This document summarizes soil and land management activities in Bangladesh between December 2016 and May 2018, as well as priorities for 2018-2019. Key activities included soil conservation techniques to reduce erosion, fertilizer recommendations based on soil testing, research on suitable crops for saline soils, and awareness events like World Soil Day celebrations. Priorities for 2018-2019 include continuing this research, updating guidance documents, expanding education and training, and strengthening soil data collection and classification systems.

1. Country reporting
December 2016 – May 2018
Country: BANGLADESH
Presenter: Dr. Md. Taiabur Rahman, Principal Scientific Officer
Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI)
Ministry of Agriculture, and
National Focal Point, GSP Bangladesh

2. Highlights on Pillar 1
What was done in the period December 2016 - May 2018:
Conservation of degradation of hilly soils (Structural approach): 06 (six)
soil conservation technologies:
Soil loss minimization through Hedge row techniques.
Controlling erosion by Gabion Check Dam.
Soil loss minimization through Jute-Geo Textile and rejuvenation of
degraded hill soils.
Intensive cultivation on Bench Terrace.
Contour Cultivation. Improve Jhum (Shifting agriculture) Cultivation

3. Highlights on Pillar 1
What was done in the period December 2016 - May 2018 (Continue):
Use of balance doses fertilizers for crop production (Policy approach):
Soil Test Result Based Fertilizer Recommendation
Fertilizer Recommendation as per Upazila Nirdeshika (Sub-District wise
Land & Soil resources utilization guide) and Union Shahayika (Union Guide)
Fertilizer Recommendation through Online Fertilizer Recommendation
System (OFRS)
Adoptability of suitable crops for saline soil and salinity management
(Agronomic approach): 04 (four) salinity management technologies:
Pitcher Irrigation
Double Layer Mulching
Ridge-Furrow cultivation
Farm-Pond

4. Highlights on Pillar 1
Priorities for the country in the period 2018-2019:
 Continuation of research activities on soil conservation in hilly areas,
adoptability of suitable crops for saline soil and salinity management,
acidic soil management etc.
 Updating fertilizer recommendation guide 2018
 Capacity build up for Land Degradation Network target programme LADA,
WOCAT
 Updating data on Online Fertilizer Recommendation System (OFRS)

5. Highlights on Pillar 2
What was done in the period December 2016 - May 2018:
 World Soil Day celebration on December 2016 and December 2017
 Farmers training on balance doses of fertilizers uses, soil conservation,
saline and acid soils management etc.
 Awareness through MSTL (Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory)
 Workshops, seminars, fairs etc. on soil management
 Demonstrations on soil management
 National Agricultural Policy (NAP), 2013 of Bangladesh already in place
 National Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) of Bangladesh already in
place

6. Highlights on Pillar 2
Priorities for the country in the period 2018-2019:
 World Soil Day 2018 will be celebrated.
 Continuation of awareness activities through MSTL, workshops, seminars,
fairs etc.
 Formulation of National Agricultural Policy (NAP) 2018 of Bangladesh.
 Formulation of National Agricultural Extension Policy (NAEP) 2018 of
Bangladesh.
 Information on management of disaster related problems with
dissemination

7. Highlights on Pillar 3
Priorities for the country in the period 2018-2019:
 Use of soil test result based balanced fertilizer recommendation (OFRS)
 Continue crop adoptability research in saline areas
 Continue conservation practices under different cropping system in
hilly areas
What was done in the period December 2016 - May 2018:
 Release of stress tolerant crop varieties and adoptability research in
saline areas
 Conservation practices under different cropping system in hilly areas
including SALT
 Conservation agriculture practices at farmers’ level
 Impact of brick fields on soil and crop production
 Nutrient management for diversified cropping in Bangladesh (NUMAN)

8. Highlights on Pillar 4
Priorities for the country in the period 2018-2019:
 Updating information of Upazila Nirdeshika through semi-detail soil survey
 Analyzing soil, water, plant and fertilizer samples and quantity
 Updating Land/Soil degradation information
 Crop and land zoning
What was done in the period December 2016 - May 2018:
 Updating information of Upazila Nirdeshika
 Analyzing soil, water, plant and fertilizer samples with interpretation
 Updating Land/Soil degradation information
 Participated as editorial member to prepare Soil Atlas of Asia
 Preparation of crop suitability maps for different crops
 Progress in preparation of National Fertilizer Recommendation Guide,2018.

9. Highlights on Pillar 5
What was done in the period December 2016 - May 2018:
 Attended at training program on Soil Organic Carbon Maps preparation
at Thailand
 Participation in the 1st Laboratory Managers Meeting held in Bogor,
Indonesia for harmonization of analytical methodologies (SEALNET)
 Soil data harmonization at regional, national and international levels
Priorities for the country in the period 2018-2019:
 Correlation and classification of Bangladesh soils
 World Reference Based Classification (WRBC) will be adopted in
Bangladesh

10. Thanks for
your attention