Balanced fertilization essential to boost crop production: experts

Scientists at a training session here today
viewed that wide-ranging promotion of balanced fertilization can be the
crucial means of boosting crop production through protecting soil health from
further degradation.

They unanimously mentioned that utmost emphasis should be given on
habituating the grassroots farmers towards soil test-based balanced
fertilization. There would be no fertilizer crisis in the country if the
farmers were enriched with the knowledge of balanced fertilization, the
experts added.

Field level officials and others concerned, particularly the Sub Assistant
Agriculture Officer (SAAO), have a vital role to play to disseminate and
expand the knowledge among the farmers in general.

Agricultural and soil health experts came up with the observation while
addressing the inaugural session of a two-day training course titled “Acidic
Soil Management after using the Upazila Land and Soil Resources Guideline”
here today.

The Divisional Office of the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI)
organised the training for SAAOs and promising farmers at the Deputy
Director’s office conference hall of Department of Agricultural Extension
(DAE) supported by the Acidic Soil Management Programme.

SRDI Chief Scientific Officer AFM Manjurul Haque, Principal Scientific
Officer Dr Nurul Islam and DAE Additional Deputy Director Sabina Begum
addressed the opening session disseminating their expertise on the issue.

SRDI Principal Scientific Officer Sadia Afrin and Shahidul Islaml and Senior
Scientific Officer Nilufer Yeasmin also spoke on the occasion.

Dr Nurul Islam told the participants that excessive fertilization always
causes increasing pest attacks to crops and diseases followed by yield loss
besides damaging soil fertility balance, declining crops quality and market
price.

Apart from this, excessive use of TSP, DAP and Potash is detrimental to other
food elements of crops in soil leading to yield loss, misuse of money and
affecting soil health.

The Soil Health Expert called for creating awareness among farmers on using
appropriate and balanced fertilizer in soil to enhance productivity as well
as protect public health.

On the contrary, Dr Nurul Islam said yield of various crops, particularly
wheat, potato, pulse, mustard and vegetables, can be inclined to at least 15-
40 percent if dolomite is used on the excessive acidic soil.

The SAAOs should take the responsibility of letting the farmers know about
the importance of using suitable fertilizer based on the condition of the
soil as soil nutrients have gradually been declining due to disproportionate
use of fertilizer creating a negative impact on the soil productivity, he
added.

In his remarks, AFM Manjurul Haque said lesser use of organic matter and
little or no use of leguminous green manure and biofertilizers have also been
detected as the degradable factors.

However, soil test based fertilization has become indispensable to maintain
soil properties positive to growth of plants, he said.

In the training workshop, the participants are being given knowledge related
to detecting spurious fertilizer and sample analysis, available mobile soil
test laboratory facilities to detect soil productivity and degradation and
fertilizer using guidelines. (BSS)