11Adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) has been hampered in puddled rice-based 12 cropping systems. In this study, we developed a method for transplanting rice (Oryza 13 sativa L.) with minimal soil disturbance (referred to as minimum tillage unpuddled 14 transplanting) that can expand the range of situations where CA could be practiced 15 in rice-based cropping systems. A field experiment was conducted over three years 16 at two sites with unpuddled and puddled rice comparisons in each monsoon season.

We review the recent development of Conservation Agriculture (CA) for rice-based smallholder farms in the Eastern Gangetic Plain (EGP) and the underpinning research on agronomy, weed control, soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions being tested to accelerate its adoption in Bangladesh. The studies are based mostly on minimum soil disturbance planting in strip planting (SP) mode, using the Versatile Multi-crop Planter (VMP), powered by a two-wheel tractor (2WT). One-pass SP with the VMP decreased fuel costs for crop establishment by up to 85% and labour requirements by up to 50%. We developed strip-based non-puddled rice (Oryza sativa) transplanting (NPT) in minimally-disturbed soil and found that rice grain yield increased (by up to 12%) in longer-term practice of CA. On farms, 75% of NPT crops increased gross margin. For non-rice crops, relative yield increases ranged from 28% for lentil (Lens culinaris) to 6% for wheat (Triticum aestivum) on farms that adopted CA planting. Equivalent profit increases were from 47% for lentil to 560% for mustard (Brassica juncea). Moreover, VMP and CA adopting farms saved 34% of labour costs and lowered total cost by up to 10% for production of lentil, mustard, maize (Zea mays) and wheat. Effective weed control was obtained from the use of a range of pre-emergent and post-emergence herbicides and retention of increased crop residue. In summary, a substantial body of research has demonstrated the benefits of CA and mechanized planting for cost savings, yield increases in many cases, increased profit in most cases and substantial labour saving. Improvement in soil quality has been demonstrated in long-term experiments together with reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The need of Bioethanol or biofuel is increasing worldwide day by day due to renewable resources and ease of production form cheap raw materials. There are several factors that affect on bioethanol production by using yeast. The main objective of this research work was to isolate stress tolerant yeast from agro industry and optimize a process for ethanol production by considering all the factors. Several fermentation batches were carried out by 3 stress tolerant strains varying temperature, pH, sugar concentration, aeration, immobilization and metal ions. From different experiments it was found that temperature 30°C, reducing sugar concentration ranged between 5-6%, pH between 5.0-6.0 and shaking condition were optimum for maximum yield of ethanol by strains Saccharomyces unisporous (P), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (C) and (T).The Bioethanol production capacity of yeasts were found P-15.00%, C-12.50% and T-10.15%at pH 6.0, 30 o C temperature in media with 5.5% initial reducing sugar concentration in shaking condition (115 rpm).Pilot scale ethanol production by P strain was 13.10%, C strain 11.15% andT strain 9.80% at 60 hours. Immobilized cells were produced more ethanol than free cells with same culture conditions. Effect of potassium, magnesium, chromium and boron was investigated on ethanol production. Potassium, Magnesium was shown stimulatory effect on ethanol production.

Banking sector plays an important role in the economic development of a country especially

No abstract

SUMMARYShortages of hired labour are leading to greater interest in mechanisation for crop establishment in smallholder agriculture. Due to small field sizes, mechanised planters mounted on four-wheel tractors are not a suitable technology. The Versatile Multi-crop Planter (VMP) was developed for zero tillage (ZT), strip planting (SP) or single pass shallow tillage (SPST) on flat land and for forming and planting on tops of beds, each in a single pass operation, when mounted on a two-wheel tractor (2WT). The aim of the present study was to evaluate the field performance of the VMP in comparison to conventional broadcast seeding and full rotary tillage (2 to 4 passes; called CT) for establishing chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), jute (Corchorus olitorius L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus), maize (Zea mays L.), mung bean (Vigna radiata L. R. Wilczek), rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in 15 locations of Bangladesh. Plant populations emerging from all single pass operations viz. SP, ZT, and bed planting (BP) were generally satisfactory and in 12 out of 15 experiments plant populations after SP were similar to or greater than after CT. In addition, SP gave comparable or greater plant populations than SPST and BP planting methods. Overall, the SP planting achieved comparable yields and lower costs of establishment than CT. We conclude that effective and reliable planters are now available for sowing a range of crop species on small fields with minimum soil disturbance. This opens up realistic options for the development of mechanised conservation agriculture suited to small field sizes.

Now-a-days PCBs have succeeded to occupy a handsome portion of the total banking sector through their 23 years journey. For that matter, the study is done to verify how successfully PCBs have come across to today's position. After liberation in 1971 all banks except few foreign banks' branches were nationalized and reorganized. But the step of nationalization is viewed as a discouraging picture of NCBs because of some careless management activities. For that reason, PCBs had appeared in 1982 in the banking sector to improve the NCBs' performance as well as the overall condition of the banking sector. The whole period has been segmented in to two parts and the growth of PCBs has been tried to find out according to the segments. Firstly, the denationalization and privatization period (1982)(1983)(1984)(1985)(1986)(1987)(1988)(1989) and secondly, the financial liberalization period (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004). We have tried to measure the growth of PCBs in the above mentioned time periods. To ascertain the PCBs' growth we have used their branch expansion, deposit mobilization capability and credit deployment quality. With the help of these three components we can observe whether PCBs share in the total banking sector has been increased. We have also inquired that whether the performance of PCBs is better than that of NCBs. The study also covers NPL problems faced by the banks, and to what extent PCBs have recovered their NPL condition and what should be the further action to restrain the problem. Though PCBs have been playing the leading position, with the largest number of banks (30) in the banking sector, their overall performance is not as much appreciable as it should be. For that reason, PCBs should behold their full concentration to overcome their shortcomings.

Inflation is associated with rising price. It is a situation in which there is a sustained, inordinate (excessive), and general increase in prices. The increase in prices must last for a reasonable period of time. If prices go up during this period and fall in the next, then it is mere price fluctuation. The increase in price must be excessive by that country's experience. Inflation is the rise in average price of all goods that we buy and not just of one item. After analyzing the trend of inflation rate, number of L/C and value of L/C opened in Prime Bank Limited, Khulna Branch in the last five years, it is seen that there is a minimum or very insignificant correlation between inflation and import trade. Theoretically, there is a positive correlation between domestic inflation and import. This study also shows a positive correlation, but the correlation is very insignificant. Obviously, there are some reasons behind this insignificance. We should remember that, inflation is not the only factor that can affect the import trade. There are many other factors that can influence the import trade of a country. In case of Bangladesh, the reasons are the massive pressure on the demand of goods available, exchange rate fluctuation, huge population, frequent natural disasters of Bangladesh, different government policies, relationship with the exporting country, inflation rate of the exporting country etc. As so many factors are influencing the import of a country, that's why inflation cannot create a huge pressure on the import.