Farmers’ Use of Integrated Soil Fertility and Nutrient Management Practices for Sustainable Crop Production: A Field-level Study in Bangladesh

Abstract

Continual cultivation using inappropriate farming methods has severely depleted Bangladesh's soil nutrients and organic matter, posing a serious threat to agricultural production. Integrated Soil Fertility (ISF) and Nutrient Management (NM) are broad remedies for the major constraints to agriculture in developing countries including the excessive declination of soil fertility, nutrient depletion and the stagnation or reduction of crop yields. The rapid human population growth in Bangladesh necessitates the development of new strategies for sustainable crop production through the efficient use of plant nutrients and soil resources. This study focuses on the extent of integrated soil fertility and nutrient management practices used by farmers for sustainable crop production in Bangladesh. Data were collected from 120 farmers (39 landless, 34 marginal, 19 small, 20 medium and 8 large farmers) from eight villages located in four districts in Bangladesh. Data collection was accomplished through face-to-face interviews conducted from December 2005 through January 2006. Most of the farmers were landless, marginal or small farm holders who rarely practiced soil fertility management. Medium and large farmers did practice soil fertility management either occasionally or regularly. Data on the use of organic manures by different categories of farmers indicated that medium and large farm holders were more careful about the use of cow dung, farmyard manure, crop residues, green manure and oil cakes as sources of organic manures than landless, marginal and small farm holders. Findings related to use of chemical fertilizers revealed that medium and large farmers often followed the recommended doses while landless, marginal and small farmers often applied chemical fertilizers based on their own assessment of soil conditions.