A field experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) to find out possible effects of alternate wetting and drying irrigation (AWDI) on the yield, water use and water use efficiency (WUE) of Boro rice. The experimental layout was furnitured using split-plot design (SPD) with two modern varieties (MV) of rice viz. BRRIdhan 28 and BRRIdhan 29, which received four irrigation treatments randomly and was replicated thrice. The treatments ranged from continuous submergence (T 1 ) of the field to a number of delayed irrigations (T 2 , T 3 and T 4 ) denoting application of 5 cm irrigation water when water level in the perforated PVC pipe fell 10, 20 and 30 cm below ground level (G.L.), respectively. The study revealed that treatment T 1 attributed by the highest total water use (122.2 cm) and the lowest WUE (58.53 kg/ha/cm) produced the highest grain yield (6.86 t/ha). Treatment T 2 , on the contrary, gave the second highest yield (6.58 t/ha) and consequently the second highest WUE (69.48 kg/ha/cm) indicating quite a large water saving (15 cm) compared to treatment T 1 . The yields in treatments T 3 (6.27 t/ha) and T 4 (5.86 t/ha) were significantly lower at 1% level of significance compared to that of treatment T 1 . No significant effect was found either for the treatment or for the varieties on the number of effective and total tillers hill -1 nor did they affect 1000 grain weight. Reduced plant height, no. of effective tillers hill -1 , grain yield, straw yield, biological yield and harvest index were found with the increasing water stress.

Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum [Pcc (formerly Erwinia carotovora subsp. carotovora)] PC1 causes soft-rot disease in a wide variety of plant species by secreting multiple pathogenicity-related traits. In this study, regulatory mechanism of air-liquid (AL) biofilm formation was studied using a cytR homolog gene deletion mutant (ΔcytR) of Pcc PC1. Compared to the wild type (Pcc PC1), the ΔcytR mutant produced fragile and significantly (P < 0.001) lower amounts of AL biofilm on salt-optimized broth plus 2% glycerol (SOBG), yeast peptone dextrose adenine, and also on King’s B at 27°C after 72 h incubation in static condition. The wild type also produced significantly higher quantities of AL biofilm on SOBGMg– (magnesium deprived) containing Cupper (Cu2+), Zinc (Zn2+), Manganese (Mn2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), and Calcium (Ca2+) compared to the ΔcytR mutant. Moreover, the wild type was produced higher amounts of biofilms compared to the mutant while responding to pH and osmotic stresses. The ΔfliC (encoding flagellin), flhD::Tn5 (encoding a master regulator) and ΔmotA (a membrane protein essential for flagellar rotation) mutants produced a lighter and more fragile AL biofilm on SOBG compared to their wild counterpart. All these mutants resulted in having weak bonds with the cellulose specific dye (Calcofluor) producing lower quantities of cellulose compared to the wild type. Gene expression analysis using mRNA collected from the AL biofilms showed that ΔcytR mutant significantly (P < 0.001) reduced the expressions of multiple genes responsible for cellulose production (bcsA, bcsE, and adrA), motility (flhD, fliA, fliC, and motA) and type III secretion system (hrpX, hrpL, hrpA, and hrpN) compared to the wild type. The CytR homolog was therefore, argued to be able to regulate the AL biofilm formation by controlling cellulose production, motility and T3SS in Pcc PC1. In addition, all the mutants exhibited poorer attachment to radish sprouts and AL biofilm cells of the wild type was resistant than stationary-phase and planktonic cells to acidity and oxidative stress compared to the same cells of the ΔcytR mutant. The results of this study therefore suggest that CytR homolog is a major determinant of Pcc PC1’s virulence, attachment and its survival mechanism.

Adequate supply of micronutrients is important for the proper growth and yield of lentil, particularly in poorly fertile soil. This study was carried out to understand the effects of zinc (Zn), boron (B), and molybdenum (Mo) on the growth and yield of lentil, and how these elements can help manage soil fertility issues. In this regard, the morpho-physiological traits of lentils (BARI Masur-7) were collected from two experiments receiving the same treatments carried out during consecutive rabi seasons of 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. The experiments were laid out with a randomized complete block design having eight treatments, and was replicated thrice. The treatments were T 1 (Control), T 2 (Zn 2.0 kg ha −1), T 3 (B 1.

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Recycled wastewater is considered as a sustainable source of irrigation water. Despite commendable safety records, viral contamination of agricultural products has occurred the past causing disease outbreaks. This review examines the apprehension that the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) may also spread through recycled wastewater irrigation (RWI) industry. The novel SARS-CoV-2 is now perceived as an enteric pathogen, and has been found to remain stable in the wastewater for days. Mounting evidences also suggest that viral particles shed by infected individuals through sewage, and greywater is much higher (up to 10 Log10) than the amount typically removed (6-7 Log10) through the recycled water disinfection processes. Such gap indicated an increased risk of infection through fecal-oral transmission route. This study also identified greywater irrigation schemes posing a higher risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2. It was recommended that countries putting greywater in the &lsquo;low risk&rsquo; category may rewrite the safety guidelines in post COVID-19 times. This review also suggest that the choice of irrigation method could be critical in protecting the farmers, and the consumers from possible infections during the pandemic. In this regard, irrigation methods (i.e. sprinkler) that generate airborne droplet (leading to aerosols) may be operated with caution when public spaces are in the vicinity. The study also indicated that the developing countries should regulate surface irrigation practice that pump water from polluted rivers during the pandemic.

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Beta-Lactoglobulin (β-Lg) is the largest protein fraction of whey proteins comprising more than 65%. Being the major fraction, it determines many of the unique properties of whey proteins. Thus, the denaturation of β-Lg during drying can limit the application of whey proteins as ingredient. This study was carried out to measure and predict the drying and denaturation kinetics of β-Lg during drying at droplet level in a convective drying environment. The moisture content and temperature scenarios during the drying process were predicted using reaction engineering approach (REA)-based model. The REA-predictions were coupled with the first order reaction kinetics to predict the denaturation kinetics. Single droplets of β-Lg (10% w/v; 1.5±0.1 mm initial diameter) were used throughout drying experiments carried out at two temperatures (65 °C and 80 °C) at a constant air velocity (0.5 m/s) for 10 minutes. There was a good agreement between the experimental data and the REA predictions. The model predictions fitted the experimental data with ±5.70% and ±3.50% error for moisture-time and temperature-time profiles, respectively. A combination of the REA-based model with first order kinetics model was also successful in predicting the denaturation kinetics.