Soil Survey: The Quest for Precision Agriculture in Bangladesh

Mohammad Altaf Hossain, PhDPrincipal Scientific Officer

Soil and Land Survey Classification Section SRDI

Presented in Review Workshop 2013-14SRDI, HO

CONTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURE TO GDPThe economy of Bangladesh is based on agriculture, industry and services. The gross domestic product (GDP) expressed as purchase power parity is US$209.2 billion, which is equivalent to more than BDT 14600 billion.

The agriculture sector contributes a major share in the GDP, which is about 20.0% and employs about 48.07% of the working force. Services sector is also an important sector in the economy of the country about 50% of the GDP is generated through this sector and engages 43.28% of the work force.

Again, among the sub-sectoral contributions of agriculture sector is dominated by crops (57 %), followed by fisheries (22%).

Soil SurveySoil survey, or soil mapping, is the process of classifying soil types and other soil properties in a given area and geo-encoding such information.

It applies the principles of soil science, and draws heavily from geomorphology, theories of soil formation, physical geography, and analysis of vegetation and land use patterns.

Primary data for the soil survey are acquired by field sampling and by remote sensing. Remote sensing principally uses aerial photography, but LiDAR and other digital techniques are steadily gaining in popularity.

Precision farming (PA)

Precision farming (PA) or satellite farming or site specific crop management (SSCM) is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. PA aims to optimize field-level management with regard to:

• crop science: by matching farming practices more closely to crop needs (e.g. fertilizer inputs);

• environmental protection: by reducing environmental risks and footprint of farming (e.g. limiting leaching of nitrogen);

• economics: by boosting competitiveness through more efficient practices (e.g. improved management of fertilizer usage and other inputs).

ECONOMICS Changes in costs Changes in revenues Cash Flow Risk

MANAGEMENT Data acquisition and analysis Decision support system Increased attention to management Learning curve

ALLIANCES Accurate GPS availability Variable rate technology Site specific management services availability Financing

ENVIRONMENTAL Decrease input losses Target nutrients to increase uptake efficiency

Figure. Issues affecting adoption of precision agriculture management. (Davis, Undated)

Types Soil Survey carried out by SRDI and data generated

Reconnaissance Soil Survey (RSS)Scale 1:100,000-1:250,000During 1964-1975Area covered 135 million ha (except Khulna Sundarbans and Reserve Forest)Data: Physiography, land type, soil series and phases, land use, land capability, profile description of major soil series along with chemical analyses data

Land capability classes of Bangladesh (extent in ha)

Classes Area (million ha) percentageGood agricultural land 4.4 30Moderate agricultural land 4.8 33Poor agricultural land 4.4 14Very poor agricultural land 1.1 08Settlement and water bodies 2.2 15

Source: SRDI, 2013

Steps in Updated Survey

• Interpretation APs and preparation of photointerpretative soil and landform map of the target upazila.

• Ground truthing, collection of requisite soil samples for chemical analysis.

• Finalization of soil and landform map• Report writing• Publication

Semi-detailed Soil Survey

Scale: 1:50,000During 1984-2002

Main product:Soil and Land Resource Utilization Guide for 459 Upazilas comprising of physical (physiography, land type, soil group) chemical data (14 parameters), soil fertility assessment, crop suitability assessment, crops and cropping pattern based fertilizer recommendation for farmers’

Updating survey:2002 onwards

Nabaganga Integrated Land and Water Development Project Area, BWDB

Ganges-Kopotakshi Irrigation Project Area, BWDB

Detailed soil survey(1975-2004)

Seed Multiplication Farm, BADC 17

Regional Agricultural Research Station, BARI 20

Project area of BSFIC 30

Small Scale Irrigation Project, BADC 05

Sirajganj Integrated Village Development Project 100

Bangladesh Agricultural University Farm 01

Chittagong University Campus 01

Debiganj Potato Multiplication Farm 01

Pilot Thanas under Crop Diversification Program 20

Lalmonirhat Military Farm 01

BINA Sub-stations Farm 06

Soil Correlation

Soil monolith

Soil monolith Soil correlation box

Soil Classification (US Soil Taxonomy & FAO-UNESCO Legend)

Soil series identified through RSS, according to US soil taxonomy comfortably fit into five orders, such as: Inceptisols, Entisols, Ultisols, Histosolsand Mollisols. There were 12 suborders, 21 great groups and 56 subgroups in this country (Hussain, 1992).

According to FAO-UNESCO legend of soil classification system, the soil series identified through RSS has been categorized mainly into 35 FAO-Unescosoil units. These occur mainly as Fluvisols, Gleysols, Leptosol, Arenosol, Cambisol, Luvisol, Planosol, Alisol, Histosoland Anthrosol.

Soils of Bangladesh needs to be classified at the ‘Family Level’

Utilization/Application of Soil Survey database

AEZ: Agro-ecological Zones

Soils

Physiography

Hydrology

Agro-climatic data

GIS at SRDI (BARC, VISSION 2030)• Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI) in collaboration with CEGIS developed a

massive 2GB database that stores soil data using primary information from Upazila Nirdeshika.

• The system is called 'The Soil and Land Resource Information System' or SOLARIS.

• Customized GIS software SOLARIS is also developed to map soil data based on classification (Soil Texture, Land type, Landform, Drainage, Slope, Surface Water Recession) and application (Crop Suitability, Land Zoning, Nutrient Status and Fertilizer Recommendation).

• The system can analyze data at the Upazilla, District, and national level. Given the current context of Bangladesh, the system has a wide range of potential use and benefits.

• These satellite based precision maps can assist the farmers to determine the optimal use of fertilizer for each type of crops in each season and thereby reducing the cost for the farmer and limit environmental hazards from unplanned usage.

• Additionally, the system can be used to assess drought for each soil map units and the associated 'Drought Assessment Framework' (DRAS) can be used for assessing the irrigation water requirements (when and how much). The DRAS was developed by CEGIS and BARC (UNDP, 2007)

Soil and Land ResourceInformation System (SOLARIS)

Soil and Land Information System (SOLARIS) developed on the soil and land resources data of Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) and it was presented by Mr. J.U. Shoaib at SRDI, February 2007.

SOLARIS Startup Window

Solaris-DI

Solaris-GIS

SOLARIS Menu System

Menu System and Toolbar

• Analysis is integrated with the SOLARIS Data Interpreter• User can analyzeand give feed back to the GIS unit for updating• User can view, print reports and charts

SOLARIS DI- Analysis Tool

Soil Texture –Top soil, Sub soil, SubstratumSoil GroupLand type classificationLandformSurface Water Recession characteristicsDrainageAvailable moistureSlope classification

SOLARIS - GISClassified Analysis: Mapping unit based

SOLARIS-GIS Classified AnalysisHYV Boro suitabilityDistrict- Sherpur

Topsoil fertility Sherpur District

Nitrogen

Available Moisture- Sherpur District

Net Irrigation Requirementfor T. Aman crop

Royganj Upazila

Online Fertilizer Recommendation System (OFRS), SRDI

Objective: To increase crop production, reduce misuse of fertilizer, reduce crop production cost by reducing current practice of using excessive fertilizer and maintaining soil fertility.The system is capable of generating location specific fertilizer recommendation for selected crops by analyzing the national nutrient database developed by the institute. The software needs only location, land type, crop type, crop (variety) information to generate crop specific fertilizer recommendation.

Data updating and processing

Lat-long

District

Upazila

Union

Physiography

Land Type

Texture

Drainage

Sampling point

Fertilizer Recommendation User Page

Fertilizer Recommendation for a particular crop

Union wise Fertilizer Recommendation Report

One stop Service for Stakeholders Agriculture Cloud Service

Land cover type

1976 2000 2010

Area (ha) % of total

Area (ha) % of total

Area (ha) % of total

Agricultural land

133030654 91.83 12742274 87.69 12176904 83.53

Non-agricul tural land

1183605 8.17 1788307 12.31 2400867 16.47

Total 14487259 100.0 14530581 100.0 14577771 100.0

Source: Hasan et al. 2013

Agricultural Land Availability in Bangladesh

Soil is wealthIf the wealth of a nation can be viewed as its accrued assets and inherent property, the income is the yearly money that is derived from that wealth. The soil is an obvious factor in the wealth and income of a nation and may have a clear relation to a nation’s wealth.So we are to use the soil and land resources of Bangladesh rationally for ensuring food security of the nation and conserve for future generation.

Future Program of Survey Division

• Renovation of Soil Museum• Classify the soils of Bangladesh according to

USDA and FAO-UNESCO• Updated Nirdeshika survey

SuperviseTungibari, Saturia, Araihazar and Dohar undated field survey

THANKS