Treatment of atrial flutter (Vorhofsflimmerri). Drury Ilieskn and Wedd (Brit. Med. J., 24 / IX 1921)

Drury Ilieskn and Wedd (Brit. Med. J., 24 / IX 1921) used quinidine sulfate in 13 cases of this suffering, and after the patients were free of foxglove and strophanthus, they were first given 0.2 quinidine peros in order to find out , do they tolerate this remedy, and then the systematic use of the latter has already begun, again peros, in gelatin capsules.

Is Agricultural Credit Programme Effective in Boro Cultivation? Evidence from State-owned Bank of Mymensingh District

High input-intensive Boro rice cultivation needs substantial agricultural credit for the resource-poor Bangladeshi farmers. An investigation was conducted at Fulbaria upazila of Mymensingh district to assess loan attainment cost from Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) and its utilization pattern; evaluate the effects of credit on Boro cultivation, and identify the major drivers of the agricultural credit programme. For the study, 140 farmers were divided into two groups: those who took a loan from BKB and those who did not. Results revealed that the borrowers had to pay Tk 10.23 for getting a hundred taka loan from BKB most of which was an unofficial cost. More than half of the obtained loan was used for Boro cultivation whereas 21% was used for family consumption and the rest (25%) was used for other purposes such as reimbursement of the previous loan from formal and informal sources, wedding and other income-generating activities including petty business. BKB credit borrowers obtained more benefits through Boro cultivation than non-borrowers. The major strengths of the BKB’s agricultural credit programme were well-established infrastructure, experienced manpower, country-wide network, and lower interest rate. Whereas complex and lengthy institutional procedures, the inevitability of collateral and poor institutional capacity were being revealed as the weaknesses of the programme. Prevalence of brokers or corrupt officials and political influence were identified as the major constraints for the loan acquirement. More advanced research is recommended, with an emphasis on agricultural credit programmes, to ensure their effectiveness. Bangladesh Rice J. 24 (1): 85-95, 2020

Prevalence and Transmission of Fusarium moniliforme: A Seed Borne Pathogen of Rice

Fusarium moniliforme is one of the major seed borne pathogen of rice in Bangladesh that causes significant yield loss. To observe the incidence and transmission of this pathogen, farmers saved seeds and seeds from BADC were collected and the pathogens were detected by blotter method. The prevalence of the F. moniliforme varied according to locations and seasons. The highest 18% of seed infection was recorded in Boro seeds of Netrakona district and the lowest 2% was in Gazipur district. The Embryonal end of the seed is the most preferable site of the infection. F. moniliofrme successfully transmitted from seed to seedling and the transmission is high when pre- sprouted seed sown on the puddled seed bed. The study recommended that before planting season, seeds should be tested and treated when necessary to minimize spread of the pathogen. Bangladesh Rice J. 24 (1): 11-19, 2020

Assessment of Genetic Variability and Correlation of Yield Components of Elite Rice Genotypes (Oryza sativa L.)

The study was conducted to evaluate the extent of variability among the elite rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes for yield and yield components. Sixteen elite rice genotypes were evaluated for yield and yield contributing characters in Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Regional Station, Satkhira. Highest grain yield (t ha-1) was observed in BR(Bio)8333-BC5-2-16, which was followed by BR16, BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan58 and BRRI dhan29. BR7671-37-2-2-37-3-P3 had the highest number of grains per panicle with minimum thousand grain weight. Correlation analysis revealed that the number of panicles per plant (0.301), days to 50% flowering (0.606) and grain yield per plant (0.393) had the significantly positive contribution to grain yield. After evaluation of yield components, four genotypes namely BR(Bio)8333-BC5-1-20, BR(Bio)8333-BC5-2-16, BR(Bio)8333- BC5-2-22 and BR(Bio)8333-BC5-3-10 were selected as outstanding genotypes, which can be used as potential breeding materials for variety development or in the crossing program to enrich the rice gene pool in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Rice J. 24 (1): 21-29, 2020