Commercial Production Practices, Returns and Risk-bearing Ability in the Small-scale Gardening of Agar Plants in Selected Areas of Bangladesh

Commercial gardening of Agar Plant (AP) is an emerging part of agribusiness enterprises in Bangladesh which is existence in some cases at a small scale of limit, demanding the proper strategies for prompting AP commercial production. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to identify the commercial production practices, producers’ returns and the risk-bearing ability in small-scale gardening of agar plants. Bharlekha upazila in Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh was selected as the study area. Data were collected from randomly selected eighty AP producers of that area during the year 2017.The average life of the plants is around 16 years, and the production activities are the seed and sapling collection and growing; land selection and preparation and sapling planting; intercultural operation; nail setting on agar plants; and harvesting and selling which are mainly done by the AP producers. There is a strong backward and forward linkages have been identified. Results showed that the AP plant production enterprise is highly profitable only in the long-term period of 16 years time, which is not possible in short-run. Also, the break-even analysis of AP production resists a large drop of yield and price before incurring a loss, which gives the farmers a comfortable margin of safety and a risk bearing ability. The study recommended that the government and non-government organizations should come forward to provide directions and supports for promoting and sustaining agar plant production on commercial basis throughout the country.

Morpho-molecular Characterization of Maize Inbred Lines Accelerating Parental Selection for Hybridization

Characterization of genetic diversity is the foundation step for crop improvement, which provides a basis for analyzing combining ability and heterosis of inbred genotypes during a hybridization program. An investigation was carried out at the field laboratory of the Genetics and Plant Breeding department in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, to elucidate the genetic architecture by evaluating 12 morphological and 4 molecular (SSR) markers within 52 diverse S1 genotypes, and to assess the relationship of molecular and morphological GD. An almost equal amount of PCV and GCV coupled with high heritability and genetic advance for the traits cob weight (gm), NKPC, and NKPR lead to the selection of promising genotypes based on these characters. Correlation coefficient and scatter plot matrix established a positive and strong relationship of KL (mm), KW (mm), and KT (mm) with 100 kernel weight (gm) suggesting the importance of kernel morphology. Mahalanobis D2 statistics revealed the highest inter-cluster distance between I and II. The percentages of molecular variance within the population and among the population were 76% and 14 %, respectively. The optimum K-value was 5. Heatmap relying on molecular GD exposed MMIL-28, MMIL-54, and MMIL-96 as the most diverse lines. SHE analysis hypothesized the increase of richness and diversity over time. Less correlation between the divergence generated from morphological traits and molecular markers suggested that the morphological variation may be determined by environmental factors and also by genetic factors. A strategy for the effective selection of predicting parental lines for a future hybridization program was developed.

Rumen Fermentative Properties of Pregnant West African Dwarf Does Fed Diets Containing Algae Biomass

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding algae biomass rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids at 0%, 1.5%, 3.0% and 4.5%, respectively, using Panicum maximum as basal feed, on rumen fermentative properties of pregnant West African Dwarf (WAD) does. A total of twenty (20) pregnant WAD does were grouped into four treatments containing five (5) animals per treatment and randomly allotted to the experimental diets. Rumen fluid were collected prior to mating and at the last trimester of pregnancy for determination of rumen fermentative properties. Data obtained were subjected to one way Analysis of Variance in a Completely Randomized Design. Inclusion of algae biomass up to 4.5% had no significant (p>0.05) effect on bacteria population in the rumen of the experimental does. The inclusion levels of algae biomass gave rise to the predominance of Eischeria coli (a gram negative bacterium) in the rumen of pregnant does fed the algae biomass diet. Results obtained showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the values obtained for ammonia nitrogen concentration in the rumen of the pregnant does when compared to the values recorded prior to mating. The total volatile fatty acid production and its molar proportion in the rumen fluid were not significantly (p>0.05) influenced by the inclusion of algae biomass.

Digestive Morphology of Native Pig Supplemented by Different Levels of Fermented Vigna radiata L.

Enhancing feed efficiency in converting feed mass into pig body mass is a critical phase for the profit in producing pig. To improve the metabolic utilization of dietary nutrients, it relies heavily on a healthy gut or gastrointestinal tract, and only a healthy digestive can result in better feed digestion and better nutrient absorption. Thus, the study investigates the growth performance, the response of the digestive morphology of native pigs, which treatment will stretch higher output and variations under different levels of fermented mungbean. The experimental research design was employed to determine the response of the three (3) pigs treated with mungbean for 70 days. The growth performance of pigs treated with different levels of fermented mungbean has a total gain weight of 7.50kg for Treatment 1; Treatment 2 is 9.00kg and, Treatment 3 is 6.50kg and is observed no significant difference on the final weight and the total weight with a p-value of > 0. 050; the response on digestive morphology such as small intestine, large intestine, heart, stomach, liver, lungs, esophagus, spleen, and kidney of pigs shows no variations on their length, width, and weight with a p-value of >0.050 under the different level of fermented mungbean; and resulted with high output treated with different level of fermented mungbean is observed on Treatment 2 with a lowest feed conversion efficiency of 3.89 for feeds and 1.39 for mungbean. Treatment 2 has the highest gain weight among the treated sample; the intestinal morphology of pigs was comparable under the three treatments; treatment 2 has the lowest feed conversion efficiency.

An Analysis of the Morphological Changes of Surma River in Sylhet District Using Multitemporal Remote Sensing Images

The Surma River is one of the most important rivers in the northeastern part of Bangladesh, which has changed significantly throughout history. Very few studies have taken place to understand this river's complex behavior, which characterizes its morphology. The core objective of this research is to analyze the river dynamics to understand the morphological changes of the river from 1978 to 2021. Remotely sensed satellite images of 1978, 1989, 1999, 2011, and 2021 were secondary data. The whole working procedure is the correction of satellite images, application of normalized difference water index (NDWI), demarcation of the river bank line using bank line methods, quantification of the erosion-deposition using an overlapping method, demarcation of central line shifting, measurement of the river width and finally the sinuosity index metering for 43 years. The river has changed significantly in several locations within the period in Sylhet District. Ten bends, three segments, and 200 points were taken to quantify the change dynamics. The overall analysis found that the left bank shifted more than the right bank. According to the findings, the deposition rate (80.98m/year) of river Surma is almost double the erosion rate (42.11m/year), which causes a significant decline in river width from 163m in 1978 to 123m in 2011. After counting 200 sample points, the result concluded that the average central line shifted more than average (79.50m) at 38 points indicates three major locations- Kanaighat, Dakshin Banigram, and Lalargaon. Finally, the sinuosity index found that the river became more meander following its shifting movement except the ninth bend near Kandigaon. The riverine people indicated several anthropogenic factors, e.g., encroachment, illegal construction, pollution, illegal sand extraction, as the key issues which should be intervened and take necessary action.

Water Quality Assessment with Biotic Index Based on Abundance and Diversity of Aquatic Insects in a Hilly Stream, Bangladesh

Study of stream insect fauna provide valuable insights into aspects of the stream channel ecosystem. The present study was conducted to investigate the aquatic stream living insect community, abundance and diversity in a hilly stream, Balukhali chora of Chittagong University campus to determine the water quality. The insects were collected with bottom dredge net from the edge and benthic regions of the Riffle zone and the Pool zone of the stream from January 2018 to December 2018. Insects were sampled using standard entomological method and determined their tolerance value. A total of 2535 insects were recorded, belonging to six insect orders, 30 families and 45 genera. The abundance ratio was higher in all the months in the Pool zone excepting the months of April, May, June and October. The orders Ephemeroptera, Odonata and Diptera were abundant in the Pool zone, while Hemiptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera were abundant in the Riffle zone. On the basis of Biotic Index, the most dominating orders Odonata and Hemiptera indicated good water quality, though the dipteran genus Chironomus spp. indicated poor quality in some of the months. The stream insect community structure of the two zones indicated that the overall water quality of the stream water was very good. Both manmade and natural interruption occurred in the stream channel due to human settlement, agricultural runoff and natural disasters. The study was conducted to know the abundance and diversity of aquatic insect community which indicated the water quality of the stream.

Growth Effect of the Different Ratios of Wood Vinegar on Brassica juncea

Four (4) different ratios of wood vinegar namely; 1:5; 1:10; 1:20 and 1:30 mL WV to water ratio extracted from coconut shell was tested to determine their growth effect on Brassica juncea or mustard plant or locally known as mustasa. Parameters measured were leaf number, plant height, plant leaf width. Using randomized complete block design, experimental tests were conducted using Brassica juncea as test plants. The samples of 10 days old were allowed to flourish in a potted plant with day to day application of the wood vinegar solutions together with the negative control for a total of 30 days. Results revealed that the wood vinegar ratios applied have no significant effect on the growth of the mustard plant in terms of its leaf number, plant height and leaf width. This indicates that coconut shell wood vinegar at 1:5, 1:10, 1:20 and 1:30 are not applicable ratios for plant production, as that an increased wood vinegar application increases plant production and growth.

Determination of Bacterial Concrete Strength Using Bacillus Subtilis and Lightweight Expandable Clay Aggregate

This study examines the impact of bacterial concrete on strength and self-healing. Bacterial concrete has better compressive strength, permeability, corrosion resistance, chemical precursors, alkalinity resistance, and mechanical stress. Bacillus subtilis calcium lactate and spore powder effects are explored in this study, and the influence of this bacterial form on strength and self-healing capacity to crack repair. The Bacillus subtilis concentration 105 cells/mL is used in concrete with calcium lactate 0.3% of cement. In another trial, calcium lactates 0.3% and spore powder 0.5% of cement with Bacillus subtilis concentration of 105 cells/mL and lightweight expandable clay aggregate (LECA) is 30% replaced to the coarse aggregate used in concrete respectively. The conventional concrete and bacterial concrete cubes were molded with dimensions of 150 mm x 150 mm x 150 mm, cylinders with dimensions of 100 mm x 200 mm, and a beam with dimensions of 100 mm x 100 mm x 500 mm. These specimens were evaluated after 7 and 28 days of cure. The compressive, split tensile, and flexural strength of bacterial concrete was raised by 23%, 8%, and 7%, respectively when compared to conventional concrete. Thus, the experimental findings reveal that Bacillus subtilis at 105 cells/ml cells with 0.3% calcium lactate has a substantial impact on the strength and self-healing of bacterial concrete.

Effect of Varying Levels of Poultry Manure and Inorganic Fertilizer on the Growth and Yield of Cucumber in Anyigba, Kogi State

The growth and yield of cucumber in response to the effect of poultry manure and inorganic fertilizer (NPK 20:10:10) was evaluated at the Teaching and Research farm of Kogi State University Anyigba, Nigeria during the 2021 raining season. Treatment consisted of poultry manure which was applied at 0, 7.5 and 15t/ha and inorganic fertilizer (NPK 20:10:10), applied at the rate of 0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6t/ha respectively. The experiment was laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates following all agronomic practices as recommended. Combined rates of poultry manure at 15t/ha and 0.6t/ha of fertilizer were found to significantly increased (P≤0.05) growth characters such as number of leaves, vine length at 4, 6 and 8WAS. Longest vines of 602.75cm and 213.75leaves was obtained with combined application of 15t/ha PM + 0.6t/ha NPK fertilizer at 8WAS respectively. Similarly, Fruit length, Number of fruits, Fruit weight/plant, Fruit yield/ha were significantly influenced (P≤0.05) by the combined application of 15t/ha PM + 0.4t/ha NPK, while the control plots consistently gave the least yield across sampling periods.

An Assessment of the Impact of Industrialization on Physical Environment and Socio-economic Conditions around the Alipur Industrial Area, Bangladesh

Massive industrialization promotes economic growth and causes environmental pollution and degradation. The purpose of this research is to determine the impact of industrialization on the physical environment and socio-economic condition at Alipur industrial areas, Habiganj, Bangladesh, by measuring water, soil, air, sound quality parameters and a random sampling questionnaire survey on socio-economic conditions. Most of the measured physicochemical parameters exceeded the acceptable limit of inland surface water. The pH of the effluent water ranged from 4.83 to 8.58, which was found lower than the standard level for two points. The DO level was within the range of 1.98 to 3.32 mg/L indicating that aquatic life is in danger because of the lower level of DO. BOD, COD, TSS, and TDS ranged from 133 to 255.8 mg/L, 330 to 566 mg/L, 1960 to 2170 mg/L and 4110 to 5500 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of Nitrates (14.63 mg/l), Phosphate (10.33 mg/l), and Copper (5.49 mg/l) in the water samples found more than the inland surface, public sewer STP, and Irrigated land standard. The concentrations of CO (10.71), NO2 (90.56), and SO2 (104.34) in the air are near the acceptable level, indicating that the air was moderately polluted. The Durbin-Watson statistic is 0.495 from the model summary indicating the research model has a positive auto-correction, and the coefficient of significance is at 0.00, and Test F at 150.345 suggests that the model is suitable. Furthermore, the coefficient of the land area lost due to industrial park construction is found at 0.00, indicating household income increased when people lose land and non-agricultural sectors like building houses, investing in services, traffic systems. On the other hand, it is undeniable that few members whose land is acquired turned unemployed during industrial parks, resulting in the high number of unemployed workers being high and income declines.