Emphasis should be given on soil health management rightly for protecting its productivity as the soil nutrients has gradually been declining, researchers concerned said.They viewed disproportionate use of chemical fertilizers and harmful pesticides for cultivation of high yielding varieties of different crops and vegetables are mainly blamed for continued decline in soil nutrients.Lesser use of organic matter and little or no use of leguminous green manure and bio-fertilizers have also been detected as the degradable factors.“Organic matter requirement is at least 2.5 per cent in a normal soil,whereas the content in the area was found less than 1.3 per cent and even less than one per cent in some soils in the region,” said Mahbubur Rahman, Scientific Officer of Regional Laboratory belongs to Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI).
Optimum level of organic matter is a must for building and maintaining positive soil properties and normal soil ecosystem that supports plant growth.It is also imperative for creating a positive soil environment from which plants can uptake nutrients from applied chemical fertilizers as it acts as the storehouse of nutrient elements and produce all plant nutrient elements both macro and micro in environmental way.Soil Scientist Mahbub said organic manure improves the chemical and physical properties of soil like its structure by acting as binding agent and the good structure enhances a favorable air-water status of soil from which plant and micro-organisms can take air, water and nutrient elements.Likewise, input and output balance of plant nutrient elements should be equal for maintaining the nutrient status of the soil.Soil test based fertilization has also become indispensable to build and maintain soil properties positive to growth along with keeping the sound environment of surroundings of soil like airspace, pond and river, he added.There should be adequate measures of giving ideas on how to detect spurious fertilizer and sample analysis, avail facilities of mobile soil test laboratory to detect soil productivity and degradation and fertilizer using guideline through online technology.ATM Rafiqul Islam, Deputy Manager (Agriculture) of Barind Multipurpose
Development Authority, said farmers’ knowledge should be upgraded on how to prepare compost heap, collect soil sample from field and send to laboratory for chemical analysis and preparation of fertilizer recommendation cards through proper training in every cropping season. -BSS, Rajshahi
