The effect of different rates of boron application on wheat cv. Bijoy was studied through a field experiment at    Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) farm, Mymensingh during 2009-10 rabi season. The BAU farm belongs to    Old Brahmaputra Floodplain agroecological zone (AEZ 9). Texturally the soil was silt loam, with 7.2 pH, 0.81%    organic matter and 0.15 mg kg-1 available boron content. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete    block design with five boron rates and four replications. Boron rates were 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 3.0 kg ha-1, with boric    acid as a source. Every plot received blanket doses of 115 kg N, 25 kg P, 75 kg K and 15 kg S ha-1 from urea, TSP,    MoP and gypsum, respectively. Treatment receiving B @ 2.25 kg ha-1 produced the highest grain yield (4.22 t ha-1) which was statistically identical with that obtained with 1.75 kg B ha-1. However, the crop response curve showed    1.90 kg ha-1 to be the optimum boron rate for the maximization of wheat yield. The lowest grain yield (2.84 t/ha) was    recorded with control treatment. There was a positive relationship between grain yield and number of grains spike-1.   Boron had significant influence on N, P, K, S and B uptake by the crop which, in deed, was more influenced by crop    yield and less by nutrient concentration, except N and B uptake where concentration had more influence than yield.   DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbau.v9i2.10987   J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 9(2): 205–210, 2011

The study was conducted to know the present status, existing production system of duck and assess the potentiality of duck rearing in rural areas of Mymensingh district in Bangladesh. Data were collected randomly from 50 duck rearing farmers using a pre-tested interview schedule during March to May 2010 from several villages under sadar upazilla of Mymensingh. The results reveal that most of the farmers (60%) were middle aged. About 32% farmers were illiterate. Most of the farmers (52%) reared deshi duck and duck population per household was 11.1. About 80% wife of farmer’s household were responsible for duck rearing. All farmers reared duck in semi scavenging system. About 36% farmers used wood and tin for construction of duck house and 94% farmers used bedding materials for their duck house. All farmers used rice in the diet for duck and 62% farmers accumulated rice and rice polish to make diet for their ducks. About 40% farmers provided on an average of 121.91g supplemental diet to each duck/day and cost of the diet was Tk. 0.85/duck/day. Most of the farmers (72%) provided diet to their ducks twice a day. The age and weight of duck at maturity were 183.6 days and 1.69 kg, respectively. Egg production/duck/year and weight of each egg were 117.5 no’s and 63.8g, respectively. All farmers incubated duck egg under broody hen and they got 85.83% hatchability on set eggs. Most of the farmers (52%) mentioned that most prevalent disease of duck was cholera and their duck mortality was 15.2%. About 52% farmers controlled their duck disease with medication and only 14% farmers used vaccine to prevent duck disease. About 22% and 13.5% people did not consume duck meat and egg, respectively because of odour, asthama and allergy. Most of the farmers (50%) incubating duck eggs for ducklings. About 66% farmers purchased duckling by Tk. 24-25 and 58% farmers sell adult duck by Tk. 175-190. Most of the farmers (81.25%) stated that the duck farming is decreasing day by day. About farmers (51%) stated that reason of decreasing duck farming was lack of scavenging area. It was concluded that duck rearing knowledge of the farmers such as breeding, feeding, housing, prevention and control of diseases are not satisfactory of this areas. Introducing of improved duck breeds/varieties, training to duck farmers, ensuring vaccination to ducks, financial and technical support to the farmers could increase the duck rearing with increased household income and employment to youth, rural women and the small-holder marginal farmers.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2016, 2(2): 202-212

An experiment was conducted in Seed Pathology Center, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to determine the efficacy of biocontrol means (BAU-Biofungicide, Garlic extract and Neem extract) in controlling seedborne fungal diseases of maize (Zea mays). In laboratory experiment, the seeds of maize cultivars cv. Badsha-1, Khai Bhutta, Bornali, Mohor, BARI Bhutta-5 and BARI Bhutta-6 were tested by blotter method. The identified fungi associated with the seeds were A. niger, A. flavus, Fusarium sp., P. oxalicum, C. lunata and R. stolonifer. The seed samples were treated with BAU-Biofungicide @ 2.5% of seed weight, neem extract@ 1:2 w/v and 1:3 w/v and garlic extract @ 1:2 w/v and 1:3 w/v to control the seed-borne pathogens. The effective results were recorded as regards to the highest germination (84.5%) reflected the lowest disease incidence (4.0%) recorded in BAUBiofungicide treated seeds followed by other treatment.

Meat from small ruminants is considered a high quality and delicacy product in many countries. Several benefits have been perceived from probiotics as dietary supplements, such as improved carcass weight, color, tenderness, flavor, muscle fiber structure, water-holding capacity, and healthy fatty acid profile of the meat. Thus, the present review focuses on the effect of probiotics on improving the quality of meat from small ruminants. Though many benefits have been associated with the use of probiotics, the findings of all the considered articles are not always consistent, and the mechanisms behind improving meat quality are not appropriately defined. This variability of findings could be due to the use of different probiotic strains, dosage rates, number of days of experiment, nutrition, breed, age, and health status of the animals. Therefore, future research should emphasize specific strains, optimal dose and days of administration, route, and mechanisms for the specific probiotic strains to host. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the use of probiotics for small ruminants and their impact on meat quality.

, during the period from July 2011 to December 2011 to assess the comparative advantages of using Urea Super Granule (USG) and NPK briquette over normal urea, Triple super phosphate and Muriate of Potash and also predict the better performing T. aman rice. The effect of different levels of fertilizer was studied on growth, yield and yield attributing character of T. aman. Six fertilizer Treatments (F 0 = Control(No urea), F 1 = Total urea (150 kg ha-1)during land preparation at available tide free time, F 2 = Urea (75 kg ha-1)at 2 split, F 3 = Urea (50 kg ha-1)at 3 split, F 4 = Urea Super Granule (54 kg N ha-1) at 10 days after transplanting and F 5 = NPK briquette (42Kg N ha-1 9 Kg P ha-1 12 Kg K ha-1)at 10 days after transplanting of T. aman rice). Besides, TSP, MOP , zinc sulphate and Gypsum were applied @100, 70, 50 and 12 kg ha-1 respectively as basal dose. The experiment was laid out in a Split plot design with 3 replications. The analysis revealed that different fertilizer management practices with a few exceptions significantly influenced the growth, yield and yield attributes of the T. aman rice. Plant height, number of effective tillers hill-1 , number of non-effective tillers hill-1 , panicle length (cm), number of grains panicle-1 , number of sterile spikelet's panicle-1 , nitrogen use efficiency (%), straw yield(t ha-1) and grain yield (t ha-1) were found highest when NPK briquette was applied and all the characters showed lowest value when control. Highest number of effective tillers hill-1 (13.00) and grain yield (6.60 t ha-1) was obtained from NPK briquette and where lowest number of effective tillers hill-1 (5.66) and grain yield (4.48 t ha-1).The NPK briquettes showed higher agronomic efficiency than Prilled urea(PU) and Urea super granule(USG). The small size briquettes (2.4 g) could save 33 kg N ha-1 compared to recommended PU. There was no residual effect of NPK briquettes on soil chemical properties.The NPK briquettes were found beneficial to the farmers in tidal ecosystem.