Citation: Md. Shahin Hossin, Alok Kumar Paul, Md. Fazlul Hoque, Morsheda Akter Mukta, Md. Delower Hossain (2022). Estimation of Fertility Status of Coastal Soils for Agricultural Planning in Bangladesh. Haya Saudi J Life Sci, 7(5): 142-150. 142 Haya: The Saudi Journal of Life Sciences Abbreviated Key Title: Haya Saudi J Life Sci ISSN 2415-623X (Print) | ISSN 2415-6221 (Online) Scholars Middle East Publishers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Journal homepage: https://saudijournals.com Original Research Article Estimation of Fertility Status of Coastal Soils for Agricultural Planning in Bangladesh Md. Shahin Hossin 1* , Alok Kumar Paul 2 , Md. Fazlul Hoque 3 , Morsheda Akter Mukta 4 , Md. Delower Hossain 5 1 Associate Professor, Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh 2 Professor, Department of Soil Science, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh 3&5 Professor, Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh 4 Lecturer, Agriculture, L.A.M. United Mohila College, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh DOI: 10.36348/sjls.2022.v07i05.001 | Received: 05.04.2022 | Accepted: 09.05.2022 | Published: 15.05.2022 *Corresponding author: Md. Shahin Hossin Associate Professor, Department of Soil Science, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh Abstract A study was conducted to know the fertility status of coastal soils of Bangladesh for agricultural planning. Thirty composite soil samples were collected from different locations of Kalapara upazila under Patuakhali coastal district in Bangladesh with Geographic Positioning System (GPS) positions. The soil samples were analyzed for physical properties (moisture, texture, bulk density, particle density and porosity) and chemical properties (pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, organic carbon, exchangeable sodium, exchangeable potassium, available sulphur and available phosphorus). The range of moisture contents of collected soils was 24 to 29% and the textural class was silty clay. The bulk density ranged from 1.30 to 1.47 gcm -3 . The particle density ranged from 2.31 to 2.49 gcm -3 . The porosity of soil samples ranging from 40.96 to 46.06%. The pH ranged from 5.85 to 6.45. The EC value of collected soils ranged from 3.10 to 5.12 dSm -1 . The total nitrogen and organic carbon content was low to medium. The exchangeable sodium and potassium content of soils ranged from 9.22 to 18.47 meq 100g -1 and 0.16 to 0.27 meq 100g -1 , respectively. The available sulphur and phosphorus content of soils ranged from 17.21 to 33.21 mg kg -1 and 17.12 to 33.09 mg kg -1 , respectively. The results revealed that the soils of the study area were slightly to moderately saline and thus the nutrients present in the soils were low to medium level. Hence, salinity problem of soils should be considered before agricultural planning in the study area. Keywords: Fertility, Coastal soils, Agricultural planning, Bangladesh. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s): This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial use provided the original author and source are credited. INTRODUCTION Bangladesh is among the world's most climate- vulnerable nations. Climatic change's effects on agriculture can no longer be ignored, and future climate threats to agriculture are likely to rise in the coming decades. Because of the loss of soil health caused by unfavorable climatic occurrences and pollution from various sources, the productivity of various crops has decreased in Bangladesh. Bangladesh's coastal areas account for almost a third of the country's arable land [1]. According to the Government of Bangladesh's coastal zone policy [2], 19 of the country's 64 districts are located in the coastal zone, which includes 147 upazilas. Noakhali, Barisal, Bhola, and Patuakhali districts make up the central coastal zone, which stretches from the Feni river estuary to the eastern corner of the Sundarbans. Kalapara upazila is under the Patuakhali coastal district located at 21.98610 N 90.24220 E [3]. This region is low-lying, with most elevations less than 8 meters above sea level. During the monsoon season, the areas experience floods. The Ganges Tidal Floodplain dominates Kalapara, with saline subregions and clayey soil being the predominant soil type [3]. Farmers of the study area are frantically seeking to boost crop yields by using increasingly inorganic fertilizers and pesticides. Excessive use of one fertilizer can make other nutrients unavailable. The farmers are unaware of the soil's underlying nutritional condition and utilize fertilizers in an inefficient and wasteful manner. It is critical to assess the fertility state of our soils at the farmer level in order to minimize