SRDI analysing 40,000 soil water samples every year to enhance crop production

Bangladesh's farmers are benefitting from balanced fertiliser management achieved by ensuring optimal land use and soil testing.

Meanwhile, uncultivated land in the country is now being cultivated because of the invention of land survey techniques that are yielding more crops.

The Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI), an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, is assisting farmers in crop production with soil management. The SRDI analyses 40,000 soil water samples in its laboratory every year.

Bidhan Kumar Bhander, director general of SRDI, said this at a programme on Wednesday to inform the media about the agency's ongoing projects and World Soil Day 2020.

He said, "Our job is to develop technology through soil management. This is assisting our farmers in crop production. Off-season watermelons are growing in saline soil as a result of our work developing soil quality. Farmers are able to sell the off-season watermelons at higher prices."

"Through various studies on soil quality, the agency is playing a significant role in the cultivation of saline areas in the hilly southern areas in the country. Stretches of land that were not cultivated earlier have come under cultivation," he added.

Like every year, Bangladesh, along with the rest of the world, will observe World Soil Day on 5 December this year. The SRDI has set the theme of the World Soil Day 2020 as "Keep Soil Alive, Protect Soil Biodiversity."

Bidhan Kumar Bhander said, "The theme was set to raise awareness among people about soil and its care."

"We must make people understand the importance of taking care of the soil, so the next generation is able to produce food. The biodiversity of the soil must be protected first," he said.

World Soil Day was first observed in 2013. Around 60,000 soil scientists across the world celebrate the day with much fervour to promote the benefits of healthy soil.