Rajshahi: Speakers at a training workshop here today urged field-level agriculture officers to properly implement the Upazila Land and Soil Resource Use Guideline and motivate grassroots farmers to follow it for the balanced use of fertilizers. The guideline prescribes that balanced fertilizer application is crucial for protecting soil health from further degradation, increasing crop production, and ensuring food security.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, agricultural officers and experts observed while inaugurating a two-day training for sub-assistant agriculture officers (SAAOs) and potential farmers at the conference hall of the Regional Office of Agriculture Information Services. The Rajshahi divisional office of the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI), as part of its Acidic Soil Management Programme, organized the training aimed at disseminating the ideas and aspects of the soil resource guideline.
The training programs focus on topics such as soil health management, balanced fertilization, and identification of adulterated fertilizers. SRDI develops tools like the Upazila Nirdeshika for local agricultural planning and guides farmers on fertilizer use. Additional Director of the Department of Agriculture Extension Dr. Azizur Rahman and Deputy Director Umme Salma addressed the opening ceremony as chief and special guests, respectively, with SRDI Chief Scientific Officer Amir Muhammad Zahid in the chair. SRDI Principal Scientific Officer Dr. Nurul Islam welcomed the participants.
Dr. Azizur Rahman emphasized the importance of habituating grassroots farmers towards soil test-based balanced fertilization, stating there would be no fertilizer crisis in the country if farmers were enriched with knowledge of balanced fertilization. Soil expert Dr. Nurul Islam called for creating awareness among farmers on using appropriate and balanced fertilizer in soil to enhance productivity and protect public health. He highlighted the declining soil nutrients due to disproportionate fertilizer use and the need for suitable fertilizer application based on soil conditions.
Dr. Islam further mentioned that the lesser use of organic matter, absence of green manure, and inadequate application of bio-fertilizers are contributing to soil degradation. The training also aims to equip participants with the skills to identify spurious fertilizers and make use of available soil testing tools and resources to ensure scientific fertilizer use in agriculture.