Fundamental and Applied Agriculture

Evaluation of Ecosystem Services of Golden Camellia–Cinnamon Agroforestry System in Western Nghe An, North–Central Vietnam

Kazuya Takahashi — 2025-09-25

The private and public sectors of Nghe An Province have been actively working on Acacia mangium afforestation, which has contributed to the recovery of woody vegetation on slash-and-burn agricultural slopes. However, it also has negative effects on the region, such as the homogenization of vegetation with non-native species and increasing erosion risks after harvest. Western Nghe An was nominated as a biosphere reserve in 2007; thus, revegetation planning must have considered the surrounding vegetation after the designation; however, the non-native species A. mangium remain a dominant species for planting, even though several economically high-valued native species grow in this region. In the northwestern area of Western Nghe An, a local Cinnamomum species called Saigon cinnamon has been traditionally grown by ethnic minorities. Recently, some households started cultivating the highly economically valued native shrub tree Camellia quephongensis (golden camellia) under cinnamon tree canopies, that is, the golden camellia cinnamon (GCC) agroforestry system was adopted in this region. However, the cinnamon afforestation area has not been widely increased because of the long period required for harvest compared with A. mangium. Thus, we clarified advantages in ecosystem services of GCC agroforestry system compared with golden camellia–acacia (GCA) agroforestry system to expand the cinnamon forest. The GCC agroforestry system has superior supporting services; more than 2-fold greater standing crop stem volume and functioning feeding places for small birds supplying berries. For regulation services, carbon sequestration in the GCC agroforestry system is 3.3–3.7-fold higher than that in the GCA agroforestry system. These findings could encourage stakeholders such as forestry managers, golden camellia tea processors, scientists, and policymakers to introduce the GCC agroforestry system in this region.

Performance of Maize and French Bean Cultivated Under Intercropping System

Md Rashedur Rahman — 2025-09-25

In order to investigate the yield benefits and financial gains associated with the variable row arrangements of French bean intercropped with the base crop maize, an experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during rabi season between October to April 2019. The research comprised eight treatments: i) Sole maize, ii) Sole French bean, iii) one row of maize followed by two rows of French bean intercropping, iv) one row of maize followed by three rows of French bean intercropping, v) one row of maize followed by four rows of French bean intercropping, vi) two rows of maize followed by two rows of French bean intercropping, vii) two rows of maize followed by three rows of French bean intercropping and viii) two rows of maize followed by four rows of French bean intercropping. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications and total plots number were 24. The results show that the systems of intercropping maize and French bean had a substantial impact on the maize productivity. The highest seed yield was obtained from sole maize (8.56 t ha^-1). In intercropping situation, the highest seed yield (5.66 t ha^-1) was obtained from two rows of maize followed by four rows of French bean intercropping and the lowest seed yield (3.64 t ha^-1) was obtained from one row of maize followed by two rows of French bean intercropping. Single maize had the highest maize equivalent yield (8560 kg ha^-1). The maximum Land Equivalent Ratio was obtained from one row of maize interplanted with four rows of French bean. Economic analysis revealed that two rows of maize followed by four rows of French bean intercropping had the highest gross return (202160 Tk ha^-1), the highest net return (96759 Tk ha^-1), and the highest Benefit-Cost Ratio (1.92). Thus, according to the current analysis, the most advantageous intercropping strategy in terms of yield and financial gain is to plant two rows of maize with four rows of French bean.

Maize,

French bean, Productivity,

Profitability,Land Equivalent

Ratio, Benefit-Cost Ratio

Beneficial Effects of Exogenous Melatonin on Overcoming Salt Stress in Rice Seedlings (Oryza sativa)

Jashim Uddin — 2025-09-25

Salinity negatively impacts the growth and development of rice during early growth stages that can be lessened through melatonin (MT), a hormone found naturally in plant and animal cells, which acts as a potential exogenous biostimulant on plants since it aids to fight against various abiotic stresses. The current research explored the potential impact of exogenouly applied MT on promoting early-stage rice growth under salinity conditions. At seedling stage, rice seedlings were exposed to 100 mM NaCl or maintained under normal conditions for 15 days and also pretreated with or without 100 µM MT. The findings of this study revealed that NaCl-stress hampered the growth of rice seedlings including shoot and root growth, reduced photosynthetic capacity. Additionally, exposure to salinity induced osmotic stress in rice, as indicated by increased proline accumulation, and oxidative stress, as evidenced by elevated hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels, increased lipid peroxidation, and reduced antioxidant enzymatic activities. However, application of MT markedly enhanced the overall growth performance and biomass under salinity condition. Plants treated with MT and salt stress showed augmented photosynthetic pigment content, decreased proline content and reduced H₂O₂ content contributing to reduction of oxidative damage. Moreover, MT application reduced the membrane damage under salinity conditions as reflected by remarkably reduced amounts of malondialdehyde in salt-exposed rice seedlings. The protective effect of MT against oxidative stress was associated with increased activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, and peroxidase. Our study reveals that the application of exogenous MT develops the resilience of rice seedlings to salinity stress by improving antioxidant defense systems which suggests that applying MT could be a dynamic tool for rice cultivation in saline-affected areas.

The Growth and Yield Response of Dry Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Varieties to Planting Date in Bela-Bela, the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Rudzani Mathobo — 2025-09-25

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is a significant leguminous crop owing to its elevated protein levels. A field experiment was carried out to assess the influence of planting date on growth, dry bean yield, and yield components during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 planting periods at Towoomba research station, Bela Bela, South Africa. Two varieties of dry beans were planted: Kranskop (indeterminate, red speckled) and Pan 123 (determinate, small white). The planting dates consisted of 14 December 2017, 31 January 2018, 15 November 2018, 20 December 2018 and 17 January 2018. The experiment was set up in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The chlorophyll content, leaf area index (LAI), plant height, number of pods per plant, number seeds per pod, number of seeds per plant, hundred seed weight and grain yield were significantly influenced by interaction relationship between planting date and varieties. Planting Pan 123 in November 2018 resulted in the highest number of pods per plant (52) and number of seeds per plant (198). The highest grain yield (3.85 t ha^-1) for Pan 123 was produced when planted in December 2018. Planting Kranskop in December resulted in high LAI (3.51), number of seeds per pod (4.28) and grain yield (4.97 t ha^-1). December seems to be the best planting time for both varieties in bela-bela.

Field Management of Stemphylium Blight of Garlic by Combined Application of Bio-Agents, Inducers and Fungicide

Azijul Islam — 2025-09-25

Garlic (Allium sativum), one of the most important spice crops in Bangladesh, is affected by a variety of fungal diseases. Among them, Stemphylium blight is the topmost disease which limits the quality and quantity of both vegetative growth as well as yield of garlic. The study was carried out under both in vitro and in vivo conditions to evaluate the efficacy of both individual and integrated application of bioagents, inducers like salicylic acid and chitosan with chemical fungicides, Iprodione (Rovral 50 WP) against Stemphylium blight of garlic. The in-vitro antagonism test was conducted using five strains of each of the Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens, where the highest percent inhibition of mycelium growth was found in Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Psf3 (57.04 %) and Bacillus subtilis strain Bacs4 (54.44 %). A total of 10 treatments were applied in the field. Treatment T₆ (Rovral @ 0.2 % + Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Psf3 @ 10 mL (106 CFU mL^-1) 5 plant^-1) showed the lowest disease severity (38.4 %). This treatment also exhibited promising result in both the vegetative and yield parameters of garlic under field conditions. The highest bulb yield (6.23 t ha^-1) was found in T₆, surpassing all individual treatments. This finding denoted the positive synergistic effect of combined application of Rovral 0.2 % and Pseudomonas fluorescens strain Psf3 for sustainable management of Stemphylium blight. The combined application of chemical and bioagents is more feasible and practical for managing Stemphylium blight disease of garlic as well as for getting better yield in field condition.

Variations in Germination and Seedling Traits of Rapeseed (Brassica napus L) Genotypes under Salinity Stress and Salicylic Acid Treatment

Jannatul Afrin — 2025-09-25

Rapeseed is an important oilseed crop in Bangladesh that’s germination and seedling growth often get affected in saline-prone regions. This study focuses on assessing the variation in germination and seedling traits of rapeseed genotypes under salinity and dual stress – salinity with salicylic acid. Seeds of five parents and ten F3 segregants of rapeseed (Brassica napus) were subjected to three treatments for eight days— control, 8 dSm^-1 salt and 8 dSm^-1 salt+0.1mM salicylic acid. The F₃segregants were considered to evaluate the diverse inherent phenotypic expression of traits rather than only fixed genetic combination in parents. Shoot length was reduced by 52.6% and root-shoot ratio was increased by 43.7% in 8 dSm^-1 salinity while percent germination, shoot length, root length and root-shoot ratio were reduced by 9.6%, 53.9%, 66.7%, 27.2%, respectively, in response to 8 dSm^-1 salt+0.1mM salicylic acid, compared to control. Salinity stress with salicylic acid reduced percent germination, root length, dry mass per plant and root-shoot ratio by 9.1, 58.6, 20.0 and 18.3 %, respectively, compared to salinity stress alone. These results indicated that salicylic acid worsens the effects of salinity stress duration germination and early seedling growth. Despite, a few genotypes showed notable tolerance against both salinity and dual stress indicating their potential to select for further breeding and QTL analyses. PC1 explained 38% variation and separated the genotypes under 8 dSm^-1 salt+0.1mM salicylic acid treatment from two other treatments for high and positive coefficient for shoot length, percent germination, root length and root-shoot ratio suggesting those are salt responsive traits. The results offer a foundation for phenotypic selection, biochemical analysis, and future molecular analysis upon dual treatment of salicylic acid and salt. The results will be also useful for early identification and development of salt-resilient rapeseed lines through high resolution genetic mapping during further studies.

Growth, Yield and Quality Performances of Selected Carrot Varieties Under Drought Stress

Rakibul Haque Ratul — 2025-09-25

A study was conducted at the Horticulture Farm and Postgraduate Laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, from November 2022 to February 2023, to evaluate the performance of growth, yield, and quality of 11 carrot varieties under drought stress. The varieties included Kuroda, New Kuroda, Kuroda-35, King Kuroda, Shin Kuroda, Kuroda Improved, Shidur, BAU Gajor-5, Prima Agroflora, Bankim Keshor, and Pusha Keshor. The experiment was arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. In order to account for the drought stress, no irrigation was applied after 30 days of sowing until carrot harvest. Growth parameters, such as plant height, number of leaves plant-1, and leaf area; yield-contributing parameters, including root length, diameter, individual weight; plot yield and quality parameters, such as root cracking, branching, rotting, total soluble solids (TSS), and dry matter content, were recorded. Significant variations were noted among the varieties. King Kuroda excelled with maximum root length (17.31 cm), root weight (164.07 g), yield per plot (5.23 kg), gross yield (34.89 t ha⁻¹), and marketable yield (30.07 t ha^-1). Shin Kuroda recorded the highest TSS (13.13%), while King Kuroda showed superior dry matter content in leaves (21.33%) and roots (9.85%). BAU Gajor-5 had no cracked roots, but it showed the minimum marketable yield (11.67 t ha^-1) followed by Prima Agroflora (12.42 t ha^-1). Shin Kuroda had the lowest branched root percentage (1.09%). Varieties Kuroda-35 and Pusha Keshor also consistently excelled in growth, yield, and quality attributes under drought stress. Therefore, out of eleven varieties, King Kuroda, Kuroda-35, and Pusha Keshor were found to perform better in terms of growth, yield, and quality under drought stress.

Stability Analysis Using AMMI and GGE Biplot Model for Terminal Heat Stress Tolerance in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Md Mahadi Hasan — 2025-09-25

Terminal heat stress poses a significant challenge to wheat production in Bangladesh, especially under late-sown conditions. The rise in temperatures during this period leads to a shortened grain-filling phase, ultimately resulting in decreased yields. This research investigated to assess and pinpoint heat-tolerant wheat genotypes by employing multi-environment trials, which were analyzed using the AMMI and GGE biplot models. A total of twelve wheat varieties were evaluated across three distinct environments: optimum conditions (E₁), moderate stress (E₂), and terminal heat stress (E₃) and the assessment focused on eight agronomic traits. Significant genotype × environment interactions were detected for all traits, highlighting the need for stability assessment. The AMMI 1 biplot effectively distinguished between the main effects of genotypes and their interaction effects, allowing for the identification of genotypes that exhibit both high average performance and adaptability. A better way to differentiate stable performers was possible by AMMI 2, which further clarified the interaction patterns. Among the varieties, BARI Gom 25 (G₂), BARI Gom 33 (G₆), BARI Gom 26 (G₃), and Pavon (G₁₂) were best, according to the Stress Tolerance and Susceptibility index, AMMI, GGE biplot (Which-won-where), Mean vs. stability, Ranking genotype approaches, since they combined above-average yields with stability in both stress and non-stress conditions. The inverse was also true for several genotypes; they showed excellent performance but bad stability. The consistent performance, especially under terminal heat stress, shows that BARI Gom 25 (G₂), BARI Gom 33 (G₆), BARI Gom 26 (G₃), and Pavon (G₁₂) might be used as breeding parents for climate-resilient wheat varieties that are suitable for agro-ecologies in South Asia. A strong framework for choosing stable, high-yielding genotypes in the face of climate change is provided by this combined AMMI-GGE strategy.