MAGURA. Nov 10: Chemical fertilisers and pesticides are being used indiscriminately in the crop land in four thanas like Sripur, Muhammadpur, Sadar and Shalikha of the district. The fanners have no S>roper knowledge of using ertlllsers, local farmers said.

Most of the farmers in the district are Ignorant and Illiterate. As a result they use fertilisers like Urea, TSP. MP. SSP according to their sweet will. It has been alleged Agriculture Extension Department (AED), Thana Agriculture Offices. Cotton Seeds Cultivation authority and different block supervisees of the district actually do not give advise to the farmers regarding use of fertilisers.

As a result they have to depend on local fertiliser and pesticide dealers. Most of the fertiliser and pesticide dealers in the rural hats and bazaars have no proper training on use

of fertilisers and pesticides.

Due to random use of chemical fertilisers soil fertility in the district has been declining alarmingly.

According to the experts of the Agriculture Department, natural fertiliser containing cowdung, rubbish, rotten leaves is essential for increasing land fertility. But the rural people do not use cowdung ana rubbish for making composed fertiliser nowadays. An acute crisis of cooking fuel has been prevailing. The village women are using cowdung as fire material for cooking purposes. As a result, a vast areas of the district are losing land fertility.

Agriculture Extension Department (AED) sources said, soil scientists only can guide farmers about usage of fertilisers. The government took up soil test programme.

With introduction of this programme the farmers will be able to make proportionate use

of fertilisers in their crop land. It will help increase fertility of land. Consequently cost of crop production will come down significantly.

But the farmers in the district have not yet got any soil testing facilities, alleged some farmers of the district.

Most of the poor and Ignorant marginal and landless farmers do not follow "rotation of crops" system during cultivation.

Ignorant farmers cultivate same crops in the same crop land and applying same chemical fertilisers every year. The farmers also using banned pesticides like Heptodor. Tiodin due to lack of proper knowledge.

The local experts and established farmers urged the concerned authorities to take necessary step for arranging soli test of the crop land In the district for guiding the farmers about proper usage of fertilisers.