BAU Correspondent

A team of researchers from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has launched a new research initiative to address the impact of climate change on the country’s agricultural sector and improve soil health. The project, titled “Developing & translating soil health information in Bangladesh with farmers and for farmers to build resilient agriculture system,” aims to directly engage farmers in improving soil health data.

The research is being conducted in collaboration with Griffith University, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation Bangladesh, the Soil Resource Development Institute, and Bangladesh Agricultural University.

Speaking at the project’s inception workshop on Saturday at 10:30 AM, Prof Dr. Biplob Kumar Saha, Head of ACIAR’s Bangladesh project and a faculty member at BAU’s Department of Agricultural Chemistry, highlighted the importance of this initiative. The event was held at the Faculty of Agriculture’s conference hall.

Professor Saha emphasized that the research will focus on equipping farmers with advanced soil health information and training programs. He noted that climate change is significantly affecting agricultural production, particularly in drought-prone regions such as Rajshahi, Naogaon, and Chapainawabganj. The project will initially target these three districts to mitigate the impact of drought on farmlands.

BAU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr. A.K. Fazlul Huque Bhuiyan attended the event as the chief guest. Special guests included Prof Neal Menzies, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Griffith University, Dr. Begum Samia Sultana, Director General of the Soil Resource Development Institute, and Prof Dr. Masum Ahmad, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at BAU. The event also saw the participation of ACIAR Project Director Professor Dr. Chengrong Chen and ACIAR’s Bangladesh project lead, Professor Dr. Biplob Kumar Saha.