Response of the succeeding crops as affected by the residue of herbicides applied in wheat in Old Brahmaputra Floodplain, Bangladesh

Residual effect of eight herbicides (pendimethalin, pretilachlor, triasulfuron, ethoxysulfuron, pyrazosulfuron-ethyl, carfentrazone-ethyl, 2,4-D amine and carfentrazone-ethyl + isoproturon) applied in strip –tilled wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) on the succeeding crop i. e mungbean (Vigna radiate L.), jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) and sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) were investigated during 2013-14 and 2014-15 cropping season in Old Brahmaputra Flood plain, Bangladesh through bio assay techniques. Results of two years study revealed that germination and crop growth of these succeeding crops were not affected by any of the herbicides residue applied in wheat. Leaf chlorophyll and crop dry matters of the succeeding crops were also not influenced from herbicide residue. Somewhat, shoot lengths of mungbean and sunflower were increased in the herbicide treated plots but root lengths of some herbicide treated plots were decreased at a negligible rate compare to the control one. Therefore, residual effect study claimed that use of the tested herbicides in strip-tilled wheat is safe for germination and growth of the succeeding crops like mungbean, jute and sunflower and farmer can grow these crops in a rotation with strip-tilled wheat. Keywords: Carry over, Crop rotation, Herbicide, Minimum tillage, Whea

Adoption of Digital Technologies for the Management of Repeat Breeder Cows in the Dairy Herds of Bangladesh

A crucial component of contemporary livestock dairy production is digitalization. In order to monitor and manage repeat breeder (RB), we describe the use of dairy herd records, closed-circuit (CC) cameras, and ultrasonography findings. A cow must get through a number of physiological hurdles after calving in order to become pregnant. Herd fertility is achieved through timely artificial insemination (AI). Using CC cameras and ultrasonography, we surveyed 25 local farms and 25 commercial farms for this study. Within the dairy farms under survey, we discovered 10 RB. Following six months of observation, we minimized and 70% of RB cows were pregnant. AI is the term for the widespread use of reproductive tools in Bangladesh. The success of AI depends on the exact timing of estrus and ovulation. The CC camera plays a role in determining these two AI variables. All farms used AI during our analysis, but ultrasonography was only used sporadically. But there aren\u27t many commercial farms that use CC cameras only for security. We were unable to locate any farm that used CC cameras for breeding. While recent advancements in ultrasonography can help diagnose reproductive tract pathology, further studies are required to decide whether or not these methods can be applied clinically in veterinary medicine. New tools, such on-farm CC camera surveillance, need to be created in order to take advantage of the research findings and apply them to improve on-farm performance and increase awareness among dairy herd owners

Effects of dietary Spirulina platensis on growth performance, body composition, haematology, immune response, and gut microflora of stinging catfish Heteropneustes fossilis

The study was conducted to determine the inclusion effect of Spirulina platensis as a feed supplement on growth performance, feed efficiency, body composition, haematology, immune response, and gut microflora of the stinging catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis). Five iso-nitrogenous and iso-lipidic diets were prepared by replacing fish meal (FM) with S. platensis at a rate of 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10% and referred to as control, SP2.5, SP5, SP7.5, and SP10 diets, respectively. Three replicate groups of fish (average weight of 0.75 g) were reared in glass aquaria (180 L water capacity) and fed with each of the experimental diets up to satiation level twice a day, 7 days a week for 70 days. At termination, growth performance, carcass composition, immune parameters, and gut microflora were assessed. Moreover, ten fish from each aquarium were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila and cumulative mortality was recorded for 15 days. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR, % day−1), lower feed conversion ratio (FCR), and higher protein efficiency ratio (PER) were recorded in fish fed with SP7.5 and SP10 diets compared to control. Dietary S. platensis inclusion at 7.5–10% levels significantly (P < 0.05) boosted the whole-body protein and ash contents of stinging catfish, while decreasing the lipid and moisture contents compared to the control. Haematological parameters significantly (P < 0.05) improved in the S. platensis supplemented diet compared to the control. Serum lysozyme activity of fish fed with SP7.5 and SP10 diet was significantly (P < 0.05) higher compared to all other diets. Higher inclusion of S. platensis lowered post-challenge mortality and the lowest cumulative mortality (30%) was recorded in fish fed with the SP7.5 diet compared to the control (70%). Pseudomonas, Lactobacillus, and Lentibacillus were the prevalent genera in the gut microbiota found in the metagenomics study and the abundances of the above microbiota gradually increased with the level of dietary S. platensis inclusion. Based on the findings of the study, 7.5–10% inclusion of S. platensis was the most recommendable in stinging catfish diet to improve growth performance, feed utilization, body composition, haematology, immunological response, and gut microbiology. However, based on the regression analysis the optimum inclusion level of S. platensis as a feed supplement was calculated to be 9.3–9.9% in stinging catfish

Herbicide in Weed Management of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Rainy Season Rice (Oryza sativa L.) under Conservation Agricultural System

Conservation agriculture (CA) based practices are gaining popularity in smallholder farming systems recently because they ensure soil quality and soil health, and they also reduce the total cultivation costs. However, weeds are a major hinderance to achieving the desired yield of crops in cereal-based cropping systems under CA-based practices. Proper weed management is a big challenge for crop growers to reduce the labor demand and cost of production. Considering these burning issues, a field study was done with a CA-based rice–wheat–mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) cropping pattern in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019). The study aimed to understand the types and distribution of weeds in non-puddled rice fields and also in strip-planted wheat fields in sandy loam textured soil with low organic matter (0.87%) content. Furthermore, we also tried to discover the most economic and effective ways to manage weeds in both cereals of the cropping pattern. The performance of two herbicides—pendimethalin (as pre-emergence) and carfentrazone–ethyl + isoproturon (as post-emergence)—for strip-planted wheat and three herbicides—two pre-emergence herbicides pretilachlor and pyrazosulfuron–ethyl as well as one post-emergence herbicide, bispyribac–sodium—for non-puddled rainy season rice were evaluated, where the ‘weedy check’ and ‘weed free’ treatments were considered as a control. In a two-year field experiment, eight weed species in the strip-planted wheat field during the first year and fourteen species in the second year were identified. Among them, three grasses such as Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. and Echinochloa colona (L.) Link and one broadleaf weed Physalis heterophylla (L.) Nees, were found to the dominant in both years. During the first season, the dominant weed species in strip-planted wheat was Physalis heterophylla (L.); Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop was dominant in the second year. In a non-puddled field of rainy season rice, eleven weed species were found in the first year and twelve species were found in the second year. Among the weed species, four types of grasses (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees, Echinochloa colona (L.) Link and Leersia hexandra (Sw.), one sedge (Fimbristylis miliacea (L.) Vahl) and four broadleaf weed species (Ludwigia decurrens (Walter), Jussiaea repens (L.), Enhydra fluctuans (Lour) and Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R.Br. ex DC.) were found the common in both years. The most dominant weed in non-puddled rainy season rice was Leptochloa chinensis (L.) for the first year and Alternanthera sessilis (L.) for the second year. The study revealed that the sequential application of pendimethalin as pre-emergence treatment followed by carfentrazone–ethyl + isoproturon as post-emergence treatment were most effective and economically viable for weed control in strip-till wheat because they achieved the highest grain and straw yields. For weed management in non-puddled rainy season rice, the herbicide pyrazosulfuron–ethyl applied as pre-emergence treatment and bispyribac–sodium as the post-emergence application were found to be the most effective combination to obtain a desirable yield

Herbicide in Weed Management of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and Rainy Season Rice (Oryza sativa L.) under Conservation Agricultural System

Conservation agriculture (CA) based practices are gaining popularity in smallholder farming systems recently because they ensure soil quality and soil health, and they also reduce the total cultivation costs. However, weeds are a major hinderance to achieving the desired yield of crops in cereal-based cropping systems under CA-based practices. Proper weed management is a big challenge for crop growers to reduce the labor demand and cost of production. Considering these burning issues, a field study was done with a CA-based rice–wheat–mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) cropping pattern in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019). The study aimed to understand the types and distribution of weeds in non-puddled rice fields and also in strip-planted wheat fields in sandy loam textured soil with low organic matter (0.87%) content. Furthermore, we also tried to discover the most economic and effective ways to manage weeds in both cereals of the cropping pattern. The performance of two herbicides—pendimethalin (as pre-emergence) and carfentrazone–ethyl + isoproturon (as post-emergence)—for strip-planted wheat and three herbicides—two pre-emergence herbicides pretilachlor and pyrazosulfuron–ethyl as well as one post-emergence herbicide, bispyribac–sodium—for non-puddled rainy season rice were evaluated, where the ‘weedy check’ and ‘weed free’ treatments were considered as a control. In a two-year field experiment, eight weed species in the strip-planted wheat field during the first year and fourteen species in the second year were identified. Among them, three grasses such as Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop. and Echinochloa colona (L.) Link and one broadleaf weed Physalis heterophylla (L.) Nees, were found to the dominant in both years. During the first season, the dominant weed species in strip-planted wheat was Physalis heterophylla (L.); Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop was dominant in the second year. In a non-puddled field of rainy season rice, eleven weed species were found in the first year and twelve species were found in the second year. Among the weed species, four types of grasses (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., Leptochloa chinensis (L.) Nees, Echinochloa colona (L.) Link and Leersia hexandra (Sw.), one sedge (Fimbristylis miliacea (L.) Vahl) and four broadleaf weed species (Ludwigia decurrens (Walter), Jussiaea repens (L.), Enhydra fluctuans (Lour) and Alternanthera sessilis (L.) R.Br. ex DC.) were found the common in both years. The most dominant weed in non-puddled rainy season rice was Leptochloa chinensis (L.) for the first year and Alternanthera sessilis (L.) for the second year. The study revealed that the sequential application of pendimethalin as pre-emergence treatment followed by carfentrazone–ethyl + isoproturon as post-emergence treatment were most effective and economically viable for weed control in strip-till wheat because they achieved the highest grain and straw yields. For weed management in non-puddled rainy season rice, the herbicide pyrazosulfuron–ethyl applied as pre-emergence treatment and bispyribac–sodium as the post-emergence application were found to be the most effective combination to obtain a desirable yield.</jats:p

Optimizing Sowing Window for Mungbean and its Adaptation Option for the South-Central Zone of Bangladesh in Future Climate Change Scenario Using APSIM Model

The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) model was calibrated and validated and used to optimize the sowing window for mungbean (var. BARI Mung-6) at Gazipur, the South-central climatic zone of Bangladesh. Simulation was also done with elevated temperatures (1, 2 and 3 &amp;ordm;C) to find out the adaptation option against future temperature stress situations. The model was run for eight sowing dates viz., February 20, March 05, March 10, March 15, March 20, March 25, March 30 and April 10 using long-term (41 years) historical weather data. A field experiment was carried out with BARI Mung-6 under four sowing dates (March 10, March 20, March 30, and April 10) during 2021 for model evaluation. The APSIM model was calibrated with the data from March 10 sowing, while validation was done with other sowing dates along with long-term (1981 to 2021) weather data. The evaluations with the experimental data showed that the model performance was satisfactory to predict crop phenology, total biomass and grain yields for BARI Mung-6. Simulated yields during March 10 to March 25 sowing was very similar to attainable seed yields while, very early or late sowing gave comparatively lower seed yields with higher variability over the years. The best planting window was from March 15 to March 25 which simulated the highest mean seed yield with less variability over the years. Climate change scenario analyses at 1, 2 and 3 &amp;ordm;C rises in temperature revealed that 1&amp;deg;C increase in temperature has no significant influence on seed yields across the sowing dates but significant yield reductions were observed with the rise of temperatures by 2 and 3 &amp;deg;C on March 20, March 30 and April 10 sowings. Elevated temperatures showed positive impact on seed yield of March 10 sowing only. Results revealed that optimum sowing window for mungbean is from March 15 to March 25 under existing weather conditions but in future, sowing mungbean seeds in March 10 would be the option to combat temperature rise stress situations for sustained productivity.</jats:p

Yield stability among potato varieties suitable for different agroecological regions of Bangladesh

Multilocation trials are usually performed in breeding and variety evaluation programs to identify stable genotype(s) with similar crop performance in various environments. The present study evaluated the stability of six selected potato varieties (BARI Alu-7, BARI Alu-8, BARI Alu-25, BARI Alu-28, BARI Alu-36, and BARI Alu-41) suitable for multiple locations (Barishal, Bogura, Cumilla, Jamalpur, Jashore, Munshiganj, Mymensingh, and Rajshahi) in Bangladesh from 2014 to 2019. The study considered genotype and environment as treatments, year as replications and used a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with to construct the genotype plus genotype-vs-environment interaction (GGE) model. The joint analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes and environments (GE). The scores of PC1 (principal component 1) and PC2 (principal component 2) cumulatively explained approximately 63 % of the total variation in GE interactions and were used to construct the GGE biplot. BARI Alu-8 and BARI Alu-28 were the best genotypes, with high average yields and high stability across the locations. Jamalpur and Munshiganj was identified as the desired locations among the tested environments for growing all the genotypes. This study will help potato growers select highly stable high-performance varieties for a particular environment to achieve maximum tuber production