Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council Research Articles

Optimizing urban water sustainability: Integrating deep learning, genetic algorithm, and CMIP6 GCM for groundwater potential zone prediction within a social-ecological-technological framework

This study presents a novel approach to groundwater resource assessment and drought vulnerability, achieved through integrating cutting-edge deep-learning algorithms into a comprehensive framework. In regions susceptible to drought, ensuring groundwater availability is of paramount importance. Addressing this critical need, our research employs an ensemble of advanced algorithms, including long short-term memory, convolutional neural network, deep neural network, and recurrent neural network. These algorithms are further enhanced through optimization using a genetic algorithm to map groundwater potential zones (GWPZ). Leveraging model validation based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCROC), the long short-term memory-genetic algorithm model emerges as the superior algorithm, boasting the highest values of AUCROC: 0.995 for training and 0.996 for testing). Utilizing this optimized model, this study developed the GWPZ map, subsequently overlaying it with established drought maps developed by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council across distinct periods—Pre-Kharif, Kharif, and Rabi. The derived baseline GWPZ spatial distribution revealed five categories—very low (34.99%), low (27.67%), moderate (13.26%), high (11.71%), and very high (12.37%)—and their intersection with drought-prone regions, indicative of probabilities of drought occurrence ranging from very severe to low (15.14% to 24.69%). Moreover, employing the best-predicted model, this study projected future GWPZ for 2050 and 2100 using the coupled model intercomparison project 6 general circulation model data under the ambit of three distinct shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs): SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, and SSP5-8.5. Our findings suggested a contraction in the groundwater potential area by the end of the twenty-first century (2100). This pioneering integration sheds light on the intricate relationship between groundwater availability and drought susceptibility, furnishing invaluable insights for formulating targeted water resource management strategies. By amalgamating advanced computational techniques with geospatial analyses, this research contributes to a more comprehensive grasp of water resource dynamics within the context of escalating climate challenges. Consequently, it offers a foundation for informed decision-making and implementing sustainable water management practices in regions grappling with the dual challenges of groundwater scarcity and recurrent droughts.

Evaluation of Soil Fertility for Crop Production in Beel Chiroil, Pabna, Bangladesh

The study area is at Beel, Chiroil, Chatmohar, Pabna, Bangladesh. Ten soil sampling locations were selected from this area. Based on soil type and existing cropping patterns, soil samples were collected after harvesting the crops from each selected location of the study area. All soil samples (ten) were collected as per Soil Samples Collection Method of Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI). The collected soil samples were submitted to the Central Laboratory of SRDI. The test results of the soil samples found that, the soil of the study area contained neutral soil pH (6.87), medium organic matter (3.58%), nitrogen (0.198 Meq/100g), potassium (0.256 Meq/100g) and zinc (1.15 μg/g), low phosphorus (13.503μg/g), sulfur (19.83 μg/g) and boron (0.28 μg/g) and very high iron (53.14 μg/g), calcium (20.288 Meq/100g) and magnesium (10.167 Meq/100g) on average. Interpretation of the soil test results indicate that, fertility condition of the research field will provides a good basis of fertilizer recommendation for the study area farmers. A recommendation of fertilizer doses is prepared according to Fertilizer Recommendation Guide, 2018 of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC). The research also helps to suggest some suitable cropping patterns for the study area.

Influence of sanitation facilities on diarrhea prevalence among children aged below 5 years in flood-prone areas of Bangladesh: a multilevel analysis.

Although the improvement of sanitation facilities has been a major contributor to improving public health, it is not guaranteed to prevent negative health outcomes. This is especially true in areas affected by severe natural disasters, such as flooding or extreme rainfall. Previous studies have examined the association between catastrophic natural disasters and negative health outcomes. However, studies on disaster-prone areas are limited. This study focused on the impact of flood risks and examined whether the improvement of sanitation facilities would be sufficient to suppress the prevalence of diarrhea in flood-prone areas. Two secondary datasets including geodata on flood-prone areas were used for the analysis: one each was obtained from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council. Two models with categorizations of sanitation facilities based on containment type and excreta flow were applied for analysis. Results showed that the severe flood-prone areas and "diffused" type of sanitation, where the feces are diffused without any containment, had significant positive associations with diarrhea prevalence; however, the interaction between them was negative. Moderate flood-prone areas had a significant positive association with diarrhea prevalence; however, the interaction with unimproved sanitation, which includes containment without clear partition from feces, was significantly negative. These findings indicate that improved sanitation or containment type of sanitation may not positively contribute to the prevention of diarrhea in these severe- and moderate-flood prone areas. The urgent need for alternative sanitation technologies should be addressed in flood-prone regions.

Land Suitability Assessment for Pulse (Green Gram) Production through Remote Sensing, GIS and Multicriteria Analysis in the Coastal Region of Bangladesh

The agricultural potential of Bangladesh’s coastal region has been threatened by the impact of climate change. Pulse crops with high nutritional value and low production costs such as green gram constitute an important component of a healthy and accessible diet for the country. In order to optimize the production of this important staple, this research aims to promote climate-smart agriculture by optimizing the identification of the appropriate land. The objective of this research is to investigate, estimate, and identify the suitable land areas for green gram production based on the topography, climate, and soil characteristics in the coastal region of Bangladesh. The methodology of the study included a Geographic Information System (GIS) and the Multicriteria Decision-Making approach: the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Datasets were collected and prepared using Landsat 8 imagery, the Center for Hydrometeorology and Remote Sensing (CHRS) data portal and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council. All the datasets were processed into raster images and then reclassified into four classes: Highly Suitable (S1), Moderately Suitable (S2), Marginally Suitable (S3), and Not Suitable. Then, the AHP results were applied to produce a final green gram suitability map with four classes of suitability. The results of the study found that 12% of the coastal area (344,619.5 ha) is highly suitable for green gram production, while the majority of the land area (82.3% of the area) shows moderately suitable (S2) land. The sensitivity analysis results show that 3.3%, 63.4%, 28.0%, and 1.2% of the study area are S1, S2, S3, and NS, respectively. It is also found that the highly suitable land area belongs mostly to the southeastern part of the country. The result of this study can be utilized by policymakers to adopt a proper green gram production strategy, providing special agricultural incentive policies in the highly suitable area as a provision for the increased food production of the country.

Economic assessment of maize (Zea mays L.) – Spinach (Basella alba L.) intercropping system for improving the livelihood of smallholders’ in South-Asia

Article Details: Received: 2020-07-21 | Accepted: 2020-09-09 | Available online: 2021-06-30 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.02.101-109 The study was undertaken at Regional Agricultural Research Station of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Ishurdi, Pabna, Bangladesh in consecutive two years of 2015 and 2016 for evaluating the performance of maize and Indian spinach intercropping (MIS) under different row spacing for higher profitability through economic assessment. Five different cropping systems viz., T1 : hybrid maize normal row along with one row of spinach, T2 : hybrid maize paired row along with one row of spinach, T3 : hybrid maize paired row along with two rows of spinach, T4 : hybrid maize paired row along with three rows of spinach and T5 : sole maize were included in this experiment. The performance of the component crops was evaluated regarding total grain and vegetable yield, competitive functions, and economic returns. The results indicate that yield and yield contributing characters of maize were not significantly affected by the intercrop of spinach at different ratios. Maize paired row along with three rows of spinach (IS) (T4 ) combination had higher maize equivalent yield (11.06 t ha-1), gross return (US$ 1,499 ha-1), gross margin (US$ 564 ha-1) and benefitcost ratio (BCR) (2.07) than others treatments. This intercropping system also recorded higher land equivalent ratio, monetary advantage index, land equivalent coefficient, income equivalent ratio and area time equivalent ratio of 1.24, US$ 2,434 ha-1, 0.30, 1.24 and 1.18, respectively. Hence, this cropping system may adopt in the smallholders’ for getting maximum benefits in prevailing climate change. Keywords: competitive functions, economics, intercropping, spinach, maize References Aasim, M., Muhammad, E. U. & Karim, A. (2008). Yield and competition indices of intercropping cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) using different planting patterns. 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ASSESSMENT OF FARMERS ADAPTABILITY ON AKHA BIOCHAR FOR WHEAT PRODUCTION IN BANGLADESH

Akha biochar has the potential to exploit by farmer in Bangladesh. This study was undertaken to assess the perception of Akha biochar to utilize for wheat cultivation in the several farmer’s field of Bangladesh. This study aims to assess farmer’s adaptability on akha biochar for enhancing wheat production in Bangladesh. The utilization of Akha biochar as a source of nutrients supply for wheat production was investigated in this study. Akha Chula produced biochar was used as a Akha biochar source and the BARI Gom 28 was used as a testing plant. Five treatments like control (nothing was added), BARC (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council) recommended fertilizer for wheat production, 5 kg/decimal biochar only, BARC recommended fertilizer plus 2.5 kg/decimal biochar and BARC recommended fertilizer plus 5 kg/decimal biochar. Same treatment was applied in three separate farmer’s field namely Mansur, Latif and Nayan. Among three farmers, Latif farmer field was highly fertile that resulted highest wheat productivity in several treatments. Result also showed that the BARC recommended dose with 2.5 kg biochar/ decimal produced highest wheat yield among the other treatments in all farmer’s field. These findings suggested that optimum level of Akha biochar amendments have potential benefits to improve soil fertility. The use of Akha biochar in addition to the chemical fertilizers in wheat production systems is an economically feasible and practical nutrient management practice. Our findings urged that reduction of chemical fertilizer application is possible with supplementation of Akha biochar. This study concluded that Akha biochar has the potential to improve soil fertility and productivity of wheat in Bangladesh.

Rice straw biochar amended soil improves wheat productivity and accumulated phosphorus in grain

Biochar is a pyrolyzed biomass produced under limited oxygen or oxygen absent conditions. Few investigations have been conducted to determine the combined effect of biochar with chemical fertilizer on growth, yield and nutrient distribution pattern in root, shoot and grain in wheat as well as changes in soil physiochemical properties. This research was designed to study the combined effect of chemical fertilizer and rice straw-derived biochar on soil physio-chemical properties, growth, yield and nutrient distribution pattern within wheat plant tissue and grain. Results showed that rice straw biochar caused a significant decrease in soil pH and increase in soil organic matter as well as nutrients like total nitrogen (TN), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and boron (B) due to incubation. Result also showed that root biomass and straw did not differ between Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) and ½ BARC + rice straw biochar treatment. Similarly, thousand grain weight and grain yield did not differ between the same treatments. The phosphorus concentration in wheat grain was highest in ½ BARC + rice straw biochar as compared to other treatments. The use of rice straw biochar in addition to the chemical fertilizers in wheat production systems is an economically feasible and practical nutrient management practice. Our findings urged that reduction of chemical fertilizer application is possible with supplementation of rice straw biochar.

Relationship between precipitation and rice production in Rangpur district

An experiment was carried out to reveal the precipitation pattern and to find out the interrelationship between precipitation and production of rice in Rangpur district. Rangpur division is more favorable for rice production. Monthly and yearly precipitation data (1983-2013) were collected from Bangladesh Meteorological department (BMD), Agargaon, Dhaka; Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC), Farmgate, Dhaka and rice production data were collected from Bangladesh Rice research Institute (BRRI); Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Rangpur, Bangladesh. From the analyzed precipitation data, it was clearly found that in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1999 and 2005, there were heavy precipitations and resulting flash flood. The average precipitation of Rangpur was higher (1344 mm) in 1987 than 1984, 1985, 1999 and 2005. In Rangpur district, rice production was the highest in the year of 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and lower in the year of 1984, 1985, 1987, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2005, and 2006 on the basis of total annual precipitation. Rice production reduced main two reasons such as, heavy precipitation causes flash flood and lower precipitation causes drought stress condition. Both are threat-full for higher rice production. The results show that more precipitation in the years of lowest rice production period, heavy precipitation responsible for deduction of rice production area because of flooding and drought and also shows that normal/ minimum precipitation favorable for rice production at Rangpur district. From this study, it is concluded that the irregular precipitation of period (1984, 1985, 1987, 1994, 1999, 2000, 2005, and 2006) was not satisfactory for rice production due to heavy and/or excessive lower precipitation that resulting flood and/or in part of Rangpur district of Bangladesh. The analysis exposed that precipitation was one of the most important factors for higher amount of rice production in Rangpur district.Progressive Agriculture 29 (1): 10-21, 2018

Stern review on the economics of climate change: implications for Bangladesh

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of climate change on economic development in Bangladesh. More specifically, the research aims to figure out the influence of climate change on gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate related to different sectors such as agriculture, forest, water, health and infrastructure. It also attempts to explore the effect of climate change on the coastal economy of Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachA set of statistical and econometric techniques, including descriptive and correlation analysis and time series regression model, was applied to address the objective of the research. Sector-wise time series economic data were collected from the World Bank for the period between 1971 and 2013. Climate data were received from the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council online database for the period between 1948 and 2013.FindingsThe results from the statistical analysis show that climate variables such as temperature and rainfall have changed between 1948 and 2013 in the context of Bangladesh. The econometric regression analysis demonstrates that an increase by 1°C of annual mean temperature leads to a decrease in the GDP growth rate by 0.44 per cent on average, which is statistically significant at the 5 per cent level. On the other hand, the estimated coefficients of agriculture, industry, services, urbanization and export are positively associated with GDP growth rate, and these are statistically significant at the 1 per cent level. Sector-wise correlation analysis provides statistical evidence that climate change is negatively associated with various sectors, such as agriculture, forest, human health and arable land. In contrast, it has a positive relation to water access and electricity consumption. Analysis of coastal regions shows that climate change negatively affects the local economic sectors of the coastal zone of the country.Originality/valueAlthough this study has received significant insight from the world-renowned research publication “The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review”, there is a dearth of research on the economic impact of climate change in the context of Bangladesh. The findings of the paper provide deep insight into and comprehensive views of policy makers on the impact of climate change on economic growth and various sectors in Bangladesh.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Information Services: A Case Study of National Agricultural Research System (NARS), Bangladesh

The investigator evaluates the present information services of the National Agricultural Research System (NARS) Libraries and Agricultural Information Center, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC). Agricultural development is dependent to some extent on scientific services provided by NARS library and information professionals. The present study is a case study in nature. Judgmental random sampling was used to collect the data from the library professionals and staff and library users. Two sets of semi-structured questionnaire were distributed among them. Besides, field visit, interviews and FGDs were employed in the study to find the qualitative results. The existing facilities, strength, and weakness of agricultural information services are identified in the study. The survey result indicates that the respondents desire for improving the quality of information services in the NARS libraries and information center. The study ended with recommendations for making the libraries digitally automated having ample internet facilities.

A Soil Health Card (SHC) for soil quality monitoring of agricultural lands in south-eastern coastal region of Bangladesh

BackgroundThe present study introduces an alternate tool of laboratory analysis named Soil Health Card (SHC) for soil quality monitoring and routine field observations by farmers.ResultsDifferent physicochemical and nutrient contents of soil, i.e. pH, electric conductivity, soil organic matter, organic carbon, total nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur and boron were assessed by laboratory analysis collected from the different fields of Noakhali district of Bangladesh. These parameters were scored according to the soil fertility standards according to Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council. Results found that, the soil quality of all the studied fields are medium category. Again, a SHC was prepared using soil structure, subsurface compaction, aggregate stability, status of ground cover, soil smell, soil pH, color, organic matter content, drainage capacity, diversity of micro-life, earthworm contents, infiltration rate, soil aeration, crop coverage and leaf color. The result of SHC is interestingly similar to the laboratory experiment results.ConclusionsAnalyzing these two methods it was found that, the SHC is truly representative, much convenient, precise, coast effective and easily understandable to the marginal farmers. However, SHC can be an alternative to farmer for sustainable farm management.

Enzymatic-Gravimetric Estimation of the Content and Composition of Insoluble Dietary Fiber in Selected Cereals, Pulses, and Starchy Roots and Tubers

An enzymatic-gravimetric method was employed to determine the content of insoluble dietary fiber and lignin in 4 cereals, 5 pulses, 4 starchy roots, and 3 tubers along with some of their varieties. The cultivars were identified at Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council and noted as their high yielding varieties released within last decade for cultivation in Bangladesh. Insoluble dietary fiber content, equivalent to alpha-amylase treated neutral detergent fiber (termed as E-NDF), was in a range from 0.97 g to 10.45 g for cereals, 8.18 g to 25.66 g for pulses, 2.62 g to 6.88 g for roots, and 2.26 g to 8.11 g for tubers per 100 g raw sample. Cell wall polysaccharides and Lignin were estimated from the E-NDF fraction sequentially using the methods of Van Soest and co-workers. Hemicellulose was found dominant among cell-wall polysaccharides in all the studied materials (up to 24.85% in pulses). Cell wall polysaccharide and lignin were not detected in some of the studied samples. Highest amount of cellulose was found in 'Gourab' variety of wheat (3.48%) while highest amount of lignin was estimated in sweet potato (2.87%). The results will, thus, provide a source data for dietary calculations.

A Statistical Analysis on Production of Chili and Its' Prospect in Bangladesh

Chili is one of the most significant marketable crops of Bangladesh. It is grown almost all over the country. There are more than 400 different varieties of Chili’s found all over the world. It is also called as hot pepper, sweet pepper, bell pepper, etc. Both chili and capsicum belong to same family as well as same genus that is Capsicum. C. frutescent is used for their small and very pungent fruits in hot sauces and as spices. It contains large amounts of vitamin C, small amounts of carotene (Provitamin A), vitamin B, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, and iron (USDA Nutrient Database). Bangladesh is one of the best producers, but there is no enough industry for preserving this fruit. So, all the production become indeed in consumption. The aim of the research is to know the cultural practices of chili in Bangladesh and how to make sweetened chili dishes that can play a vital role in our economy. This research considers the annual time series data for the period 2001-02 to 2010-11 and over seven divisions of Bangladesh. The data have been collected from various publications of BBS (Bangladesh Bureaus of Statistics) and BARC (Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council), the data of districts have been aggregated for seven divisions namely, Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Sylhet, and Rangpur. Realizing the limitations of data availability, only nine variables are considered in the present research. Total production of Chili is taken as the dependent (endogenous) variable. The price of the Chili and seven divisions are considering as independent (exogenous) variables. The number of variables to be included in the model depends on the nature of the phenomenon under consideration and the purpose of the research.  

Site Suitability Analysis for Dissemination of Salt-tolerant Rice Varieties in Southern Bangladesh

Abstract. Bangladesh is a country of 14.4 million ha geographical area and has a population density of more than 1100 persons per sq. km. Rice is the staple food crop, growing on about 72 % of the total cultivated land and continues to be the most important crop for food security of the country. A project "Sustainable Rice Seed Production and Delivery Systems for Southern Bangladesh" has been executed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in twenty southern districts of Bangladesh. These districts grow rice in about 2.9 million ha out of the country’s total rice area of 11.3 million ha. The project aims at contributing to the Government of Bangladesh’s efforts in improving national and household food security through enhanced and sustained productivity by using salinity-, submergence- and drought- tolerant and high yielding rice varieties. Out of the 20 project districts, 12 coastal districts are affected by the problem of soil salinity. The salt-affected area in Bangladesh has increased from about 0.83 million ha in 1973 to 1.02 million ha in 2000, and 1.05 million ha in 2009 due to the influence of cyclonic storms like "Sidr", "Laila" and others, leading to salt water intrusion in croplands. Three salinity-tolerant rice varieties have recently been bred by IRRI and field tested and released by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA). These varieties are BRRI dhan- 47 and Bina dhan-8 and - 10. However, they can tolerate soil salinity level up to EC 8−10 dSm−1, whereas the EC of soils in several areas are much higher. Therefore, a large scale dissemination of these varieties can be done only when a site suitability analysis of the area is carried out. The present study was taken up with the objective of preparing the site suitability of the salt-tolerant varieties for the salinity-affected districts of southern Bangladesh. Soil salinity map prepared by Soil Resources Development Institute of Bangladesh shows five classes of salinity. viz., non-saline with some very slight saline soil, very slightly saline with some slight saline soil, slightly saline with some moderately saline soil, strongly saline with some moderately saline soil, and very strongly saline with some strongly saline soil. The soil EC level of different classes range from 2 dSm−1 to >16 dSm−1. The soil map was geo-referenced and digitized using Arc GIS. Salinity tolerance characteristics of the rice varieties were matched with the soil characteristics shown on the map. Three suitability classes were made; soils suitable for salt-tolerant varieties, not suitable for salt-tolerant varieties due to high soil salinity, and suitable for other high yielding varieties due to slight salinity. The mauza (smallest revenue unit) boundary provided by the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council was also geo-referenced and digitized in the same projection. Overlaying and intersecting the mauza boundary on the soil suitability map provided the suitable and not suitable mauza. A total of 4070 mauzas in the 12 salinity-affected districts were listed and maps showing suitability of mauza prepared. About 0.6 million ha out of total 0.87 million ha salinity affected area were found suitable for growing the salinity-tolerant BRRI dhan-47, Bina dhan-8 and -10 in these districts. The maps and other generated information have helped the Dept. of Agriculture Extension (DAE) of Bangladesh in large scale dissemination of seeds of the salinity-tolerant rice varieties in different districts during the past two years.

The Vision of Agri-Environmental Sustainability in Bangladesh: How the Policies, Strategies and Institutions Delivered?

Agriculture and environmental change are tightly interconnected in ways that require active roles of policy, strategy, and institution for the promotion of sustainable agriculture development. To explore this issue, this study addresses two questions 1) to what extent is environmental integration reflected in policies, strategies, and institutions? And 2) how do these policies, strategies, and institutions turn ambitions into actions? By adopting two frameworks developed by the OECD and the European Environment Agency as well as critically reviewing policy documents and conducting the key informant interviews, the results revealed that most of the policies and strategies integrated the environmental issue and had stipulated action plans and governance structure for implementation. The results also found that institutions marginally integrated the environmental concerns and faced several problems that hindered turning ambitions into actions. Overall, although policy instruments were good, the vision of sustainability was in difficulty to actualizing into action due to weak institutional setup. This study highlights the interdependence between the dimensions of policy implement tation process. Policy implications should emphasize enhancing institutional capacity, revamping agricultural advisory services, and empowering Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) to translate the vision of agri-environmental sustainability into action.

Local Market Research on Vegetable in Jessore of the High Ganges River Floodplain, Bangladesh

INTRODUCTIONMarket is a most active site in daily life of people in monsoon Asian countries. Vegetables in a market are mostly local products in Bangladesh. While, fruits are frequently imported from other areas or countries. We have visited Jessore District, located in the southwestern part of Bangladesh, in the field survey of Kyushu University P&P Project (Kyushu University Interdisciplinary Programs in Education and Projects in Research Development) of “An empirical study on the pathway of arsenic from groundwater contamination to human health hazard” headed by Dr. Masakazu Tani, Associated Professor of the Faculty of Design, Kyushu University.Jessore District occupies a southern half of the High Ganges River Floodplain, and the land is calcareous and mostly above normal flood–level (FAO–UNDP, 1988). Vegetables and pulses are cultivated in the filed as crops in the cropping patterns under rainfed and irrigated con-ditions (Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, 2005). We have observed vegetables grown in the field and in the garden around farmer’s houses. In the present study, market research on vegetables was done in July 2006 and March and July 2007 at a vegetable bazaar in Jessore Town and in March and July at a hut in Marua Village of Chowgaccha Upazila. March is in the late dry season and July is in the early rainy season in Bangladesh. The purpose of the present study is to identify vegetables sold at bazaar and hut and to under-stand seasonal variation in the kind and price of vegeta-bles in Jessore, Bangladesh.MATERIALS AND MRTHODS

Decentralised composting in Bangladesh, a win-win situation for all stakeholders

The paper describes experiences of Waste Concern, a research based Non-Governmental Organisation, with a community-based decentralised composting project in Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The composting scheme started its activities in 1995 with the aim of developing a low-cost technique for composting of municipal solid waste, which is well-suited to Dhaka's waste stream, climate, and socio-economic conditions along with the development of public–private–community partnerships in solid waste management and creation of job opportunities for the urban poor. Organic waste is converted into compost using the “Indonesian Windrow Technique”, a non-mechanised aerobic and thermophile composting procedure. In an assessment study conducted in 2001, key information on the Mirpur composting scheme was collected. This includes a description of the technical and operational aspects of the composting scheme (site-layout, process steps, mass flows, monitoring of physical and chemical parameters), the evaluation of financial parameters, and the description of the compost marketing strategy. The case study shows a rare successful decentralised collection and composting scheme in a large city of the developing world. Essential for acceptance by consumers was that the composting scheme was able to get formal approval from the Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council on the use of the compost product for agricultural purposes as well as policy support by the Ministry of Agriculture. Financial success of the scheme is based on the fact that large bulk buyers of compost were found. The compost product is mainly sold to fertiliser producing companies which blend the compost with additives/nutrients to suit different customers. Sales of the products are then done through existing agricultural extension services and retail networks of these companies. Thus the compost marketing strategy of the composting schemes is based on letting others do the individual marketing of the compost. The case of Mirpur shows that composting can be a good alternative to conventional solid waste management options, reducing the amount of waste to be transported and dumped and producing a valuable raw material for fertilisers.

Impact Assessment Of Pheromone Traps To Manage Fruit Fly On Sweet Gourd Cultivation

This paper assessed the economic benefits of managing fruit flies infecting sweet gourd using pheromones. In this study, a pheromone called Cuelure imported by the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) was used for suppressing fruit fly infesting sweet gourd. Analysis of the potential benefits of farmers adopting the Cuelure technology projects that benefits over 15 years range from 187 million Taka or $2.7 million to 428 million Taka or $6.3 million, depending on assumptions. The projected rate of return on the BARI investment in pheromone research ranges from to 140 to 165 percent. The size of these returns implies that pheromone research at BARI has a high economic return and that Bangladesh benefits significantly as Cuelure becomes more widely available to farmers. Keywords: 1PM; pheromone; sweet gourd; economic impact assessment DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v36i2.9244 BJAR 2011; 36(2): 197-203

Local Level Agricultural Planning Using GIS

Geographical Information System (GIS) is a computer based technology that describes, stores manipulates and analyze information spatially and produces outputs in map and tabular form for decision making in the planning aspects of agricultural development. Land, soil, and land used pattern are the most vital factors for growing more crop yield from a part of land. In case of Bangladesh soil quality and land type varies widely within a small area of land. This study will focus mainly on to categorize the soil texture and land type that exist in Jibannagar thana of Chuadanga district using GIS. Moreover, the suitable cropping pattern for that area were also identified using GIS technology. In order to accumulate all the qualitative and the quantitative data, the "Thana Nirdeshika" booklet for the Jibannagar thana prepared by the Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), Bangladesh, was used. The digital data source that has been created by the GIS project of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) has also been used for the study. From this study it is found that four map units remain predominantly High Land (PHL), one HL and two predominantly Medium High Land (PMHL) which indicate to use winter crop, HYV rice, Broadcast Aus and Aman rice based cropping pattern. 
 
 Key words: Land type, soil texture, cropping pattern, GIS.