BADC engineers, who then jointly trained local farmers. BADC continues to liaise with the Austrian engineers for maintenance support.
WATER AND LABOUR SAVINGS
The BADC anticipates that shifting to mechanised irrigation will reduce water loss, costs and labour while significantly increasing crop yields.
“The centre-pivot irrigation system uses 20-30 percent less water than traditional methods,” said Afnan Azam Rudrho, assistant engineer at BADC Pabna. “For wheat, which normally requires 100,000-200,000 litres per bigha, the system needs only 70,000-160,000 litres, depending on soil and climate.”
Anwarul Islam, in charge of the Muladuli sugarcane farm, said the system saves significant time and labour.
“The centre-pivot covers a 350-metre radius and can irrigate 150 acres at a time. With traditional flood irrigation, it would take 25 to 30 days and a large workforce to cover this area. Now we can do it in five to seven days with almost no extra labour.”
He added that water use can be controlled from the machine’s control board. “From the control panel, we can supply water only to specific parts of the field as needed, so there is no wastage from over-irrigation.”
Sumon Chandra Bormon, assistant engineer (irrigation) at BADC Ishwardi, said sugarcane output could rise from 15-17 tonnes per acre to 27-30 tonnes per acre using this system.
Local farmers welcomed the technology. Md Kamruzzaman, an onion farmer from Durgapur village, said, “Onion fields cannot tolerate standing water. We now need three to four labourers just to control water flow and drainage during irrigation. This technology is a blessing because it lets us water from above without harming saplings or hiring extra labour.”
Award-winning farmer Md Sajahan Ali Badsha added, “We use the same irrigation method for paddy, wheat and vegetables, even though their needs are different. If this technology reaches farmers at the grassroots level, it will transform production.”
The centre-pivot system under testing has six spans for large farms, but can be reduced to one for smaller farms. The official inauguration is expected by the end of the month, after the final power connections are completed.
If tests succeed, BADC plans wider installation to modernise Bangladesh’s agriculture. “We plan to expand this technology for both large- and small-scale farmers, depending on their needs,” said Faisal Ahmed, executive engineer of BADC in Pabna.
