A farmer in Viet Nam applies a second top-dressing fertilization. (Photo: Viet Nam Academy of Agricultural Sciences)
For example, farmers in Pakistan’s Punjab and Sind provinces were trained to employ climate-smart agriculture technologies based on this research to optimize productivity, such as the perfect mix of combining chemical and organic fertilizer for local soils and crops – known as the IAEA/FAO Integrated Option.
This led to their basmati rice yield increasing by 188 per cent, while long-grain rice increased by 176 per cent in field trials conducted in six regions of Khyber Pakhunkhwa, Punjab and Sind provinces. By increasing rice production, farmers enhance food supply and security in their region while promoting sustainable farming practices that can be replicated by other countries.
“The IAEA recommended the use of these innovative practices which increases farm productivity, providing me with extra income,” said Babul Hossain, a farmer in Bangladesh. “The practice has become popular and encouraging to other local farming communities.”
The joint IAEA/FAO approach to climate-smart agriculture also reduced ammonia emissions by around 36 per cent in rice, according to Mohammad Jahangir, a professor at the Bangladesh Agricultural University who has been carrying out climate-smart agriculture trials in farmers’ fields across the country. “Under the climate-smart agriculture approaches, the soil became fertile and resilient against climate stress,” he added. Reducing ammonia emissions decreases air pollution, protects human health and helps prevent harm to the ecosystem.
“The increase in productivity following the IAEA Integrated Option exemplifies how combining chemical and organic fertilizers can lead to higher yields and better soil health, paving the way for a future where food security and environmental sustainability co-exist harmoniously” said Javed Shah, a scientist at Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tandojam, Pakistan.
“Nuclear science and technology play a key role in developing climate-smart agriculture. The result of the climate smart rice production towards sustainability and regional food security through nuclear and modern technology demonstrates the potential of climate-smart agriculture practices in increasing rice productivity and promoting sustainable farming, which can be replicated worldwide,” said Mohammad Zaman, Head of the Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Section at the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture.
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