Adoption of production technologies by potato growers in northwest Bangladesh

Determining the extent of adoption of modern variety potato production technologies by the potato growers was the main focus of the study. The study was conducted in the Rajshahi district. Out of 1547 potato growers, 232 respondents were randomly selected as a sample for data collection from twenty villages. A pre-tested interview schedule was used to collect data from the respondents during July 2010 to February 2011. For measuring the adoption of modern variety potato production technologies by the potato growers, 11 technologies on modern potato production were considered. Majority (46.55%) of the growers had medium adoption compared to high (29.74%) and low (23.71%) adoption. Among the extent of adoption of eleven selected technologies recommended ‘irrigation’ was at top highest ranking as indicated by the adoption index where as plant spacing was bottom lowest. The adoption variations in different technologies will not be improved unless effective steps are taken to increase growers’ exposure to get benefits of using such technologies as per recommendations.

In vitro propagation of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) from nodal segments, shoot tips and cotyledonary nodes

A rapid and efficient protocol is outlined for in vitro propagation of muskmelon(Cucumis melo L.) Shoot tips, nodal segments and cotyledonary nodes from invitro grown seedlings were used as explants. The explants were inoculated on MS medium fortified with different combinations and concentrations of growthregulators viz., BAP, NAA, GA3 and IBA for multiple shoot regeneration.Effective result was found on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l BAP, inwhich 90% and 70% cultures induced multiple shoots from nodal segments andshoot tip explants, respectively. Whereas, 70% cultures of cotyledonary nodeswere found to induced shoots on MS medium with 1.5 mg/l BAP + 0.1 mg/l GA3. In vitro regenerated shoots were subcultured on half strength MS mediumsupplemented with different concentrations of IBA and NAA for successful rootinduction and the effective result (up to 70%) was found in medium with 1 mg/lIBA. Well rooted in vitro grown plantlets were acclimatized in sandy soil, whereas 70% plantlets survived

Yield and yield components of wheat as affected by phosphorus fertilization

The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field laboratory, Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Extension, University of Rajshahi to study the yield and yield components of wheat as affected by phosphorus fertilization. The experiment consisted of two factors i.e. (i) three wheat varieties viz., Shatabdi, Bijoy and Prodip and (ii) five levels of phosphorus viz. 0, 30, 60, 90, 120 kg P2O5 ha-1. A RCBD design was used for the experiment with three replications. The effect of variety was significant on all the yield components and yield except plant height. Prodip gave the highest grain yield (3.67 t ha-1) followed by Bijoy (3.45 t ha-1) and Shatabdi (3.28 t ha-1). Yield and yield components of wheat were significantly influenced by different levels of phosphorus. The highest grain yield (4.47 t ha-1) was recorded from P4 (120 kg P2O5 ha-1) and the lowest one (2.43 t ha-1) from the control treatment. The highest grain yield (4.80 t ha-1) was obtained from Prodip at 120 kg P2O5 ha-1 and the lowest one (2.3 t ha-1) was found in Shatabdi at control treatment. The results suggest that the combination of V3P4 (Prodip with 120 kg P2O5 ha-1) is the best for obtaining higher yield of wheat.

Effect of irrigation and sowing method on yield and yield attributes of mustard

The experiment was carried out at Agronomy Field laboratory, Department ofAgronomy and Agricultural Extension, university of Rajshahi, to study the effect of irrigation and sowing method on yield and yield attributes of mustard. The experiment consists of two factors i) irrigation viz. no irrigation (I0), one irrigation (I1)and two irrigations (I2) ii) sowing method viz. line sowing method (M1) and broadcasting method (M2). A split- plot design was used for the experiment by assigning the irrigation on the main plots and sowing method to the sub plots with three replications. Irrigation had significant effect on all the yield and yield contributing characters. The highest plant height, number of branches plant-1, filled siliqua plant-1, sliqua length, number of seed siliqua-1, 1000-seed weight and stover yield were obtained from I2 (two irrigations) and consequently it produced the highest seed yield. Sowing method also had significant influence on almost all the yield and yield contributing characters. All the yield contributing characters except number of unfilled siliqua plant-1were found best at line sowing method (M1) and consequently it produced the highest seed yield. However it could be noted from the study that the combination of two irrigations with line sowing method is better to get higher yield of mustard.

Glass sand potentiality of bar sediments from Tista and Dharla rivers, Bangladesh

The present investigation deals with the glass sand potentiality of the barsediments of Tista and Dharla rivers from different locations of Nilfamari,Lalmonirhat and Kurigram districts, Bangladesh. Accordingly, fourteen sampleswere selected for grain size distributions with separation of magnetic minerals.Magnetic mineral content ranges from about trace amount to 0.06 wt%. Lightminerals separated by tetrabromoethane technique ranging from about 88 to 98 wt%. Moreover, glass sand as final products by flotation process evaluationranges from 58 to 80 wt%, which indicate good quantity of glass sand.Geochemical data also suggest that glass sands are suitable for commercial grade glass owing to its SiO2 content (80.7–94.1 wt%). In particular, the Tista Barrage site shows high SiO2 (94.1 wt%) with reasonably low Al2O3, TiO2, andMgO+CaO percentages, which suggest an excellent glass grade quality.Unfortunately, some impurities (e.g., Fe2O3, Zr) are comparatively higher thanstandards, which poses difficulties making high grade glass. However, if it ispossible to remove and/or decrease the major impurities, it may be used tomanufacture high grade glass (colourless glass).

Effect of cyanobacteria on growth and yield of boro rice under different levels of urea

A pot culture and a field experiment were conducted with cyanobacteria in presence and absence of different levels of urea to evaluate their effects on growth and yield of rice cv. BRRI Dhan 28, 29 and 36 during Boro season of 2007. The treatments were T1 (control), T2 (only cyanobacteria), T3 (recommended doses of urea - 60 kg N/ha), T4 (45% recommended doses of urea + cyanobacteria), T5 (65% recommended doses of urea + cyanobacteria) and T6 (85% recommended doses of urea + cyanobacteria).The maximum values for different growth, yield and yield components (plant height, number of productive tillers/hill, panicle length, number of grains/panicle, 1000-grain weight, and grain, straw and biological yield) were observed in BRRI Dhan 29 under T6 (85% recommended doses of urea + cyanobacteria) and lowest was observed in BRRI Dhan 28 under T1 (neither urea nor cyanobacteria). Uses of cyanobacteria increased the yield of Boro rice varieties and decreased the use of urea by 15-20%.

‘Monga’ in northern region of Bangladesh: a study on people’s survival strategies and coping capacities

The objective of this paper is to explore people’s survival strategies and coping capacities to combat monga at household level in the northern region of Bangladesh. The agriculture based rural economy, extreme poverty, highpercentage of landless, lack of sufficient caloric intake, unemployment of vast agricultural labour force etc. are the root causes of vulnerability to monga in the northern regions specifically few districts of greater Rangpur. Moreover, geographically this region is vulnerable to natural hazards such as floods and droughts. The past records of food shortages and famine reveal that the trend is still continuing in the monga-prone areas. The present study found that the most vulnerable groups in the monga-prone areas were agricultural wage labourers, landless and marginal farmers, female headed households, children, pregnant women and aged people. The present study also found that with a view to cope with the monga, various coping strategies such as selling of labour with advance payment at cheap rate, borrowing of money, selling of assets, looking for work in other areas, dependency on relief, selling of field crops in advance at cheap rate etc. were adopted by the affected households. The present study also found that coping capacity was associated with household head’s socio-economic status e.g. level of education, monthly income, types of occupation, etc. Vulnerability to monga was higher for the illiterate and low income groups than the educated andhigh income groups. The present study argues that the policy makers ofGovernment and NGOs should emphasize on enhancing of coping capacities of poor and marginalized groups through rural centric development, ruralemployment generation, maximum utilization of agricultural land, proper credit support and agro-based industrialisation in the northern Bangladesh.

A comparative study on violent and aggressive attitudes and activism among students and non-students

The purpose of this study was to investigate the violent and aggressive attitudes for student activists, non-student activists and student non-activists of different educational institutions within the framework of socio-cultural background. The study has been developed under the theoretical interpretation of biological theory of aggression and violence, and social learning theory of aggression and violence. It uses a multidimensional co relational approach with a criterion group design.The study was conducted into two phases. In the first phase criterion groups of student activists, non student activists and student non activists were selected on the basis of an activism criteria questionnaire. To achieve the goal 360 respondents was equally taken from student activists, non-student activists and student non-activists. Each sample group was sub-divided into upper middle and lower middle SES background. The violent and aggressive attitudes composed of five dimensions– such as political violence, social violence, institutional violence, administrative violence and sex violence in the violence - nonviolence continuum. The main objective of the present investigation was to make a comparative study of the pattern of the attitudes of student activists, non-student activists and studentnon-activists. In this Study it was hypothesized that student activists would score higher on the attitudinal variables of violent and aggressive attitudes as compared to non-student activists and student non-activists respectively. The data were analyzed to obtain Mean, SD & t-test to test hypothesis. The result revealed that student activists were found to possess higher score on the attitudinal variable of violent and aggressive attitudes as compared to non-student activists and student non-activists respectively.

Post-cyclone livelihood status and strategies in coastal Bangladesh

The objective of this paper is to assess post-cyclone livelihood capitals status, identify major livelihood groups, adversity and crisis, and present the livelihood strategies of coastal households. Based on a questionnaire survey at household level, a total 331 out of 792 households are selected through simple random sampling from three purposively selected villages in the central coast of Bangladesh. Both descriptive and inferential statistics are used to analyse data. The present study identifies wage labour, fisher and farmer as major livelihood groups. Among the three villages, Island reveals less livelihood capitals than inland and shoreline. Although natural capital of Island is relatively higher, however, scarcity of other capitals hinders proper utilization of the potentials of such capital. Social capital of Island is significantly lower than other two villages, which unveils relatively lesser social coherence of Islanders, and which is most important to survive in post-cyclone situation. Likewise, among the livelihood groups, wage labourer owes less livelihood capitals than farmer and fishermen. Majority of the households irrespective of their village locations identifies recurrent cyclones and induced storm surges as major adversities which significantly destroys their livelihoods. Therefore, households in study villages diversify income sources wherever possible and most importantly while face the crisis. In general, livelihoods of Islanders and Shoreline villagers, wage labourer and fish fry collectors are most vulnerable to any cyclone events. Hence, thepresent study advocates for identifying vulnerable locations and livelihood groups, and livelihood capitals building for such groups and promoting coordinated disaster risk reduction programs to mitigate cyclone impacts and providing assistance for rebuilding post-cyclone livelihoods.

Differential structure of values among three educational generations in Bangladesh

The present study was conducted to investigate the differential structuralproperties of values among the three educational generations in Bangladesh. Underlying conviction of the present study was that certain specific patterns of values are modelled by the history, culture and socio-economic condition of a particular nation in which it is exposed. It was predicted that certain value pattern have different implication in different educational generation having unique experienced and pattern of its own. The sample of the study was composed of 180 Ss equally divided into older teachers, younger teachers and students in different educational institutions of Rajshahi town in Bangladesh (N = 60) for each group separately. Age of the older teachers ranged from 45 to 60 years, younger teachers ranged from 31 to 40 years and students ranged from 20 to 29 years. The datawere obtained through Rokeach’s value inventory (Ara’s Bengali version). These data were factor analyzed by using Kaiser’s criterion of oblique rotation method. Six factors extracted through factor analysis for older teachers, six factors for younger teachers and seven factors for students revealed the differential structural properties of values. These findings supported the conviction that differential value pattern of three generations stemming from the present political, economic, cultural situation may exert enormous influence on the differential educational institutions causing three different pattern of values.