Experts stress on soil health for food production

Administrative officials and soil scientists emphasize soil health protection to boost food production and ensure food security to meet the gradual demand of the rising population.

To this end, all the field-level agricultural officials and staff should work together to protect the soil health to keep up its productivity as defending soil health from further degradation is crucial, they observed.

They made the observations in a post-rally discussion meeting in observance of the World Soil Day- 2022 held at the conference hall of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Chapainawabganj on Monday.

The District Administration and Regional Office of the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) jointly organised the meeting. “Soils; Where Food Begins” was the main theme of the day this year.

DC AKM Galiv Khan addressed the discussion as chief guest, while Principal Scientific Officer of Regional Horticulture Research Centre Dr Mukhlesur Rahman and Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture Extension Dr Polash Sarker spoke as special guests with Additional DC Ahamed Mahbub-ul-Islam in the chair.

During his keynote presentation, SRDI Principal Scientific Officer Dr Nurul Islam said substantial and sustainable uses of required organic fertilizers in the farming fields are very important for boosting soil health and productivity.

Plant and animal waste-based fertiliser has a vital role towards protecting the soil nutrients which are being declined due to various natural and man-made catastrophes, he said.

There is no alternative to protect the soil nutrients from further declining trends amidst the adverse impact of climate change.

He urged the field-level agricultural officials and staff concerned to motivate and encourage the farmers towards promoting soil test-based fertilisation to contain the soil health-related crisis.

Dr Mukhlesur Rahman suggested the use of organic as well as plant and animal waste-based fertiliser in the Barind area’s soil for boosting its health as it is declining due to various natural and man-made catastrophes.