Progressive Agriculture

Physico-chemical and microbiological assessment of drinking water of the selected restaurants in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh

2022-02-23T05:33:18+00:00

Water is essential for living organisms for their survival. Access of adequate and safe water is a basic need of human beings. In adequacy and unsafe water supply may cause various health problems. This study was designed with a view to assessing physicochemical properties of drinking water collected from different restaurants at Mymensingh sadar. In this case, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), arsenic (As), iron (Fe) and lead (Pb) were measured. Furthermore, Microbiological assessments of drinking water samples were carried out. For achieving the microbiological assessment, methods of heterotrophic plate count (HPC) and total coliform count (TCC) were applied. The mean value of EC, TDS, pH, DO, BOD, As, Fe, Pb were 682.38 µS cm^-1, 201ppm, 7.11, 4.98 mg/L, 1.72 mg/L, 0.005 ppm, 0.181 ppm and 0.000 ppm, respectively. According to the standard of drinking water the EC, TDS, pH, DO, BOD, As, Fe, Pb toxicity were not detected in all samples. All of above mentioned parameters were present in water within permissible limits. In most cases the concentrations of Pb and in some cases the concentrations of Fe were considered as toxicants due to the higher concentrations noted. The highest heterotrophic plate count was found in water of Ganginapar sample (1.2×10⁷CFU/ml) and the highest total coliform count was noted in C. K. Ghosh road sample (13 coliforms/100 ml). Therefore, the examined water quality parameters indicate that water quality of the restaurants at Mymensingh sadar is suitable for drinking. Although some of the samples identified as the presence of fecal coliforms that indicates contamination of feces with water. One sample among the studied drinking water samples was contaminated with fecal coliform which is very harmful for health and this water is not suitable for drinking. It may be concluded that hygienic and quality water need to supply for human drinking purposes.

Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 84-95, 2021

Effect of different residues based vermicompost with chemical fertilizer on the growth and yield of T. aman rice

2022-02-23T06:42:26+00:00

A field experiment was conducted to reduce the chemical fertilizers with the integrated use of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers in T. aman rice cultivation. The research was conducted at the Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh during the T. aman season of 2019-20 at BINA farm Mymensingh. Six treatments were used in the experiment. These were T₁: Native soil fertility, T₂: 100% N from Chemical Fertilizer (CF), T₃:70%N from CF, T₄: 30% N from vermicompost-3 + 70% N from CF and T₅:30% N from vermicompost-4 + 70% N from CF and T₆: 100% PKS only. The experiments were conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The test crop was T. aman rice (Binadhan-17). The treatment T₅gave maximum grain yield (5.5 t ha^-1) of T. aman rice followed by 5.4 t ha^-1that did by the treatment T₄. But the treatments T₅, T₄ and T₂ gave identical grain yields of T. aman rice. Similar results were observed in case of straw yields of T. aman rice. The maximum total N, P, K and S uptake were also noted with the treatment T₅ (30% N from vermicompost-4 + 70% N from CF) followed by the treatment T₄ (30% N from vermicompost-3 + 70% N from CF) which were comparable with the treatment T₂ (100% chemical fertilizer). The result indicated that 30% N from either vermicompost-3 or vermicompost-4 with 70% N from CF gave comparable yields to the sole application of 100% N from CF alone. Therefore, overall 30% chemical fertilizers (N, P, K and S) could be saved with the integrated use of vermicompost-3 or vermicompost-4 following IPNS in the cultivation of T. aman rice.

Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 96-106, 2021

Evaluation of genetic variability and trait association for yield improvement of Lentil

2022-02-23T07:00:44+00:00

Lentil is a nutritious food and one of the world's oldest domesticated legumes. The present studyevaluatedthe nature and magnitude of variability, heritability, genetic advance and association among the yield and yield contributing traits in 24 lentils (Lens culinaris M.) genotypes. From the 13 traits considered, phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) were found higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) which indicates less effect of the environment for the expression of traits studied. Seed weight per plants demonstrated the highest PCV and GCV (60.26 & 59.87) followed by number of seeds per plant (49.14 & 48.97) and number of pods per plant (48.58 & 47.95, respectively). Most of the traits showed high heritability as days to maturity exhibited the highest heritability (99.96%) followed by number of seeds per plant (99.33%). Genetic advance as percent of mean was higher for seed weight per plant (122.58%) and number of seeds per plant (100.56%). Among the traits, number of seeds per plant (0.95& 0.94) and number of pods per plant (0.94 & 0.92) showed positive and significant correlation with seed weight per plant at both phenotypic and genotypic correlation. Consequently, path analysis revealed positive and direct effect of number of pods per plant (0.310&372) and number of seeds per plant (0.770&0.659) on seed weight per plant in both genotypic and phenotypic level, respectively. Based on the genetic analysis of 13 characters, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per plant,1000-seed weight and seed weight per plant were found as the most superior traits can be used in hybridization program for the development of high yielding lentil genotypes.

Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 107-116, 2021

Effect of salinity on morpho-physiological traits at reproductive stages of Oryza sativa

2022-02-23T07:20:56+00:00

Soil salinity is one of the most adverse environmental problems which restricts crop yield. Salinity affects rice plants very badly from germination to its maturity. Therefore, a pot experiment was conducted to study the salinity tolerance of rice genotypes viz. SAL655, STL15, PBRC37, Binadhan-8 and BRRI dhan28. The plants were grown under four salinity levels (0, 6, 9 and 12 dSm⁻¹). Plant height, total number of green leaves hill⁻¹, root dry weight, stem dry weight, total dry weight per hill, root shoot ratio was found to be decreased gradually with gradual increase in salinity levels as compared to the control. The genotype Binadhan-8 and PBRC37 showed the better performance in respect of all the parameters than other genotypes. Therefore, Binadhan-8 and PBRC37 were found more tolerant than other genotypes to salt stress.

Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 117-126, 2021

Boron-mediated aluminium stress tolerance under aluminium toxicity at germination and early seedling stages of wheat

2022-02-23T08:36:24+00:00

Aluminium stress is one of the major problems of wheat production that significantly reduces the growth and development. Al toxicity can be recovered by exogenous application of different growth inducing nutrient elements. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the ameliaration effect of B under Al toxicity. Therefore, a petri dish and hydroponic culture experiment of wheat was conducted at Crop Physiology Laboratory, Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from January 2016 to February 2017 to investigate the effect of boron on amelioration of aluminium toxicity in germination and seedling stage. Both the experiments were designed in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. The experiments were comprised of four levels of boron and aluminium concentrations viz., 0 µM B + 0 µM Al (control), 0 µM Al + 40 µM B, 200 µM Al + 40 µM B and 0 µM B + 200 µM Al and five wheat varieties viz; BARI Gom-23, BARI Gom-24, BARI Gom-28, BARI Gom-27 and BARI Gom-30. Results indicated that germination percentage, radicle and plumule length, root and shoot length, leaf length, fresh and dry mass plant^-1were greater in 0 µM Al + 40 µM B treated plants than 0 µM B + 200 µM Al induced conditions. It indicates that wheat seedlings are susceptible to aluminium and boron can ameliorate aluminium toxicity. However, among the studied varieties, the reduction of dry mass under aluminium stress was minimum in BARI Gom-28 followed by BARI Gom-23 indicating BARI Gom-28 was more tolerant to aluminium stress than the other varieties. On the contrary, the varieties, BARI Gom-27 and BARI Gom-24 were more susceptible to aluminium stress. So it indicates that aluminium stress severely affects the growth and developments especially in the sensitive varieties and tolerant varieties have the self-ability to grow and develop even under aluminium stress condition.

Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 127-139, 2021

Effect of salinity on agro-morphogenic traits of tomatillo genotypes

2022-02-23T13:19:34+00:00

A pot experiment was conducted in the net house of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh, during the period of November, 2017 to March, 2018 to observe the performance of four tomatillo genotypes under three salinity (NaCl) treatments based on their agro-morphogenic traits. A two factorial experiment was conducted which included four tomatillo genotypes (Factor A) viz. G₁(SAU tomatillo 1), G₂(SAU tomatillo 2), G₃(PI003), G₄(PI004) and two salinity (NaCl) treatments with a control (Factor B) viz. T₁(Control), T₂(8 dS/m), T₃(12 dS/m) and was outlined in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. The observed results showed that, both of four tomatillo genotypes (G) and three salinity treatments (T) had their independent significant influence and also had significant influence in their G×T interaction between different agro-morphogenic traits. Almost all traits responded negatively (%reduction) under the increased level of salinity treatments. Considering the minimum %reduction in yield and its contributing traits under both slightly (T₂: 8 dS/m) and moderately (T₃: 12 dS/m) salinity condition, genotype G₁ and G₃could be recommended for cultivation and further trial in the salinity affected southern region of Bangladesh. The maximum reduction in days to maturity was found in genotype G₁ and G₄ and could be served as parent materials for further hybridization or genetic transformation program.

Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 140-150, 2021

Effect of conventional retting of jute on the quality of water and jute fiber

2022-02-23T13:33:18+00:00

Jute is a natural fiber also known as golden fiber in Bangladesh. Jute fiber is commonly extracted from the plant after immersion in water bodies. The traditional jute retting process harms the quality of jute fiber as well as water where jute plants were immersed as it decomposes bio-mass and hampers different water quality indicating parameters. In this study water samples were collected from different ponds and ditches at Muktagacha Upazilla, Mymensingh, Bangladesh in July 2020. Samples were collected from jute pre- and post-retting water bodies. The study was conducted to monitor the effect of jute retting on various physicochemical and microbiological parameters like- pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), and dissolved oxygen (DO). All parameters were measured at the central laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University using a Multiparameter waterproof meter with a probe. To examine water quality, water samples were collected three times from five particular water bodies of stagnant waters, and the freshwater of the canal and pond. Water quality parameters of pre and post-retting jute water were found as pH 6.42~7.02 and 6.10~5.59, TDS 18~81 mgL^-1and 103~183 mgL^-1, DO 2.3~2.4 mgL^-1and 0.8~0.9 mgL^-1, and EC 36~163 µScm^-1and 222~396 µScm^-1, respectively. A comparison was made with the standard values of water quality parameters and found notable differences with the Department of Environment standards of Bangladesh. Another observation was also made to determine whether the retting water can influence fiber quality or not. Observed results indicated that a low level of pH and DO in jute retted water in a pond may not be suitable for fish cultivation. On the other hand, higher content of TDS and EC in post jute retting water was found responsible for the poor quality of jute fiber.

Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 151-161, 2021