Crop Yield and Reduction of Soil Loss with Selected Hedge Species under Different Hill Slopes in Chittagong Hill Tract

This research was concluded at Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to identify the effects of different hedge species and assess alley width in controlling soil erosion and crop yield. Hedgerow or alley cropping cultivation is very helpful in reducing soil erosion in the hilly area. In order to perform cataloguing the hedges and their alley, four hedge species such as Indigofera, Bogamedula, Pineapple and Napier were used. Three different slopes viz., gentle slope, moderate slope and steeps slope, two different crops like yard long bean and okra were used in this experiment. The experiment lay out was in Split Plot Design with three replications. Soil erosion was measured through spike lay out method. Wider alley width gives a better performance of yield. Grass species (Napier) responses better than tree/shrub species (Bogamedula and Indegofera) on crops yield. Performance of pineapple among all other hedge species on crop yield and soil loss reducing capacity was recorded the best on all slope gradients and alley width. More yields were gained from the managed plots by hedge, though the number of total plant was comparatively less in those plots than the controlled one. Slope gradients have got the most important role on crops yield and soil erosion factor. The highest yields and the lowest soil loss were recorded in gentle slope in comparison with moderate and steep slope respectively. Crops yield were significantly reduced with the increase of slope gradients

Comparison of digesting capacity of nitric acid and nitric acid-perchloric acid mixture and the effect of lanthanum chloride on potassium measurement

Abstract: Nitric acid-perchloric acid mixture is the renowned digesting reagent in the scientific world of plant nutrition. Beside this, some other inorganic acids can be used as the digester of plant samples. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to find out if there is any difference between the digesting capacity of nitric acid (HNO 3 ) and nitric acid-perchloric acid mixture (HNO 3 -HClO 4 ) or not. The hydroponic experiments were conducted with barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Minorimugi) and rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Akihikari) seedlings. At suitable stage, the plant samples were collected, washed with deionized water, separated into shoot and root, dried, grinded and then divided into two groups for shoot and root individually for two types of seedlings. One group was for only HNO 3 acid and the other group was for HNO 3 -HClO 4 acid mixture. Phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were measured after digesting the samples. There was no significant difference between the digesting capacity of HNO 3 acid and HNO 3 -HClO 4 acid mixture. Potassium was measured by diluting the samples (200-600 times) containing lanthanum chloride (LaCl 3 ) or withou

Preparation of environmental friendly plastic brick from high-density polyethylene waste

Plastic wastes are growing fast and affecting the environment negatively. Thus, finding different methods of disposing of is becoming a major concern. This research aimed to minimize the plastic by recycling it into construction materials. For this, grinding high-density polyethylene (HDPE) was mixed with cement at different percentages to produce plastic bricks. The compressive strength, density, and water absorption capacity were investigated. The compressive strength was found within the recommended value (2000 psi) up to 35% mixture of HDPE. The addition of HDPE with cement decreased the density, increased the ductility, and improved the workability which led to producing lightweight materials

The relationship between serum uric acid and lipid profile in Bangladeshi adults

Abstract Background Although the link between elevated uric acid and metabolic syndrome has been reported in some studies; the relationship of serum uric acid (SUA) with lipid profile has not well studied or little is known so far. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between SUA and lipid profile among the general adults in Bangladesh. Methods In total, 280 blood samples were collected from general adult participants (male, n = 150 and female, n = 130) and analyzed for serum lipid profile (TC, TG, HDL and LDL) and SUA levels. The study subjects were divided by quartiles based on SUA levels (Q1: ≤225 μmol/L, Q2: 226–285 μmol/L, Q3: 286–340 μmol/L and Q4: > 340 μmol/L). Linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the relationship between SUA and lipid levels. Results The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 9.2% in males and 10.4% in females. The mean level of SUA was significantly higher in male (317 ± 90 μmol/L) than in the female (255 ± 65 μmol/L) subjects (p < 0.001). An increasing trend for elevated lipid profile was observed in both gender with increasing levels of SUA in the quartiles (p < 0.05). In regression analysis, a significant positive correlation was found between SUA and TG, TC and LDL (p < 0.01) while an inverse correlation was observed between SUA and HDL (p < 0.01). After adjusting for potential confounders, lipid profile was linearly associated with SUA levels (p < 0.01 for trend). Conclusions Present study showed a significant positive relationship for SUA with TG, TC and LDL levels, and an inverse relationship for SUA with HDL. Early prevention of hyperuricemia and dyslipidemia may be helpful to reduce the incidence of associated cardiovascular diseases