PlantwisePlus Blog

Meet Shahadul Islam, a farmer from Jhenaidah District, Bangladesh. Shahadul is now a local role model for sustainable rice production, having adopted the PlantwisePlus digital tools and transformed his farming practices.  

For nearly a decade, Shahadul cultivated rice on his one-acre land. He regularly faced pest and disease challenges such as rice blast and brown planthopper, which damaged his yields. In an effort to minimize damage, he relied heavily on chemical pesticides. As a result, Shahadul’s cultivation costs, including fertilizers, labor, and irrigation, increased. Despite the investment, yields did not grow, and his grain often sold at lower prices due to inconsistent quality. 

Before using digital tools 

Previously, Shahadul spent a lot on his rice fields, with the majority of the money going towards fertilizers and pesticides.  

Things began to change in mid-2024. Hafizur, another farmer from the area, attended a training organized by the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) and CABI. There, he learned about three useful digital tools developed under the PlantwisePlus programme. The tools were the PlantwisePlus Factsheets App, the CABI BioProtection Portal, and the Crop Sprayer App. 

With the support of an agricultural officer, Shahadul started using these tools in his farming. The PlantwisePlus Factsheets App helped him identify crop problems quickly and adopt integrated solutions such as balanced fertilizer application, timely irrigation, proper field sanitation, and careful seed selection. As such, Shahadul was able to reduce unnecessary input use and, over time, ultimately cut down on costs. 

“I was always worried about rice blast. Every season, my paddy was damaged, and I didn’t know what to do,” Shahadul said. “After I started following the Factsheets App, the situation changed. Pests became less of a problem, fertilizer use was smarter, and my expenses went down. The next season, my harvest was even better.” 

Reducing harmful pesticide use 

For Shahadul and many farmers in his area, finding bioprotection products has always been a significant challenge. However, the CABI BioProtection Portal provided him with available options. By using less harmful products, he was able to control brown plant hopper without harming beneficial insects in his field. 

The Crop Sprayer App also helped him to change his farming practices. Previously, Shahadul struggled to apply the correct dose of pesticides. 

“I didn’t know how to use the right dose with my 16-liter spray tank for my 1 acre of land. Most of the pesticide sellers used to tell me to use a ‘cocktail dose,’ mixing three to six pesticides together. This cost a lot of money and was harmful to my field and crops. Later, I started using the Crop Sprayer App to measure the correct dose. Now I feel confident and happy applying the right amount.” 

Within just two seasons, Shahadul saw remarkable improvements. His costs went down, his yields went up, and his grain quality improved so much that he could sell nearly all of his harvest at premium prices. 

The impact of using digital tools 

Shahadul’s overall cultivation costs have decreased by approximately 5–6%. This included fertilizer and pesticide costs as Shahadul reduced unnecessary chemical use. 

At the same time, his rice yields increased by 10–15%. Most importantly, the quality of his rice improved, with 90–92% of his harvest meeting premium market standards, compared to only 80–85% before. 

Shahadul said, “Before, I sprayed too much, spent a lot of money, and still had pest problems. Now, with digital tools and bioproducts, I grow rice at lower costs, get better yields, and the quality is much higher. The money I save can be used to support my family and improve my farm. It gives me confidence to keep farming sustainably.“  

Sharing his experience 

Encouraged by his success, Shahadul is now sharing his experience with other young farmers in his village. Shahadul’s story demonstrates how digital innovations, improved input management, and less harmful biocontrol products can reduce costs, enhance yields and grain quality, and promote sustainable rice production in Bangladesh. 

Further reading

The spray service provider using CABI digital tools to transform his business

PlantwisePlus gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Directorate-General for International Cooperation, Netherlands (DGIS); European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships (INTPA); UK International Development from the UK government; and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).