Influence of different organic manures on growth, yield and mineral nutrient accumulation in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Effects of organic manures on growth and yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and nutrient accumulation in its leaves was examined. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated thrice with ten treatments involving nine organic manures and a control treatment. Growth parameters viz. plant height, leaf number, leaf length, leaf area, leaf area index and fresh and dry weight of leaf, stem and root were assessed. The highest height (23.69 cm), longest leaf (32.18cm), leaf area (5883.43cm2), leaf area index (6.434), fresh weight (85.41 g) and dry weight (42.73 g) were found in Payel organic manure. The maximum leaf number (27) was recorded in Approshika organic manure. The maximum content of nitrogen (6.12%), phosphorus (1.83%), potassium (4.11%) and Sulphur (1.69%) were observed in Payel organic manure. The best growth performance and nutrient accumulation was observed in Payel organic manure. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 159-168, 2021 (July)

Soil fertility and leaf nutrient status of litchi orchard sites

Twelve soil and twelve leaf samples were collected from twelve litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) orchards from different locations of Dinajpur to evaluate some physico-chemical properties and nutrient status of soil, and concentration of nutrients in litchi leaf. The pH of the soil varied from very strong acidic to medium acidic (4.8 - 5.7), organic matter content varied from 0.84 - 1.88%, EC varied from 302.4 - 310.2 μS/cm. The dominant soil textural class was clay loam. The average particle density was 2.49g/cm3. Total N, P, K and S in soils were 0.053 - 0.180%, 0.02 - 0.07%, 0.046 - 0.370 meq/100 g, and 0.015 - 0.028%, respectively. Available N, P, K, S, Zn, Fe, Mn and B in soils 30.40 - 57.8 mg/kg, 10.53 - 14.33 mg/kg, 0.03 - 0.32 meq/100 g, 20.03-34.80 mg/kg, 0.68-1.50 μg/g, 31.8 - 41.5 μg/g, 6.75 - 7.39 μg/g and 0.25-0.51 μg/g, respectively. The concentration of total N, P, K, S, Zn and Mn in the leaf were 1.74 - 2.20%, 0.11 - 0.188%, 0.104- 0.198%, 0.129 - 0.430%, 12 - 14 μg/g and 30 - 74 μg/g, respectively. The overall results indicated that the fertility status of the soils under the litchi plantation in the Dinajpur area are medium fertile. So, farmers could be advised to grow litchi plants after applying amendments to the soils to improve the physico-chemical properties in the Dinajpur area of Bangladesh. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 141-149, 2021 (July)

Flight muscle and flight activity of melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The flight activity and flight muscle of the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera: Tephritidae) were observed. The Tethered technique was used to observe the flight activity in this study. The flight activity, and wing and flight muscles were compared between male and female melon flies. The results indicate that the female was relatively better and strong flier than the male. The mean duration of the flight activity of the females was 13.90 min/hour and of the males was 7.12 min./hour. The mean length, width, volume of wings of the males were 6.07 mm, 2.67 mm and 10.99 mm³, respectively. On the other hand, the mean length, width and volume of the wings of females were 7.07 mm, 2.87 mm and 15.60 mm³, respectively. In case of wing muscles, the mean volume of dorsal longitudinal muscle (DLM) in male and female was found 5.20 mm³ and 5.67 mm³, respectively. The mean length of flight wing muscle of male and female was 2.22 and 2.23 mm, respectively and the mean breadth of male and female was 1.65 and 1.77 mm, respectively. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 179-185, 2021 (July)

Adaptation of the tool to measure parenting self-efficacy (topse) in Bangladesh

Measuring parental self-efficacy has influenced the children and their environment for reaching optimal development. The current study aimed to adapt the Tool to Measure Parenting Self-Efficacy (TOPSE) scale and to determine its psychometric properties for using in the context of Bangladesh. A total of 180 mothers of children aged 0 to 6 years were conveniently selected for this study. The TOPSE and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem scale were used as measuring instruments. Collected data were analyzed to determine psychometric properties by using Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient, item analysis, and factor analysis. TOPSE had acceptable internal consistency (Coefficient alpha=0.89) and test-retest reliability (r=0.96). The convergent validity of TOPSE showed a highly positive correlation (r=0.91) with the Bangla Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem scale. The factor analysis resulted in 4 factors with Eigenvalues > 1, explaining 87% of the variances and the four factors showed Cronbach’s coefficient values ranging from 0.50 to 0.99. TOPSE has reasonably good psychometric properties. Further research may wish to require to see the implication of TOPSE in evaluating parenting programs in Bangladesh. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 169-177, 2021 (July)

Virulence analysis of Pyricularia oryzae isolates causing wheat blast in Bangladesh

Mycology and Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh Pyricularia oryzae pathotype Triticum, causal agent of wheat blast, has emerged in Bangladesh as a serious threat for wheat production. Virulence analysis of plant pathogen can reveal the pathogenic nature of that pathogen. In the present study, twenty-four monoconidial isolates of P. oryzae from Chuadanga, Meherpur, Kustia and Jhenaidaha districts of Bangladesh were analyzed to observe their pathogenic potential. Based on the disease reactions, all the isolates were grouped into 3 pathotypes. Present investigation revealed that the isolates with high virulence were prevalent in the studied P. oryzae population. Again, Pathotype 1 that was identified as the most virulent can be used as reference for screening resistant wheat varieties. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 151-157, 2021 (July)

Heavy metal concentration in commonly sold stem vegetables in Dhaka city market and probable health risk

The present study was carried out to assess the concentration of chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in four stem vegetables such as Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), Garlic (Allium sativumL.) and Onion (Allium cepa L.) by using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). Average daily intake (ADI), hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were also estimated to assess the human health risks posed by heavy metals from the consumption of the studied vegetables. The studied stem vegetable samples were collected in four phases from Kawran Bazar fresh vegetable market of Dhaka city of Bangladesh. Mean concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn in the studied stem vegetables ranged between 0.88 to 2.35, 0.08 to 0.15, 0 to 2.25, 0 to 3.30, 5.70 to 9.85, 18.83 to 40.67, 50.60 to 456.38 and 9.23 to 852.35 mg/kg of dry weight, respectively. Mean concentration of maximum permissible limit (MPL) exceed in onion for Cr, in potato and onion for Pb and in ginger for Fe, Ni and Mn. Average daily intake was found to be lower than the maximum permitted tolerable daily intake in most cases except for Mn (26.475 mg/person/day) for consumption Ginger. Hazard quotient of Mn for dietary intake of Ginger (3.152) and hazard indices of Ginger (4.626), Garlic (1.183) and Onion (1.069) exceeded unity, signifying potential health risks from the dietary intake of these vegetables. This study suggests regular monitoring of heavy metals in vegetables to avoid the potential health hazards on human. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 221-232, 2021 (July)

Amelioration of soil acidity by the application of maize straw ash in mixed soil

A pot experiment was conducted in the net house to evaluate the growth and yield response of two vegetables as influenced by the application of maize straw ash in mixed soil. The vegetables were White Malabar Spinach (Basella alba L.) and Red Malabar Spinach (Basella rubra L.). The mixing of acid soil with calcareous soil was done at 3:1 ratio. Maize straw ash was applied at different rates such as T2 (1 ton/ha), T3 (2 ton/ha) and T4 (3 ton/ha). The control as T1 received no amendment. Plant height, base diameter and fresh weight of the Spinach were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased from the control treatment. All the studied growth parameters attained significant improvement for the T3 (2 ton/ha) among all treatments in both the varieties of Malabar. Nutrient contents (N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn and Cu) of Red Malabar Spinach increased significantly for ash treatments and the highest increment of the N, P, S, Na, Ca, Mg and Zn were obtained by the T3 treatment. For White Malabar Spinach, all the nutrients were increased significantly for T3 compared to the control, except for the N (insignificant increase) and Ca (decrease). The application of maize straw ash at the rate of 2 ton/ha (T3) increased plant growth, yield and nutrient contents in both the varieties of Malabar which might be attributed that, the maize straw ash can be considered as an amendment for the improvement of crop growth that may also have lasting effect on soil quality as well as economic and eco-friendly. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 207-219, 2021 (July)

Bird diversity, composition and response during COVID-19 in an urban landscape, Jamalpur, Bangladesh

The world has been encountering a COVID-19 pandemic since late 2019. The world’s people have also witnessed the free movement of wildlife, even in many urban areas in some countries during the imposed lockdown. We conducted research on the birds in the urban landscape of Jamalpur Sadar upazila from March 2020 to October 2020 during this pandemic situation. A total of 134 species of birds with 4338 individuals were recorded during the study period. The number of resident bird species was the maximum (115 species, 85.82%) compared to migrants. The highest number of birds was observed (120 species, 89.55%) and counted 2278 individual birds 52.51%) in the summer season. It was observed that the highest diversity of birds (89 species, 65.92%) was in March. The tree was the most (94 species, n = 2502) used microhabitat by birds in the study area. Among all birds, Pycnonotus cafer was the most abundant bird species with the highest relative abundance (6.11%). Some bird species (e.g. Metopidius indicus, Anastomus oscitans, Amaurornis phoenicurus, Streptopelia tranquebarica, Lonchura malacca) were frequently observed in the urban landscape of the study area during the pandemic. Proper management and awareness creation are essential for the conservation of the bird species in this area. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 261-274, 2021 (July)

Non-invasive DNA extraction for molecular identification of royal Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris

The flagship animal species of Sundarbans, the Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is under threat of extinction. Its natural population is declining day by day. So, to avoid killing and harming the animal, the use of non-invasive samples such as scat, hair, or scent is preferred for DNA extraction and subsequent genotyping of tiger species. DNA has been extracted from scat samples of the Bengal tiger in the present study, and a fragment of the cytochrome b gene has been sequenced after PCR with species-specific primers. DNA has been extracted manually using a previously described methodology with slight modifications. The size of the PCR product and sequence of cytochrome b gene indicates that tiger DNA is successfully extracted from scat samples using tigerspecific primers. Thus, presence of tiger DNA can be detected by using this method just by the PCR product size in the gel. This is the first report of a partial sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of P. t. tigris from Bangladesh. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 325-330, 2021 (July)

Soil properties and carbon stock along the toposequence of Lalmai hill ecosystem of Bangladesh

A study was carried out in the Lalmai hill ecosystem of Bangladesh regarding their soil properties and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. The Lalmai hill ecosystem consists of three toposequence arrangements as hills, piedmonts, and floodplains. Forty-five soil samples covering nine soil profiles were selected to conduct the present study. Soil samples were collected at five different depths of 0-20 cm, 20-40 cm, 40-60 cm, 60-80 cm and 80-100 cm intervals from each pit of the study sites. Soil pH, percent SOC, percent total nitrogen (TN), bulk density, cation exchange capacity (CEC), particle size distribution, and SOC storage (kg/m2) dataset indicates that piedmont deposits and floodplain soils are more enriched than the upper hill soils. Regarding SOC storage, the post hoc test indicates that hill soils are significantly different from the other two physiographic units, but there is no significant difference between piedmont deposits and floodplain soils. The soil property varies differently depending on their depth level at different physiographic units. Estimation on SOC stock revealed that 2.01Tg, 21.75Tg, 12.68Tg carbon remains in the hill soils, piedmont soils, and estuarine floodplain soils, respectively. The total SOC stock was estimated at 36.44 Tg in the Lalmai hill ecosystem of Bangladesh, where piedmont deposits contained the highest level of SOC stock. It is assumed that more clay-organic substances are washed in at the foot of piedmont units due to the well-drained nature of upper Pleistocene hill soils. Thus, fine soil textural nature, diverse land and land cover accelerates to sequester more carbon in piedmont zone rather than hill or floodplain zones. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 30(2): 331-343, 2021 (July)