Ongoing research projects with strategic directions and emerging focus area:
1. ‘GCRF South Asian Nitrogen Hub Project’ – A Coordinated project among South Asian Countries and United Kingdom for the duration of 2019-2024. Responsible as a Principal Investigator of (i) ‘Experimental testing of agronomic solution of nitrogen issues across South Asia’ with a focus on increasing nitrogen use efficiency, profitability and crop yields, (ii) ‘Village level engagement and testing of solutions of N issues across South Asia’ which will be focusing on-farm testing of promising options working with villages to consider profitability, yield, ease and social acceptability in the context of whole-farm nitrogen use efficiency. Prof. Rahman is also Co-leading the Work Package of Development of guidance/tools for practitioners. Under this work package a Mobile based N App will be developed for increasing N use efficiency and reducing N loss.
2. ‘Towards INMS’ – Involved in this International Nitrogen Management System (INMS) Research Project as a team member. Emerging focus area of this project is targeted for conducting research for improving and understanding of the global nitrogen cycle.
3. ‘Soil Structural Stability and Carbon Sequestration in Soils of Bangladesh’ – RMC, BSMRAU funded project for the duration of 2017-2020. Responsibilities as a Principal Investigator to focus the effects of organic carbon on soil structural stability and ascertain a relationship of soil aggregates with carbon sequestration and different ratios of basic cations.
4. ‘Modeling Climate Change Impact in Bangladesh Agriculture (CRP II), second phase’ – Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) funded project for the duration of 2020-2023. Responsibilities as a Deputy Coordinator and Principal Investigator are to identify resource conservation strategies for soil health improvement, carbon sequestration in soils and skilled manpower development for understanding climate change and its effects on agriculture and finding solutions/strategies of climate change mitigation and adaptation through training and education.
5. Improvement of soil health and crop productivity of major problem soils of Bangladesh through organic amendments. It is a Program Based Research Grants (PBRG) project (ID No. 135) of NATP (BARC) for the duration of 2018-2020. Responsibilities as a Co-Principal Investigator are to conduct research on management of saline and industrial polluted soils through biochar and other organic matter application.
Salient research achievements with a brief statement:
1. Determined carbon sequestration potentials of different manures, composts, biochar and rice straw. Carbon sequestration indices (CSI) of rice straw, poultry manure and cowdung ranged from 0.21 to 0.29 which can be used to predict C sequestration in soils. If CSI is multiplied by the amount of C applied, then C sequestration can be attained. Findings on C sequestration through organic amendments certainly contributes in selecting climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.
2. Quantified organic matter mineralization constants (k) of different organic materials like poultry manure, cowdung, vermicompost, rice husk biochar, rice straw etc. which might help farmers and researchers for soil health improvement and fertilizer management.
3. Identified the trends of nitrogen transformation and release patterns of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen in wetland paddy soils of Bangladesh, which might help farmers for urea fertilizer optimization.
4. Developed mathematical models for calculation of soil hydraulic properties and bulk density. According to the broad physiographic units of Bangladesh a sets of mathematical equations have been developed for calculation of field capacity, permanent wilting point, available water capacity, hydraulic conductivity and bulk density. Students, researchers and policy makers might be benefitted from these equations. Such unique equations for calculating soil hydraulic properties developed first time in Bangladesh.
Research projects completed:
Principal investigator
1. Documentation of nutrient statuses and effect of integrated nutrient management in the BSMRAU technology village’ – RMC, BSMRAU funded project for the year of 2014-15.
2. “Carbon Sequestration in Soils of Bangladesh”. A four-year project for the period of 2010- 2013 funded by GoB, IDA & IFAD under the Sponsored Public Goods Research Project through NATP (BARC, Bangladesh).
3. Development of village agriculture for food security and field laboratory for higher education – University Grants Commission (UGC) funded project for the year of 2013-14.
4. ‘Agricultural Use of Household Waste in terms of P supplementation and Soil Conditioning’ under the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University endowment fund for the period of 2008 to 2009.
5. ‘Agricultural use of household waste for tomato cultivation’. It was a one-year project for 2009-2010 funded by University Grants Commission, Bangladesh.
Co-Investigator:
1. ‘Modeling Climate Change Impact on Bangladesh Agriculture’ – Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) funded project for the duration of 2015-2018.
2. ‘Adaptation of Improved Management Practices for Sustaining Soil Fertility and Crop Productivity in Intensively Cropping Systems’ – Krishi Gobeshona Foundation (KGF) funded project for the duration of 2015-2018.
3. “Influence of free living nitrogen fixing bacteria on the growth and yield of sugarcane”. It’s a two-year project for 2010-11 and 2011-12 funded by Ministry of Science, Information & Communication Technology, Government of Bangladesh.
4. “Assessment of traditional and modern technologies in climatically vulnerable ecosystems and developments of strategy for combating impacts of climate change in Bangladesh” It’s a one-year project starting from August 2012 funded by Planning Commission of Bangladesh.
5. ‘Reducing Risks from Arsenic Contamination for Poor People’ (IRRI Ref. No.: DPPC2008-07) funded by IFAD.
6. ‘Effect of industrial effluents on crops and socioeconomic conditions in Gazipur district, Bangladesh for the period of 2008-2009.
Expert Professional
1. “Rice Production in the drought prone area of Bangladesh”. It was a three-year project starting from March 2011 funded by KGF, BARC, Bangladesh.
National Soil Doctor Trainer
Serving as a National Soil Doctor Trainer at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Bangladesh under the global project entitled ‘Sustainable soil management for nutrition-sensitive agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia’ funded by Federal Republic of Germany.