EFFECTS OF ORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON THE SEED GERMINATION AND SEEDLING VIGOUR OF TOMATO

Pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of different organic fertilizers on germination and early growth of tomato seedling. Four different types of compost like trichocompost, vermicompost, kitchen waste compost, cow dung based bioslurry and soil (control) were used as treatment. Organic fertilizers except kitchen waste compost significantly influenced germination and other growth parameters of tomato seedling in comparison with control treatment. Trichocompost showed the better performance in all parameters which was followed vermicompost in most cases. The poor performance exhibited by kitchen waste compost might be due to the presence of heavy metal like lead and copper which inhibit the emergence of tomato seed and thereafter on different parameters of tomato seedling. Overall, trichocompost and vermicompost could be used as potting media for growing healthy tomato seedling while kitchen waste compost may be discourage to use as potting media for vegetable seedling production

Recycling of Spent Mushroom Substrate for the Production of Oyster Mushroom

The huge amount of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) was disposed, especially around the mushroom cultivation complexes. The present study aimed at utilizing this SMS in a productive and sustainable way. Experiment was carried out to reuse of SMS of oyster mushroom for the production of oyster mushroom at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh. Two mushroom species (Pleurotus ostreatus and P. florida) were grown on SMS supplemented with sawdust and wheat bran at different proportions. The results showed that SMS supplement with 60% sawdust + 20% wheat bran demonstrated the highest biological yield, economic yield and biological efficiency for both P. ostreatus and P. florida. Yield parameters were increased with increasing C/N ratio where as 36:1 C/N ratio exhibited the highest yield. The C/N ratio below or above 36:1 decreased yield of both species of oyster mushroom. The optimum C/N ratio for economic yield varied between the two oyster mushroom species and found to be 35.2 for P. ostreatus against C/N ratio of 40.1 for P. florida. Concerning biological yield and biological efficiency the optimum C/N ratio was found 35.7 for P. Ostreatus and 40.6 for P. florida. The study emphatically indicated that reuse of spent mushroom substrate with supplementation can be a good solution to address the disposal problem where as supplemented SMS can be a good substrate for further mushroom production

Nitrogen cycling enhanced by conservation agriculture in a rice-based cropping system of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain

Changes in soil tillage and residue retention after introducing conservation agriculture practices in intensive rice-based cropping systems in Bangladesh may alter nitrogen (N) cycling and N fertilizer requirements. An experiment was established on a farmer’s field, with a legume dominated-rotation (lentil-mungbean-monsoon rice), two types of tillage – strip planting (SP) and conventional tillage (CT); and two levels of residue retention – high residue (HR) and low residue (LR). A total seven crops were studied in the 2.5 year periods (2010-13). Soil total N concentration (TN), soil N-stocks after Crop 7 and the annual N accumulation rates at 0-15 cm soil depth for 2010-13 are presented. At the end of Crop 7 (after 2.5 years), SP treatment increased the TN concentrations and N-stocks by 11 % compared to CT at 0-15 cm soil depth. The annual soil N accumulation rates were 66 kg/ha with SP while N losses were 20 kg/ha under CT during 2010-13. The N accumulation rate was 3.3 times higher with HR than LR. From 2010 to 2013, the N balance calculation indicated an estimated N gain of 51 kg/ha in SPHR but a loss in CT which ranged from 9 kg/ha in CTHR to 319 kg/ha in CTLR at 0-15 cm soil depth. The N uptake was also 14 % higher from grain and straw under SP than CT. Both SP and HR increased TN, N-stocks and N accumulation by contrast with N loss under CT. However, the turnover of TN in SPHR needs longer investigation because of likely effects on N fertiliser requirements

Changes in soil organic matter, plant nutrients and system productivity under conservation agricultural practices in the rice-jute cropping system

Soil organic matter (SOM) is central to soil quality and nutrient cycling. In Bangladesh, depletion of soil fertility is a serious threat to sustainability of agricultural production due to high cropping intensity and agriculture practices based on conventional tillage and residue removal (Rijpma and Jahiruddin, 2004). In this situation, CA practices (minimum tillage, crop residue retention and diverse crop rotations) could be a good option for the improvement of soil quality and crop productivity in Bangladesh. However, CA practices are poorly developed for intensive rice-based cropping system and their effect on SOM, plant nutrients and system productivity have not yet been properly addressed. Hence, the present study was undertaken to monitor the changes in SOM and other plant nutrients with system productivity under CA practices in the rice-jute cropping system in the Low Ganges River Floodplain of Bangladesh

IMPACT OF MICROCREDIT ON INCOME AND NON-INCOME DIMENSIONS OF POVERTY – A STUDY ON DIFFERENT GROUPS OF POOR IN BANGLADESH

This study investigates the differential impact that microcredit borrowers of different income classes might have experienced in their poverty condition after borrowing microcredit loans. Methods of this study consisted of a cross-sectional survey as well as unstructured interviews with the female microcredit borrowers in Bangladesh. Results show that an overwhelming majority of microcredit borrowers has experienced improvement in their poverty condition, but the degree of benefits widely varies among different groups of borrowers. Borrowers with some resource base have been benefitted most; whereas the absolute poor borrowers, with hardly any asset holding, not only have experienced least improvement in their financial condition but also have become even poorer in few instances.  Article visualizations

Cropping pattern based micronutrient application for wheat-mungbean-T. aman crop sequence under Tista Meander Floodplain soil at Rangpur

Intensification of agricultural land use coupled with cultivation of modern varieties has remarkably increased in Bangladesh. This in turn has resulted in deterioration of soil fertility, with emergence of macro- and micro-nutrient deficiency of crops. With this point in view, a study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different micronutrients on crop yield, and to determine the requirement of selected micronutrients for crops and cropping patterns in the Tista Meander Floodplain (AEZ 3). Experiments were conducted at BINA substation and farmers’ fields of Rangpur district within AEZ 3. In experiment 1, the field trials were done with six micronutrients (B, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe & Mo) designed in an additive manner. These elements were imposed to the first crop and their residual effects were monitored on the next two crops over the patterns: wheat-mungbean-T. aman. The rates of micronutrient application were 3 kg Zn, 2 kg B, 2 kg Cu, 3 kg Mn, 5 kg Fe and 1 kg Mo per hectare, added as fertilizers such as ZnSO4.7H2O, H3BO3, CuSO4.5H2O, MnCl2, FeSO4.7H2O and Na2MoO4, respectively. Other nutrients viz. N, P, K & S were applied at recommended rates to all plots; rationale was followed for the second and third crops. Intercultural operations were done whenever required. The results revealed that across the experimental sites, the crops were quite responsive to the added Zn and B. Positive effect of Cu was also noted in some cases. In the following year (expt. 2), two micronutrients, Zn and B were taken into the same cropping pattern and designed in a way to determine whether 1stcrop, 2ndcrop or 3rdcrop application is necessary to achieve satisfactory crop yield. The rates of Zn application were 0, 2, 4 & 6 kg ha–1, and the rates for B were 0, 1.5 and 3 kg ha–1. The results show that Zn application at 4 kg ha–1 coupled with B application at 1.5 kg ha–1 to the first crop can meet their requirement for the subsequent two crops in a pattern. The present study suggests that cropping pattern based field trials with Zn, B and Cu need to be done at farm level in the high cropping intensity areas of this country in order to determine micronutrient requirement of crop

Integrated nutrient management for tomato-okra-stem amaranth cropping pattern in homestead area.

Due to increasing population, availability of crop land is decreasing rapidly and many croplands are being turned into homestead. The utilization of homestead is very important. Intensive crop cultivation with high yielding varieties to fulfil food demand for a swelling population has led to mining out the inherent plant nutrients from the soil. An experiment was conducted with tomato-okra-stem amaranth cropping pattern in a homestead area in Chhiata Series of Grey Terrace Soil (Aric Albaquept) under AEZ- 28 at Gazipur to find out the optimum dose of chemical fertilizer and organic manure for obtaining higher crop yield and to study the effect of integrated nutrient management (INM) on soil properties. The experiment consisted of eight treatments: T 1 (Poultry manure, PM @ 5 t ha -1), T 2 (Cowdung, CD @ 10 t ha -1), T 3 (Household waste, HW @ 10 t ha -1), T 4 (PM @ 2.5 t ha -1 + reduced recommended dose of fertilizer, RDF), T 5 (CD @ 5 t ha -1 + reduced RDF), T 6 (HW @ 5 t ha -1 + reduced RDF), T 7 (100% RDF) and T 8 (Control). Among the treatments, 2.5 ton poultry manure along with reduced rate of RDF performed the best in recording yields of tomato, okra and stem amaranth. Next to PM, HW @ 5 t ha -1 + reduced RDF had better results in respect of yield. Bulk density and organic C were improved by the application of organic manure; the highest nutrients uptake and availability was found in T 4 followed by T 6

Strip planting decreases nitrogen fertilizer requirements while retention of more residue increases them in a rice - wheat - mungbean sequence on a subtropical floodplain soil

Conservation agriculture (CA) has not been well developed for intensively cultivated (2-3 crops yr-1) rice- based cropping systems which produce large amounts of crop residues annually. Thus, we examined the effects of two crop establishment systems (minimum soil disturbance by strip planting (SP) or conventional tillage (CT)), two residue retention levels (low and high) and five N rates (60, 80, 100, 120 & 140% of the recommended N fertilizer doses (RFD) on nine consecutive crops on an Aeric Haplaquept under rice-wheat- mungbean sequence. Rice yields were comparable between the crop establishment types but system yields were significantly higher with SP in two out of three years compare to CT. Increased residue retention did not significantly influence rice yield but positively influenced system yields. No substantial differences in optimum N rate was estimated between CT and SP for 90% of maximum yield goal (MYG) for all the three years but substantially decreased in SP compared to CT in two out of three years for 95 and 99% of MYG. The N fertilizer requirement was 6-22% higher with high residue retention compared to low residue retention plots for all the three yield goal levels. High residue retention also increased soil organic carbon (SOC) at 0- 6 cm depth in both tillage treatments. In conclusion, introducing CA did not alter the N fertilizer requirements of rice for 90% of MYG but reduced the requirement for 95 and 99% of MYG compared to CT. However, there was evidence that the retained crop residue immobilized N and increased the fertilizer N requirement

Conservation agriculture with optimum fertilizer nitrogen rate reduces GWP for rice cultivation in floodplain soils

Wetland rice cultivation contributes significantly to global warming potential (GWP), an effect which is largely attributed to emissions of methane (CH4). Emerging technologies for wetland rice production such as conservation agriculture (CA) may mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but the effects are not well defined. Investigations were carried out in an irrigated rice (Boro rice) field in the fifth crop after conversion of conventional tillage (CT) to strip tillage (ST). Two crop residue levels (low versus high, LR versus HR) and three nitrogen (N) application rates (N1 = 108, N2 = 144, and N3 = 180 kg N ha−1) were laid out in a split-plot experiment with three replicates. Yield-scaled GHG emissions and GWP were estimated to evaluate the impacts of CA on mitigating CH4 and N2O emissions in the rice paddy field. There was a 55% higher N2O emission in ST with HR coupled with N3 than that in CT with LR coupled with N1. The N2O emission factors ranged from 0.43 to 0.75% in ST and 0.45 to 0.59% in CT, irrespective of the residue level and N rate. By contrast, CH4 emissions were significantly lower in CA than in the conventional practices (CT plus LR). The ST with LR in N2 reduced the GWP by 39% over the GWP in CT with HR in N1 and 16% over the conventional practices. Based on our investigation of the combination of tillage, residue, and N rate treatments, the adoption of CA with high and low residue levels reduced the GWP by 10 and 16%, respectively, because of lower CH4 and N2O emissions than the current management practices. The relatively high N2O emission factors suggest that mitigation of this GHG in wetland rice systems needs greater attention

Integrated nutrient management in maize-legume-rice cropping pattern and its impact on soil fertility

Improved soil fertility is a precondition for increased crop production. Soil organic matter is a key factor in maintaining long-term soil fertility since it is the reservoir of metabolic energy, which drives soil biological processes involved in nutrient availability. Field experiments were conducted over three years during 2005 to 2007 at Bangladesh Agricultural University farm, Mymensingh, Bangladesh, using maize-legume-rice cropping pattern to see the effect of inorganic fertilizers along with organic manure and mungbean residue on soil properties and crop yields. For the first crop (maize), there were five treatments. After maize, seeds of mungbean and dhaincha (Sesbania) were sown as per treatments as legume crop. For rice (third crop), each of the treatments (T2 and T3 plots) were subdivided into six, so there were altogether 15 treatments. Integrated use of manure and inorganic fertilizers or Integrated Plant Nutrient System (IPNS) basis produced comparable seed yield of maize with the chemical fertilizers alone irrespective of moderate or high yield goal basis. The incorporation of Sesbania biomass and mungbean residue along with inorganic fertilizers for moderate yield goal produced identical grain yields of rice compared to fertilizers applied for high yield goal. After three years of cropping, the nutrient status of soils in control, fallow and mungbean residue removal plots showed a decreasing trend while incorporation of Sesbania biomass and mungbean residue had a positive effect on soil fertility. Therefore, addition of mungbean residues or Sesbania biomass to the fertilizer schedule ensures higher crop productivity and sustains soil fertility in maize-legume-rice cropping pattern