Effect of integrated nitrogen application on the yield of two Boro rice varieties: BRRI dhan29 and BRRI dhan74

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of integrated nitrogen (N) application on the yield of Boro rice. The experiment was composed of two rice varieties: BRRI dhan29 and BRRI dhan74, and eleven N management approaches: control (without N), 100% varietal recommended dose (RD) of N from urea, 75% of RD from urea + 25% of RD from poultry manure (PM), 50% of RD from urea + 50% of RD from PM, 25% of RD from urea + 75% of RD from PM, 75% of RD from urea + 25% of RD from vermicompost (VC), 50% of RD from urea + 50% of RD from VC, 25% of RD from urea + 75% of RD from VC, 75% of RD from urea + 25% of RD from cowdung (CD), 50% of RD from urea + 50% of RD from CD and 25% of RD from urea + 75% of RD from CD. Performance of BRRI dhan74 was better compared to BRRI dhan29 in terms of yield. For both verities, application of 75% of RD from urea + 25% of RD from PM produced the highest grain yield (BRRI dhan74: 3.30 t ha-1 and BRRI dhan29: 3.08 t ha-1) and the lowest with control among the N management approaches. Thus, it can be suggested that integrated N application with 75% of varietal RD from urea and 25% from PM in Boro rice cultivation will produce appreciable grain yield and also expected to have positive effect on soil health

Effect of variety and spacing on the yield performance of maize (Zea mays L.) in old Brahmaputra floodplain area of Bangladesh

The experiments were conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Agricultural University, Mymensingh in Bangladesh during December 2015 to April 2016 to investigate the effect of variety and plant spacing on yield attributes and yield of maize. The experiment comprised of five varieties viz., Khoi bhutta, BARI hybrid maize 7, BARI hybrid maize 9, C-1921, P-3396 and five plants spacing viz., 75 cm × 20 cm, 75 cm × 25 cm, 75 cm × 30 cm, 75 cm × 35 cm and 75 cm × 40 cm. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications.  Results revealed that variety and plant spacing had significant effect on the studied crop characters and yield. The highest plant height, highest number of leaves plant-1, longest cob, maximum diameter of cob, highest number of kernel cob-1, the highest 1000-grain weight, maximum grain yield and stover yield were observed in BARI hybrid maize 7. On the other hand, the shortest plant, lowest number of cob, diameter of cob, lowest number of grains cob-1, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and stover yield were observed in Khoi bhutta. The longest plant, highest cob, maximum diameter of cob, highest number of kernel cob-1 the highest 1000-grain weight, maximum grain yield and stover yield was observed in the spacing of 75 cm × 25 cm. In contrast, the spacing of 75 cm × 30 cm produced the lowest values of the above mentioned plant parameters and also showed the lowest grain yield. In regard to interaction effect of variety and spacing, the highest plant height (232.67 cm), maximum number of cob plant-1 (1.73), maximum diameter of cob (4.60 cm), highest number of kernel cob-1 (34), maximum stover yield (12.38 t ha-1) were observed at the spacing of 75 cm × 25 cm with BARI hybrid maize 7 and resulting in the highest grain yield (9.04 t ha-1). The lowest values of the above parameters were recorded in the narrowest plant spacing of 75 cm × 35 cm with Khoi bhutta. Based on the experimental results, it may be concluded that maize (cv. BARI hybrid maize 7) can be cultivated with a spacing of 75 cm × 25 cm for appreciable grain yield

Morphological variability and genetic diversity of Aman rice germplasm of Bangladesh cultivated in Mymensingh region

Thirty-one Aman rice germplasm were evaluated to assess their morphological variability and genetic diversity considering ten quantitative and thirty one qualitative traits at the field experimental plot of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Mymensingh, following randomized complete block design. The germplasm showed significant differences for all the studied traits. The highest grain yield/plant was recorded in Sentu-16 whereas the lowest was found in Gaindha. The genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) was lower than those of the corresponding phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for all the traits. High PCV and GCV along with heritability, genetic advance (GA) and GA in percentage of mean were recorded for number of filled grains/panicle and number of unfilled grains/panicle. Grain yield/plant had positively significant correlation with plant height, number of total tillers/hill, number of effective tillers/hill, number of filled grains/panicle and thousand grain weight. Path co-efficient analysis suggested that grain yield/plant had positive direct effect in association with days to fifty percent flowering, number of effective tillers/hill, panicle length, number of filled grains/panicle and thousand grain weight. Principal component analysis revealed that the first three components accounted for 79.57% of cumulative variance. Cluster analyses were revealed that the studied rice germplasm organized into five clusters based on D2 values where maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster II and V. Qualitative characterization by distinctness, uniformity and stability test revealed that a wide range of variation was observed among the genotypes. Therefore, this study would be useful for breeders to choose and identify the revival and preservation of beneficial genes for crop improvement

Effect of source of irrigation water on yield performance of Boro rice

Industrial wastewater is a major problem in Gazipur, Bangladesh which is very cheaply available in the surrounding area for crop production. An experiment was conducted at Farmer’s Field of Gazipur district to study the effect of irrigation water quality on yield of boro rice. The study comprised three varieties viz., BR14, BRRI dhan28 and BRRI dhan29 and three sources of irrigation water viz. fresh water irrigation, mixed water (fresh + industrial wastewater) irrigation, industrial wastewater irrigation. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications where irrigation water was assigned in the main plot and rice varieties in the subplot. BRRI dhan29 produced the tallest plant (85.25 cm), the highest number of total tillers hill-1 (19.77), effective tillers hill-1 (17.64), grains panicle-1 (111.0), sterile spikelets panicle-1 (44.29), 1000-grain weight (22.43 g), grain yield (4.56 t ha-1) and straw yield (7.99 t ha-1). On the other hand, plant height (74.50 cm), total tillers hill-1 (19.82), effective tillers hill-1 (17.53), grains panicle-1 (131.7), sterile spikelets panicle-1 (35.50), 1000-grain weight (25.83 g), grain yield (5.05 t ha-1) were found highest when applied fresh water irrigation. The highest numbers of grains panicle-1 (119.14), 1000-grain weight (25.10 g), grain (5.54 t ha-1) and straw (7.93 t ha-1) yield were obtained in BRRI dhan29 with fresh water irrigation. Therefore, BRRI dhan29 with fresh water irrigation would be safe to use. However, if fresh water irrigation is not possible, conjunctive use of fresh and wastewater can be used as irrigation for BRRI dhan29

Growth and yield of short duration Aman rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars as influenced by age of seedlings

An experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh during the period from July to December 2019 to study the effect of cultivar and seedling age on the performance of short duration transplant Aman rice. The experiment comprised four Aman rice cultivars, viz., BRRI dhan49, BRRI dhan56, BRRI dhan66 and BRRI dhan71, and four seedling ages viz. 20, 25, 30 and 35-day old seedlings. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results of the study showed that growth, yield and yield contributing characters were significantly influenced by cultivars, seedlings age and their interactions. At growth stage, BRRI dhan49 with 20-day old seedlings produced the tallest plant (57.67 cm and 67.33 cm, respectively), the highest number of total tillers hill-1 (15.00 and 13.67, respectively) and total dry matter (8.03 g m-2 and 11.50 g m-2, respectively) at 30 and 50 DAT. At harvest, the highest number of total and effective tillers hill-1 (12.82 and 12.00), longest panicle (24.50 cm), highest number of grains panicle-1 (128.80), heaviest 1000-grain weight (23.17 g), highest grain yield (5.35 t ha-1) and highest harvest index (51.69 %) were obtained from the cultivar BRRI dhan66. While, thirty-day old seedlings produced the highest number of total and effective tillers hill-1 (13.46 and 12.70), longest panicle (24.67 cm), highest number of grains panicle-1 (136.90), highest grain (5.62 t ha-1) and straw yields (5.81 t ha-1) and harvest index (51.67 %). In case of interactions, BRRI dhan66 with 30-day old seedlings produced the highest number of total and effective tillers hill-1 (14.67 and 13.97), longest panicle (26.00 cm), highest number of grains panicle-1 (146.7), highest grain yield (6.31 t ha-1) and highest harvest index (52.72 %). So, result of the present study reveals that BRRI dhan66 with 30-days old seedlings was found to be the best for obtaining maximum grain yield

Combined allelopathic effect of buckwheat and marsh pepper residues on weed management and crop performance of transplant aman rice

The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from June to December 2016 to evaluate the suppression of weed growth through combined application of buckwheat and marsh pepper residues in transplant aman rice. The experiment consisted of three cultivars i.e. BRRI dhan56, Binadhan-12 and Nizershail, and five different crop residues with their combination such as no residues, 2.0 t ha-1 buckwheat residues, 2.0 t ha-1 marsh pepper residues, combined 0.5 t ha-1 buckwheat and 1.0 t ha-1 marsh pepper residues, combined 1.0 t ha-1 buckwheat and 0.5 t ha-1 marsh pepper residues. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Weed population and weed dry weight were significantly affected by cultivars and crop residues treatment. The maximum weed growth was noticed with no residues treatment and the minimum was found in combined 0.5 t ha-1 buckwheat and 1.0 t ha-1 marsh pepper residues. The grain yield as well as the yield contributing characters produced at BRRI dhan 56 was the highest among the studied varieties. The highest reduction of grain yield was obtained in no residues) treatment and the lowest was obtained when combined 0.5 t ha-1 buckwheat and 1.0 t ha-1 marsh pepper residues were applied. The highest numbers of effective tillers hill-1, number of grains panicle-1, 1000-grain weight, and grain and straw yields were observed in W3 treatment. BRRI dhan56 under 0.5 t ha-1 buckwheat and 1.0 t ha-1 marsh pepper residues treatment produced the highest grain yield. Results of this study indicates that combination of 0.5 t ha-1 buckwheat and 1.0 t ha-1 marsh pepper residues showed potentiality to suppress weed growth. Therefore, crop residues could be used as an alternative tool for sustainable weed management

Maximizing yield of aromatic fine rice through application of zinc and poultry manure

Zinc (Zn), one of the most important micronutrients for plants which play vital role in various metabolic functions and deficiency of this nutrient in agricultural soils associated with lower yield of rice in many regions of the world. The integrated use of organic and inorganic fertilizer has been found to be promising for sustainable crop production and poultry manure could be a rich source of organic matter. Considering these factors, a field experiment was conducted to observe the effect of zinc and poultry manure-based fertilization on the yield of aromatic fine rice, BRRI dhan34. Four levels of zinc and three levels of poultry manure (PM) were tested as treatment including control. Application of zinc, PM and their interaction significantly influenced the growth and yield of rice that result the tallest plant (131.33 cm), maximum number of effective tillers/hill (13.89), grains/panicle (128.54), 1000-grain weight (12.09 g) and highest grain yield (3.21 t/ha) where 4 kg Zn/ha were applied. On the other hand, tallest plant (129.92 cm), maximum number of effective tillers/hill (9.13), grains/panicle (128.23), 1000-grain weight (12.05) and grain yield (3.24 t/ha) were obtained where 10 t/ha of PM were applied. The interaction between application of 4 kg Zn/ha and 10 t PM/ha performed best in all yield contributing characters and results maximum grain yield (3.64 t/ha). Therefore, 4 kg Zn/ha along with 10 t PM/ha was found to be suitable combination for cultivation of aromatic fine rice

Integration of chemical and manual control methods for sustainable weed management in inbred and hybrid rice

Herbicidal weed control is gaining popularity in the developing countries but its efficacy still remains unclear. Therefore, an experiment was conducted to find out appropriate weed management practices for inbred and hybrid rice. The experiment comprised of inbred and hybrid varieties (two of each), and eight weed control treatments arranged in randomized complete block design with three replicates. Hybrid varieties performed better in terms of yield attributes and yield than inbred varieties. The highest grain yield (5.3 t ha−1) was obtained from the hybrid Agrodhan-12 and the lowest one (4.3 t ha−1) was from inbred Binadhan-7. Weed free treatment resulted in the highest grain yield (6.1 t ha−1) and the lowest one was with weedy treatment (1.96 t ha−1). The highest grain yield was obtained from Agrodhan-12 in weed free condition (6.9 t ha-1), while the lowest value was in inbred BRRI dhan49 under weedy condition (1.73 t ha−1). Weed-free treatment and the treatments of Pretilachlor fb Penoxsolum, Pretilachlor fb hand weeding, and Pendimethalin fb hand weeding showed similar performances in reducing weed density and eventually resulted in similar and the highest grain yield. Based on these results it may conclude that Pretilachlor applied at 2 days after transplanting (DAT) fb Penoxsolum at 21 DAT is the best weed management option. But from sustainability viewpoint, Pretilachlor or Pendimethalin applied at 2 DAT along with one hand weeding at 35 DAT may be recommended for effective weed management in inbred and hybrid rice during monsoon season

Seed priming influences on yield and protein content of wheat sown at different time

The aim of this field experiment conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, was to investigate the impact of different seed priming techniques and sowing dates on the yield and quality of wheat. The study aimed to identify the most effective seed priming technique and optimal sowing date to enhance wheat productivity and minimize yield reduction. The experiment employed a split plot design with two factors: seed priming techniques (no priming, hydropriming with distilled water, osmopriming with PEG, and halopriming with CaCl2) and sowing dates (November 20, December 05, and December 20). The trial was conducted from November 2019 to April 2020 at the research field. The study consisted of three replications for each treatment combination. Osmopriming exhibited the most favorable results among all priming techniques, showing significantly higher values for effective tillers hill-1 (3.91), number of grains spike-1 (43.82), number of spikelets spike-1 (16.16), grain yield (3.87 tons hectare-1), biological yield (6.02 t ha-1), and harvest index (39.03%). No priming condition resulted in the highest protein content (12.11%), while osmopriming had the lowest protein content (11.77%). The sowing conducted on November 20 yielded the highest number of effective tillers hill-1 (3.57), number of grains spike-1 (42.49), number of spikelets spike-1 (15.75), grain yield (3.71 t ha-1), biological yield (9.70 t ha-1), and lowest protein content (11.74%). Sowing on December 20 resulted in the highest protein content (12.20%). Based on the study's findings, it can be concluded that the osmopriming technique, combined with sowing on November 20, offers the most promising approach to mitigate the yield reduction of wheat. This combination demonstrated the highest grain yield (4.23 t ha-1) compared to other treatments. Therefore, farmers and agricultural practitioners are recommended to adopt the osmopriming technique with a sowing date of November 20 for optimizing wheat production and enhancing overall crop quality

Efficacy and Economics of Herbicidal Weed Management in Monsoon Rice of Bangladesh: Weed Management in Monsoon Rice of Bangladesh

Weed management is a challenging task in sustainable rice production. Physical and cultural methods of weed control are laborious and expensive, whereas chemical control is cheaper and less time consuming despite of some detrimental effect on environment with its inappropriate application. Considering these points, an experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during July–December 2015 to find out appropriate weed management practices for inbred and hybrid rice. The experiment comprised of four rice varieties (two inbred; BRRI dhan49 and Binadhan-7, and two hybrids; Dhani gold and Agrodhan-12); and eight herbicidal weed control treatments (season-long weedy or weed free, Pretilachlor fb Penoxsolum or 2,4-D dimethyl amine, Pendimethalin fb Penoxsolum or 2,4-D dimethyl amine, Pretilachlor or Pendimethalin fb one-time hand weeding). Eleven weed species belonging to five families were observed in the experimental plots. The highest weed density and dry weight were found in season-long weedy treatment and the lowest one was found in Pretilachlor fb one-time hand weeding. The highest above ground crop biomass (9.7 t ha-1) and harvest index (46.3%) were obtained from the hybrid variety Agrodhan-12 and the lowest biomass (8.3 t ha-1) was obtained from the inbred variety Binadhan-7. Season long weed free condition resulted the highest above ground crop  biomass (10.9 t ha-1), harvest index (48.7%), highest yield increase over control (213.8), weed control efficiency (100%) and gross return (BDT 141480 ha-1) and the lowest values for all those parameters were obtained from season-long weedy treatment. Season-long weed free treatment combined with Pretilachlor or Pendimethalin fb one-time hand weeding showed the best performance in reducing weed density and increasing above ground crop biomass, but gross return was higher because of high labour wages in these treatments. The highest BCR (2.5) was observed in Pretilachlor fb Penoxsolum. Therefore from economic view point Pretilachlor fb Penoxsolum is the best combination. But from sustainability view point Pretilachlor or Pendimethalin along with one-time hand weeding may be recommended for effective weed management in inbred and hybrid rice during monsoon season