##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##

The recent progression and Green Revolution (approx. between the 1990s-2010s) in agriculture of Bangladesh resulted in an increase of total production despite yield-gap to ensure food security. But agriculture in Bangladesh is still backed-up by higher use of inputs (agrochemicals-fertilizers, pesticides; modern varieties, irrigation etc.) and inversion tillage. This conventional agrochemical-based smallholder agriculture may lead to soil and environmental degradation, soil acidification, and a decline in soil fertility. Therefore, it is significant to optimize input application in intensive agriculture, especially fertilizers. This paper introduces the potential online facilities of generating online fertilizer recommendations for smallholder farmers in Bangladesh to ensure proper usage of fertilizers and enable sustainable agricultural production. We also highlighted how the usage of fertilizers increased with an increase in total production over time. But the sustainability of production in the years to come still remain challenging. With the aim of sustainable crop production, reduction in the misuse of fertilizers and reduction of input cost by optimizing the present pattern of excessive fertilizer application, the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) provides location-specific fertilizer recommendation through both the manual and soil test based interpretation of plant nutrients: soil database in Upzazila Nirdeshika and static laboratory soil analysis. Recently, SRDI developed web-based software named Online Fertilizer Recommendation System (OFRS). The system is capable of generating location-specific fertilizer recommendations for selected crops by analyzing the national soil database developed by this governmental institute. The software requires farmer field location, respective soil and land type, and crop type and variety information to generate crop-specific instant fertilizer recommendation. It was observed that by using fertilizer according to the recommended dose calculated on the basis of soil test values, farmers could harvest approx. 7-22% higher yield of different crops over usual farmers practice. If this system can be popularized and disseminated by effective agricultural extension, this would immensely contribute to the promotion of precision agriculture, input cost reduction and it would certainly enable us to optimize fertilizer application by the smallholder farmers in Bangladesh.

References

  1. Hossain, M. A., Amin, M. N., Sultana, J. and Siddique, M. N. A., “Climate Change Impact on Agriculture and Related Sustainable Land Management Practices in Bangladesh–A Review,” International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 10(2): 53-69, 2020.
     Google Scholar
  2. Sultana, J., Siddique, M. N. A., & Abdullah, M. R., “Fertilizer recommendation for agriculture: practice, practicalities and adaptation in Bangladesh and Netherlands,” International Journal of Business, Management and Social Research, 1(1), 21-40, 2015.
     Google Scholar
  3. Sultana, B. S., Mian, M. H., Jahiruddin, M., Rahman, M. M., Siddique, M. N. E. A., & Sultana, J., “Amendment of Acidic Soil with Lime and Manure for Enhancing Fertility, Nutrient Uptake and Yield of Wheat-Mungbean-Monsoon Rice in the Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain,” Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 1-26, 2019a.
     Google Scholar
  4. Sultana, B. S., Mian, M. H., Jahiruddin, M., Rahman, M. M., Siddique, M. N. E. A., & Sultana, J., “Liming and Soil Amendments for Acidity Regulation and Nutrients Uptake by Potato-Mungbean-Rice Cropping Pattern in the Old Himalayan Piedmont Plain,” Asian Journal of Agricultural and Horticultural Research, 1-15, 2019b.
     Google Scholar
  5. Siddique, M. N. A., Sultana, J., Abdullah, M. R., & Azad, K. N., “Modelling of Soil Loss through RUSLE2 for Soil Management in an Agricultural Field of Uccle, Belgium,” British Journal of Environment & Climate Change, 7(4): 252-260, 2017.
     Google Scholar
  6. Siddique, M. N. A., Sultana, J., & Abdullah, M. R., “Aggregate stability: an indicator of quality and resistivity of arable Soil,” Asian Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, 1-7, 2017a.
     Google Scholar
  7. Siddique, M. N. A., Halim, M. A., Kamaruzzaman, M., Karim, D., & Sultana, J., “Comparative insights for investigation of soil fertility degradation in a piedmont area which cover the Anjamkhor Union of Baliadangi Upazila, Thakurgoan, Bangladesh.” Journal of Environmental Science, Toxicology and Food Technology, 8(4), 82-87, 2014.
     Google Scholar
  8. Klaus D. and Derek B. with Jonathan L., Andrew N., Harris S., and Mercedes S. edited. “Rising Global Interest in Farmland can it yield sustainable and equitable benefits?” Agriculture and rural development, World Bank, 2011.
     Google Scholar
  9. World Bank, 2019. “Fertilizer and yield Data of the World Bank”, Retrieved 25 March 2020 from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.CON.FERT.ZS?view=chart.
     Google Scholar
  10. Hossain, M. A., & Siddique, M. N. A., “Water-A limiting resource for sustainable agriculture in Bangladesh,” EC Agriculture, 1(2), 124-137, 2015.
     Google Scholar
  11. Rahman, S., “Six decades of agricultural land use change in Bangladesh: Effects on crop diversity, productivity, food availability and the environment, 1948–2006,” Singapore J. of Tropical Geography 31, 2, 254-269(16), 2010.
     Google Scholar
  12. David, E., N. Clay, K. Kithen, C. Greeg, J. Klenjal and G. Chang, “Using historical management to reduce soil sampling errors.” In: GIS Application in Agricultural, Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science 21(3), 53-69, 2015.
     Google Scholar
  13. FRG (Fertilizer Recommendation Guide), “Fertilizer Recommendation Guide,” Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC), Farmgate, Dhaka 1215, 2012.
     Google Scholar
  14. Shil, N. C., Saleque, M. A., Islam, M. R., & Jahiruddin, M., “Soil fertility status of some of the intensive crop growing areas under major agroecological zones of Bangladesh,” Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, 41(4), 735-757, 2016.
     Google Scholar
  15. Moslehuddin, A. Z. M., S. Laizoo and K. Egashira, “Fertility Status of Bangladesh Soils -A Review,” J. Fat. Agr., Kyushu Univ., 41 (3.4), 257-267, 1997.
     Google Scholar
  16. Siddique, M. N. A., “Determination of N mineralization, total N and cation exchange capacity of soil through NIR spectroscopy for decision support in rice farming,” International Journal of Business, Management and Social Research, 1(01), 47-50, 2015
     Google Scholar
  17. Siddique, M. N. A., Islam, M. M., Sultana, J., Kamaruzzaman, M., & Halim, M. A, “Potential of soil sensor EM38 measurements for soil fertility mapping in the Terrace soil of Bangladesh,” Journal of Science, Technology and Environment Informatics, 1(01), 01-15, 2014.
     Google Scholar
  18. Huq, S. I. and Shoaib, J. M. (2016). The soils of Bangladesh, Springer.
     Google Scholar
  19. World Bank, Bangladesh: Growing the Economy through Advances in Agriculture,” www.worldbank.org/bangladesh, 2016
     Google Scholar
  20. FAOSTAT, Food and Agricultural Commodities Production,” Rome, Italy: FAO: 2012. 2010 http://faostat.fao.org 4 November 2012, 2007.
     Google Scholar
  21. GAIN, Grain and Feed Annual Bangladesh, GAIN Report Number: BG30043/28/20132013, 2013
     Google Scholar
  22. Hoque, M. S. and Jahiruddin, M., “Effect of single and multiple applications of sulfur, and Zinc in a continuous rice cropping pattern,” Indian Journal of Agricultural Research, 28(1): 9-14, 1994
     Google Scholar
  23. Karim, Z., Miah, M. M. U. and Razia, S., “Fertilizer in the National Economy and Sustainable Environmental Development,” Asia Pacific Journal on Environment & Development, 2:48-67, 1994.
     Google Scholar
  24. Ali, M. M., Saheed, S. M., Kubota, D., Masunaga, T. and Wakatsuki, T., “Soil degradation during the period 1967- 1995 in Bangladesh,” Soil Science & Plant Nutrition, 43: 863-890, 1997.
     Google Scholar
  25. Singh, H., Verma, A., Ansari, M. W. and Shukla, A., “Physiological response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes to elevated nitrogen applied under field conditions,” Plant Signaling & Behavior, 9 (7): 29015, 2014.
     Google Scholar
  26. Ali, M. E., Islam, M. R., and Jahiruddin, M.. “Effect of integrated use of organic manures with inorganic fertilizers in the rice-rice cropping system and its impact on soil health,” Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research, 34(1): 81-90, 2009
     Google Scholar
  27. BBS, “Agricultural Yearbook 2015,” Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of People's Republic of Bangladesh, Dhaka, 2015.
     Google Scholar
  28. O’Farrell, C., Global Trends and Major Issues of ICT Application in Agriculture Paper presented at APO seminar on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for improved Agricultural Productivity and Competitiveness, held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, during 8-12 September 2003.
     Google Scholar
  29. MOA, Handbook of Agricultural Statistics, Market Monitoring and Information System. Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh, 2007.
     Google Scholar
  30. BARC, Priority Setting Reports Agricultural Research priority: Vision beyond 2030 Sub-sectoral study on ICT in Agriculture and Disaster Management,” pp 45-46, 2010
     Google Scholar
  31. UNDP, United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2013), World Population Prospects: The 2012 Revision, Highlights and Advance Tables, Working, Paper No. ESA/P/WP.228.
     Google Scholar
  32. SRDI, Annual Report, Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI), Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh 2009-10, 2010.
     Google Scholar