Thrust on creating awareness among farmers on fertiliser use

RAJSHAHI, Apr15 (BSS): Speakers at a workshop in the district town underscored on Monday the need for creating awareness among farmers on using appropriate and balanced fertiliser in soil to enhance productivity as well as protect public health.
Field-level agricultural staff should take the responsibility of letting the farmers know about the importance of using suitable fertiliser based on the condition of the soil, they said adding that soil nutrients have gradually been declining due to disproportionate use of fertiliser creating a negative impact on the soil productivity.
The five-day training workshop titled "Updating Upazila Land and Soil Resources Utilisation Guide" has been organised by Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) at conference hall of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE).
Some 30 DAE sub-assistant agriculture officers from Puthiya and Bagmara upazilas are taking part in the training where they would be given training on detecting spurious fertiliser and sample analysis, available mobile soil test laboratory facilities to detect soil productivity and degradation, and fertilizer using guideline through online.
Dr Akram Hossain Chowdhury, chairman of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority (BMDA), addressed the opening session as the chief guest with SRDI Principal Scientific Officer Dr Afsar Ali in the chair.
DAE Additional Director Dev Dulal Dhali and its Deputy Director Shamsul Haque and SRDI Senior Scientific Officers Dr Nurul Islam and Shah Muhammad Golam Mawla also spoke on the occasion.
Dr Akram Chowdhury said disproportionate use of chemical fertilizers and harmful pesticides for cultivation of high yielding varieties of crops and vegetables are blamed for continued decline in soil nutrients.
Lesser use of organic matter and little or no use of leguminous green manure and bio-fertilisers have also been detected as the degradable factors.
Soil test based fertiliser has become indispensable to maintain soil properties positive to growth of plants, he said.
Dr Afsar Ali told the meeting that organic matter improves the chemical and physical properties of soil like its structure by acting as binding agent and the good structure enhances a favourable air-water status of soil from which plant and micro-organisms can take air, water and nutrient elements.