Assessment on the level of pollution of Turag river water was performed by measuring various physico-chemical parameters.

No abstract

Moringa is a valuable plant whose leaves are enriched with antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and mineral nutrients and can be used as a bio-stimulant. A field work was conducted at the Soil Science Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, during rabi season from November 2017 to February 2018 in order to investigate the effect of moringa leaf extract (MLE) on growth, yield and nutrient status of cabbage. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four treatments and three replications. The treatments were T1 (control), T2 (MLE) sprayed at 2 weeks after transplanting only], T3 (MLE sprayed at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after transplanting), T4(MLE sprayed at 2 weeks after transplanting and after every two weeks thereafter). The rate of MLE application was 25 mL plant-1. All the treatments received recommended dose of N, P, K, S, Zn and B fertilizers. The application of MLE significantly improved the growth parameters, yield and yield contributing characters as well as nutrient content and uptake of cabbage. Among the parameters plant height (33.40 cm), leaf number (19.33 cm), length of the largest leaf (29.00 cm), head thickness (9.67 cm), head diameter (20.33 cm), gross yield (72.83 t ha-1) and marketable yield (48.87 t ha-1), were maximum in T4 where MLE was sprayed at 2 weeks after transplanting and after every two weeks thereafter. The lowest values of all these parameters were found in T1 where no MLE was sprayed. Foliar application of MLE also improved the concentration and uptake of macronutrients (N, P, K and S) in head of cabbage. Thus, application of MLE as a bio-stimulant has the potentiality to enhance growth, yield and nutritional quality of cabbage. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2020, 6(2): 196-203

This study evaluated the sensory properties of uncooked and cooked milled lentils that were fortified with varying concentrations of Fe and Zn in the form of NaFeEDTA and ZnSO4.H2O, respectively. Our study was carried out among 196 lentil consumers residing in rural Bangladesh who experience with growing, processing, and marketing lentils. A nine-point hedonic scale was used to rate the appearance, odor, taste, texture and overall acceptability of three uncooked and two cooked lentil (dal) samples made from each of the three milled lentil product types (LPTs), red football, red split and yellow split. Preferences for sensory properties were found to be significantly different among all uncooked lentil samples, but not significantly different for cooked samples, with a few exceptions. This means that the fortification process minimally affects dual-fortified lentil sample (fortified with 16 mg of Fe and 8 mg of Zn per 100 g of lentil), which was compared to another cooked sample (unfortified control), in terms of consumers liking for all four attributes (appearance, odor, taste, and texture).

Rice is a relatively salt-sensitive crop with the reproductive and seedling stages being the most sensitive. Two separate experiments were conducted to isolate potential determinants of salinity tolerance and to investigate the possibility of modulating salt tolerance by exogenous ascorbic acid (AsA) application. Rice plants were imposed to salinity (EC= 10.0 dS m-1) both at the seedling and reproductive phases of growth. Salinity at the seedling stage resulted a sharp decline in shoot and root growth related traits including leaf chlorophyll content, while hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased. Plants experienced with salinity at the reproductive phases of growth showed a significant reduction in yield attributing traits while the tissue levels of H2O2 increased. Exogenous AsA application reversed the negative impact of salt stress, modulating the root and shoots growth and yield related traits and lowering H2O2 and MDA levels. FL-478 was identified as the most tolerant genotype at the seedling stage, with Binadhan-10 being the most tolerant at the reproductive stage. Grain yield panicle-1 significantly and positively corrected with number of filled grains panicle-1, panicle length, plant height, and spikelet fertility, and negatively correlated with H2O2 levels. Stress tolerance indices clearly separated the tolerant and susceptible genotypes. A principal component analysis revealed that the first two components explained 87% of the total variation among the genotypes. Breeding efforts could therefore to undertake for developing salinity tolerance by manipulating endogenous AsA content in rice.

No abstract

This study was carried out at Horticulture Farm of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to evaluate the effects of different levels of NaCl salinity on plant growth and root yield of two carrot varieties during the period from November, 2016 to February, 2017. Four levels of NaCl salt concentration viz., 0 (Control), 50, 100 and 150 mM and two varieties of carrot namely Shundori and Kuruda were used for this pot experiment. The two-factor experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. The yield and yield components varied significantly between two carrot varieties and intensity of salt concentration. The maximum plant height (33.92 cm), length of leaves (14.51 cm), fresh weight of leaves (9.62 g), percent dry matter content of leaves (21.25 %), length of root (9.05 cm), diameter (11.24 cm), dry matter content of roots (18.18 %) were produced by Shundori. On the other hand, maximum water content of leaves (80.89 %), water content of roots (84.57 %) and weight of roots (10.76 g) were exhibited by Kuruda. Most of the studied parameters showed decreasing trends with the highest level of salinity (200 mM NaCl) producing lowest weight of roots (3.93 g). In case of combined effects of variety and salt concentrations, Kuruda with control condition produced maximum weight of roots (20.62 g) while the minimum weight of roots (3.53 g) was obtained by the combination of Kuruda with the highest level of salt concentration (200 mM NaCl). The result of the experiment revealed that the salinity stress significantly reduced all studied parameters at 100 mM and 150 mM as compared to control and 50 mM NaCl. Therefore, it can be concluded that the variety of Kuruda was found as relatively salt tolerant than Shundori. Progressive Agriculture 30 (3): 263-274, 2019

A total of sixty, 14-day old broiler chickens (Cobb-500) of either sex were used in this study to assess the effects of processed cassava tuber meals (0, 15, 30, and 45 gkg -1 ) on growth responses, meat yield, and profitability of boilers; rearing from day 14 to day 33 of ages. The experimental diets were iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous in nature, and were supplied the broilers ad libitum throughout the trial period. Broilers fed on control diet (i.e. exclusion of CTM) achieved higher (P<0.01) body weight, while the broilers offered diets with the highest amount (45 gkg -1 ) of CTM had the lowest body weight. Increased (P<0.01) feed intake was observed in the treatments of 21 d and 28 days of age when broilers fed diets with the supplementation of CTM, but no significant differences was found among the dietary treatments in the feed consumption of the broilers during 33 day of age. FCR differed significantly (P<.01) throughout the trial period, broilers fed diets without supplementation of CTM had the superior FCR than the others. Mortality was unaffected by all the dietary treatment groups. Moreover, different body parts (feather, head, neck, wing, viscera) and meat yields (thigh, drumstick, breast, back, giblet, dressing) were not influenced by treatments. Live weights were unaffected by all the dietary groups with/without incorporation of cassava tuber meals (CTM) up to day 21 and day 28 of ages. Statistically significant (P<0.01) decreased live weight was observed among the treatments in 33-day old birds.