|| Rajshahi Bureau: Two farmers’ field days were held in Rajshahi and Naogaon to promote soil health improvement, enhance soil fertility and ensure sustainable crop production in the drought-prone northwestern region of Bangladesh. The events took place on October 30 and 31, respectively, at Pakri in Godagari Upazila of Rajshahi and Rasulpur in Niamatpur Upazila of Naogaon. A total of 135 participants, including farmers, researchers, university academics, agricultural extension officials and other professionals, attended the programmes. Of them, 80 participated in the Pakri event and 55 in Rasulpur. The field days were organised under a research project titled “Developing and Translating Soil Health Information in Bangladesh with Farmers and for Farmers to Build Resilient Agricultural Systems.” The project aims to strengthen agricultural resilience and improve soil health in drought-prone areas of Bangladesh. The project is funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and jointly implemented by Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), the Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) and the Sustainable Agriculture Foundation (SAF) Bangladesh. At the events, Professor Dr Biplob Kumar Saha of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at Bangladesh Agricultural University and the project’s Bangladesh country lead outlined the objectives of the initiative. He said maintaining soil health was essential to sustaining long-term agricultural productivity in drought-prone areas. He emphasised that effective soil management practices should be developed by combining scientific research with farmers’ practical knowledge and field-level experiences. During the technical sessions, Md Arifur Rahman, a PhD researcher at Griffith University, Australia, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at Bangladesh Agricultural University, presented various aspects of the ongoing field research. He discussed studies examining the effects of different organic amendments, including vermicompost, biochar, cow dung and Tricho-compost, alongside recommended balanced fertiliser management practices. Professor Dr Most. Jannatun Nahar of the Department of Agricultural Extension Education at Bangladesh Agricultural University and co-leader of the project highlighted the importance of farmers’ active participation in agricultural research. She said integrating local farmers’ experiences and observations into research activities would help develop effective and locally appropriate agricultural management practices. Among others, Md Shahidul Islam, Project Manager of SAF Bangladesh, and Md Anisur Rahman, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in the Pakri area, also spoke at the events.