Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, March 25, 2026 (BSS) - Soil scientists and experts urged the grassroots farmers to be habituated in soil test-based fertilization to protect soil health from further degradation.
 
Wide-ranging promotion of balanced fertilization can be the crucial means of boosting crop production through protecting soil health from further degradation.
 
Utmost emphasis should be given to 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.

The views were made in a field day and farmers gathering, organised by the Divisional Office of the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) in the Saranjai area at Tanore Upazila in the district on Tuesday.

SRDI Chief Scientific Officers AKM Aminul Islam and Dr Nurul Islam and Upazila Agriculture Officer Saifullah Ahmed addressed the meeting as resource persons disseminating their expertise on the issue.

At the event, the farmers shared their opinions, saying higher yields can be achieved by using balanced fertilizers based on soil testing and applying dolomite for managing acidic soils.
 
On the field day, the research plot yielded 129.58 maunds per bigha (equivalent to 38.88 tons per hectare), whereas the farmers' fields produced 109.96 maunds per bigha (equivalent to 32.99 tons per hectare). The yield difference is 5.89 tons per hectare, or 17.86 percent.
 
The cost of fertilizer use alone was Taka 5,595 per bigha in the farmers' plots and Taka 2,093 per bigha in the research plots. 

According to the research findings, farmers can save Taka 3,502 by following the recommended fertilizer practices.
 
By selling the additional yield, farmers can earn an extra Taka 12,165 (based on the current potato market price of Taka 15.5 per kg). Therefore, the total additional profit per bigha would be Taka 15,667.
     
At the same time, fertilizer will be reduced; soil health and the environment will improve.
 
Dr Nurul Islam said: "Let us all, dear farmers, use balanced fertilizers based on soil testing, prevent fertilizer wastage, and maintain good soil health".

Aminul Islam, in his speech, said that excessive fertilization increases pest attacks on crops and diseases, followed by yield loss, besides damaging soil fertility balance, declining crop 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 fertilizers in soil to enhance productivity as well as protect public health.