Fundamental and Applied Agriculture

Effect of Different Levels of Potassium on Growth and Yield of Onion Varieties (Allium cepa L.) at Chitwan, Nepal

2025-06-21T13:26:29+00:00

Crop nutrition is an essential part of production that affects growth, yield and quality of the crops. A field experiment was conducted in the farmer’s field at Krishnapur, Chitwan, Nepal to study the effect of different levels of potassium on growth and yield of onion during rabi season of 2019/2020. The experiment included two factors in two factorial randomized block design with total of 16 treatments replicated thrice. Four levels of potassium @ 0, 25, 50 and 75 kg ha-1 and four onion varieties namely Red Creole, Nasik-53, Dibya Gavran-11 and Fursungi were included in the experiment. Data on various growth and yield parameters were recorded. Application of 75 kg K ha-1 recorded maximum plant height (64.45 cm), maximum number of leaves (8.0) per plant and lowest number of days to harvesting (170.16 days) of bulbs. Similarly, application of 75 kg K ha-1 recorded maximum bulb length and maximum bulb diameter (3.77 cm and 4.21 cm), highest individual bulb weight (49.37 g) and highest marketable yield (24.14 mt ha-1). Results showed significant differences among varieties on majority of growth and yield parameters. Dibya Gavran-11 recorded maximum plant height (63.47 cm) while lowest number of days to harvesting of bulbs (168.83 days) was recorded in Fursungi. Similarly, Fursungi recorded maximum bulb length (3.79 cm), highest individual bulb weight (49.44 g) and highest marketable yield per hectare (24.23 mt ha-1). Field application of potassium @ 75 kg ha-1 depicted the best results with respect to growth and yield parameters of onion. Similarly, Fursungi responded and performed better than other three varieties.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Litchi Growers on Newly Recorded Transboundary Litchi Stink Bug (Tessaratoma javanica Thunberg) in Northern Bangladesh

2025-06-21T13:45:37+00:00

Litchi stink bug (Tessaratoma javanica Thunberg) has recently emerged as a significant pest of litchi in north-eastern part of Bangladesh. However, there has been limited study on its spread and management particularly by farmers in the northern region which is a primary litchi-producing area. This study was conducted through a cross-sectional survey during 2020-2021. A total of 125 growers were randomly selected from five upazilas in the major litchi-producing districts of northern Bangladesh. Results showed that majority of growers identified the litchi fruit borer (Conopomorpha sinensis), litchi mite (Eriophyes litchii Keifer), litchi lopper (Perixera illepidaria Guenée), and litchi stink bug (T. javanica Thunberg) as the major pests affecting litchi in the surveyed areas. Litchi stink bug infestation have occurred in all surveyed upazilas since 2016, and 46.4% of growers first observed the pest in 2017. Around 53% of the growers reported infestation in young green fruits, and 23.6% of the growers confirmed damage on litchi inflorescences. About 50.4% of growers mentioned that T. javanica infestation was peak in the month of March. The management practices used by the growers, mainly consisted of chemical controls with full reliance on organophosphate and neonicotinoid insecticides to combat the pest. Additionally, about 5% of growers in two upazilas also stated that they used traditional methods like handpicking and smoke. These findings highlight the importance of developing integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly pest management that could prevent possible yield losses of litchi production.

Bio-Economic Efficiency of Co-Composted Faecal Sludge Based Integrated Nutrient Management of Wheat under Different Irrigation Regimes

2025-06-21T13:59:17+00:00

Faecal sludge disposal is becoming a huge challenge in the urban areas of Bangladesh. Nowadays the focus is shifting from faecal sludge disposal to reuse as fertilizer and soil conditioner after decomposition. Keeping that in mind present study was undertaken to judge the efficacy and economic feasibility of integrating co composted faecal sludge with chemical fertilizers in increasing wheat productivity under different irrigation regimes. A two-factor experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications. Factors included: a) four irrigation regimes: no irrigation, one irrigation at Crown Root Initiation (CRI) stage, one irrigation at flowering stage and two irrigations at CRI + flowering stage and b) five integrated nutrient management: recommended doses of chemical fertilizer (RCF), 100% RCF and co-compost @ 1 t ha^-1, 100% RCF and co-compost @ 2 t ha^-1, 75% RCF and co-compost @ 2 t ha^-1and 75% RCF and co-compost @ 4 t ha^-1. Wheat variety BARI Gom- 33 was used as the plant material. Irrigation twice at CRI + flowering stages resulted in the highest wheat yield of 3.23 t ha^-1which was 1.08 t more than control (no irrigation). Grain yield of wheat was increased due to integration of co-compost with chemical fertilizers. Application of 75% RCF + co-compost @ 4 t ha^-1produced the highest grain yield (3.05 t ha^-1) which was statistically similar to that produced by 100% RCF + co-compost @ 2 t ha^-1(2.83 t ha^-1). The highest wheat grain yield (3.47 t ha^-1) was recorded from the interaction between two irrigations at CRI and flowering stages and 75% RCF + Co-compost @ 4 t ha^-1application statistically followed by the interaction between two irrigations at CRI and flowering stages and 100% RCF + Co-compost @ 2 t ha^-1application (3.40 t ha^-1). Economic analysis showed that the highest gross margin was recorded when wheat crop received two irrigations at CRI + flowering stages and fertilized with RCF + co-compost @ 2 t ha^-1(45,570 Tk ha^-1). From productivity and economic viewpoints two irrigations at CRI + flowering stages and applying 100% recommended chemical fertilizers along with co-compost @ 2 t ha^-1may be practiced for wheat variety BARI Gom-33.

Efficacy and Rice Phytotoxicity of Different Tank-Mix Ratios of Pre- Emergence Herbicide in Boro Rice Under Zero Till Non-Puddled Condition

2025-06-21T14:32:55+00:00

It may be highly advantageous to tank-mix two or more chemical groups of either pre- or post-emergence herbicide for the efficient control of weeds in a heterogeneous population. There are a few proprietary herbicides (commercial mixtures) on the market, but they are extremely few. In this backdrop, the current research was conducted to investigate the efficacy and rice phytotoxicity of different tank-mix ratios of pre-emergence herbicides to control weeds under zero till non-puddled Boro rice (cv. BRRI dhan58). A total of 21 treatments were used in the experiment. Treatments comprised five pre-emergence herbicides with their 20 different tank-mix ratios and one proprietary pre-emergence herbicide as control. The experiments were conducted under randomized complete block design with three replications. The research findings suggest that various tank-mix ratios of pre-emergence herbicides effectively control weeds and the applied herbicide mixtures have not create any phytotoxicity to the rice plants. The lowest weed dry biomass was obtained from the treatment where Triafamone and Pretilachlor @ 2:3 ratios were applied in both 30 and 60 DATs, and highest weed dry biomass was from treatment Triafamone and Pretilachlor @ 3:2 ratios. Considering the yield contributing characters and yield, the highest number of effective tillers hill^-1, longest panicle, heaviest grain and highest grain yield of BRRI dhan58 were also obtained from the treatment where Triafamone and Pretilachlor @ 2:3 ratios were applied. Based on the results it may conclude that tank-mix pre-emergence herbicide Triafamone and Pretilachlor @ 2:3 ratios is the best in terms of weed control and rice productivity. However, these preliminary findings, based on a single-season, single-location experiment, warrant validation through multi-location and multi-season trials.

Green-Synthesized Ag and ZnO Nanoparticles using Cassia fistula Leaf Extract: Biocompatibility and Growth Response in Early Plant Development

2025-06-27T12:17:01+00:00

Green synthesis of metal nanoparticles offers an eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical methods, with promising applications in agriculture. However, the phytotoxicity of such nanoparticles (NPs), particularly silver (Ag-NPs) and zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs), remains poorly understood. This study investigates the green synthesis, characterization, and biological effects of Ag-NPs and ZnO-NPs using aqueous leaf extracts of Cassia fistula, a plant rich in phytochemicals. UV-Vis spectroscopy confirmed successful synthesis, revealing characteristic peaks at 479 nm (Ag-NPs) and 241 nm (ZnO-NPs). Energy band gaps were calculated as 2.34 eV for Ag-NPs and 4.13 eV for ZnO-NPs. To assess biocompatibility and phytotoxicity, the nanoparticles were tested on seed germination, root and shoot growth, and biomass accumulation in five crop species: Oryza sativa (rice), Brassica napus (canola), Raphanus sativus (radish), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), and Ipomoea aquatica (water spinach). Both NPs showed concentration-dependent effects: low to moderate doses enhanced germination and seedling vigor, whereas higher doses delayed germination and reduced growth. Ag-NPs were generally more phytotoxic, particularly inhibiting root elongation. ZnO-NPs exhibited a biphasic response - stimulatory at lower concentrations, inhibitory at higher levels. Seedling biomass decreased with increasing NP concentration, with Ag-NPs causing more severe reductions.These findings highlight that while green-synthesized nanoparticles hold agricultural potential, their use must be carefully optimized to avoid phytotoxic effects. The Cassia fistula-mediated synthesis presents a sustainable, biocompatible route for generating functional nanoparticles capable of influencing early plant development.

Effect of Cowpea Sowing Dates on the Yield Performance of Maize and Cowpea Under Additive Intercropping System

2025-06-27T14:54:40+00:00

The experiment was conducted at the Agronomy Field Laboratory of the Department of Agronomy, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from November 2023 to April 2024 to study the effect of sowing dates of cowpea on the productivity of maize-cowpea intercropping system. A local cowpea variety (V1) and Japanese cultivar (V2) was planted in a maize based intercropping system at different sowing dates. The experiment comprised two factors as-Factor A: (V1: Local cowpea variety, V2: Japanese cultivar); Factor B: (S1: Cowpea sown simultaneously with maize; S2: Cowpea sown 15 DAS of maize; S3: Cowpea sown 30 DAS of maize; S4: Cowpea sown 45 DAS of maize). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The result of the study showed that the growth and yield of maize was not affected by cowpea varieties and different sowing dates. Between the cowpea varieties the V2 (Japanese variety) showed better performance in relation to growth and yield potential. On the other hand, among the sowing dates, the cowpea varieties planted simultaneously with maize gave the best yield (8.36 ± 0.61 t ha^-1) compared to other treatments. Simultaneous sowing (S1) resulted in the tallest maize plants (200.67 cm) and the highest cowpea fresh pod yield (16.28 t ha^-1), indicating efficient resource sharing. The V2 (Japanese cultivar) gave best result for number of pods per plant (14.66 ± 3.11), pod length (36.09 ± 4.22 cm), fresh pod yield (13.54 ± 4.15 t ha^-1), stover yield (13.53 ± 4.15 t ha^-1). The S1 treatment showed best result for number of pods per plant (16.48 ± 2.79), pod length (35.67 ± 6.94 cm), number of seeds per plant (16.57 ± 1.77), fresh pod yield (16.28 ± 2.55 t ha^-1), stover yield (2.01 ± 0.12 t ha^-1). In most of the cases the S4 treatment gave lowest result. These results indicated that cowpea variety and its various sowing time do not affect the yield and yield contributing characters of maize and the Japanese cowpea variety performed best when planted simultaneously with maize.