Soil will be tested through mobile laboratories in 56 upazilas of 49 districts. Farmers can have the soil of their crop land tested for a subsidised Tk 25 (the actual cost is Tk 440). From 17 November, soil will be tested on the spot across the country and fertiliser recommendation cards handed out.

A programme to give farmers balanced fertiliser recommendation cards after testing their soil directly, run through the Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory (MSTL) programme to bring soil services to farmers' doorsteps, was inaugurated on Sunday (17 November). The Rabi-24 programme of the 10 mobile soil testing laboratories was launched across the country.

At the event at Khamarbari in the capital, the chief guest was Md Saiful Alam, director general of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE). It was inaugurated by the institution's director general, Begum Samia Sultana.

Director General Samia Sultana said the mobile soil testing laboratories have been running since 1996 to bring services to people and to encourage farmers to test their soil and apply fertiliser in balanced doses. Soil will now be tested in both the Rabi and Kharif seasons (twice). "As always, in the Rabi-24 season we have started work at once in 56 upazilas of different districts with 10 mobile labs," she said.

DAE Director General Saiful Alam said motivational programmes like this would encourage farmers, and recommending fertiliser after testing the soil prevents waste. Every year tonnes and tonnes of fertiliser have to be imported, he said, and because farmers lack proper knowledge they apply fertiliser as they please, much of which is of no use.

The mobile laboratories will usually stay three to five days at each station, test soil and issue cards recommending balanced fertiliser doses for crops. Applying balanced fertiliser after a soil test raises yields by 15–20% and cuts production costs by 10–15%, reduces overuse of fertiliser and, above all, protects the environment from soil and water pollution.

Also present were Chief Scientific Officer Anisur Rahman, Joynal Abedin, Dr Nurul Huda Al Mamun, Faruk Hossain and other senior officials.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.