Bangladesh Institute Of Nuclear Agriculture Research Articles

Effect of Gamma Irradiation on Embryogenic Calli of Rice and Subsequent Shoot and Regeneration

This study was carried out during May 2021 to January 2022 at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of Biotechnology Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh, Bangladesh for callus induction and regeneration ability of plantlet from low doses irradiated embryogenic calli of Binadhan-13 and BR5 (Dulabhog). The effect of low gamma rays such as 4, 6 and 8 Gy were observed in vitro shoot, root and plantlet formation. Two different incubation conditions such as light and dark incubation were maintained. Between two varieties, Binadhan-13 showed the highest ability of callus induction in both conditions. Callus induction was significantly higher under dark condition (77.14%) than light condition (67.14%) ‍at 21 days. Data revealed that gamma rays affect both shoot and root regeneration ability of embryogenic callus. Shoot regeneration ability was the highest at 4 Gy in Binadhan-13 (60%) and gradually decreased with the increased doses of gamma rays. Among the treatments, shoot regeneration ability (60% in Binadhan-13 and 50% in BR5) was higher at 4 Gy dose of gamma ray followed by 6 Gy where shoot regeneration ability was 55% and 45% in Binadhan-13 and BR5 respectively. In root induction, the highest root induction ability (80%) was observed in the cultivar Binadhan-13 at control condition. Like shoot regeneration, 4 Gy gamma ray showed better root induction in both the varieties (70% in Binadhan-13, 60% in BR5). The in vitro regenerated plantlets from irradiated embryogenic calli were successfully transferred to soil in pots. The regeneration protocol could be further used for varietal improvement of rice varieties using nuclear technique (60Co gamma ray). Bangladesh J. Nuclear Agric, 37(2): 29-42, 2023

Evaluation of Postharvest Behaviour of Bitter Gourd as Influenced by Gamma Irradiation and Modified Atmosphere Packaging

An experiment was conducted at the Postharvest Laboratory of Horticulture Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture during November to December 2022to examine the effects of different doses of gamma irradiation and Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on shelf life and quality of bitter gourd at ambient condition. The experiment comprised ten postharvest treatment viz., T0 =Control (untreated, unwrapped and non-irradiated); T1 =Gourds wrapped in Polypropylene (PP) bag; T2 =Gourds treated with 3% CaCl2; T3 = Irradiated at1000 Gy, T4= Irradiated at2000 Gy, T5 =3% CaCl2+ PP bag, T6 = 1000 Gy+ PP bag, T7 = 2000 Gy+ PP bag, T8 =3% CaCl2, + 1000 Gy+ PP bag and T9 = 3% CaCl2 + 2000 Gy+ PP bag. The single-factor experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with three replications. Parameters investigated were fruit colour, shrinkage, moisture content, dry matter content, weight loss, disease incidence (DI), disease severity (DS) and shelf life. The minimum weight loss (3.49%), shrinkage (0.00%), DI (11.11%),DS (6.67%) and longest shelf life (10 days) were found in bitter gourds treated with T8 treatment, whereas the maximum weight loss (52.31%), shrinkage (3.89%), DI (77.78%), DS (76.67%) and shortest shelf life (4 days) were T0 treatment at 8 days after storage. The findings would have great impact in reducing enormous postharvest loss of bitter gourd and maintain their quality during postharvest handling and marketing under ambient condition. Bangladesh J. Nuclear Agric, 37(2): 57-68, 2023

Increased yield performance of mutation induced Soybean genotypes at varied agro-ecological conditions.

In soybean breeding program, continuous selection pressure on traits response to yield created a genetic bottleneck for improvements of soybean through hybridization breeding technique. Therefore an initiative was taken to developed high yielding soybean variety applying mutation breeding techniques at Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Bangladesh. Locally available popular cultivar BARI Soybean-5 was used as a parent material and subjected to five different doses of Gamma ray using Co60. In respect to seed yield and yield attributing characters, twelve true breed mutants were selected from M4 generation. High values of heritability and genetic advance with high genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) for plant height, branch number and pod number were considered as favorable attributes for soybean improvement that ensure expected yield. The mutant SBM-18 obtained from 250Gy provided stable yield performance at diversified environments. It provided maximum seed yield of 3056 kg ha-1 with highest number of pods plant-1 (56). The National Seed Board of Bangladesh (NSB) eventually approved SBM-18 and registered it as a new soybean variety named 'Binasoybean-5' for large-scale planting because of its superior stability in various agro-ecological zones and consistent yield performance.

Enhancing Growth, Yield, and Physio-Chemical Properties of Mustard (Brassica Napus L) Through Combined Application of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers Under Salinity Condition in Satkhira, Bangladesh

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers on growth, yield, and physio-chemical properties of mustard (Brassica napus L) during the Rabi season 2021-2022 at the experimental field of BINA (Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture) substation farm, Satkhira, Bangladesh. The experiment had 10 treatments viz. T1 = 100% RDF (Recommended Dose Fertilizer), T2 = 75% RDF + 3 ton ha-1 vermicompost, T3 = 50% RDF + 5 ton ha-1 vermicompost, T4 = 75% RDF + 3 ton ha-1 cow-dung, T5 = 50% RDF + 5 ton ha-1 cow-dung, T6 = control, T7 = 3 ton ha-1 cow-dung, T8 = 5 ton ha-1 cow-dung, T9 = 3 ton ha-1 vermicompost, T10 = 5 ton ha-1 vermicompost with three (3) replications in randomized complete block design (RCBD). The combined effect of treatments varied significantly for most of the characters studies. The results revealed that the maximum plant height (cm), No. of primary branches plant-1, no. of secondary branches plant-1, total siliqua plant-1, siliqua length (cm), seeds siliqua-1, seeds plant-1, and yield plot-1 were recorded with the application of 75% RDF + 3 ton ha-1 vermicompost which was significant over control. The combined effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers was found significant in the growth, yield, and physio-chemical properties of mustard cultivation. SAARC J. Agric., 21(2): 169-182 (2023)

Effect of Foliar Application of Boron on the Growth and Yield of Green Chili (Capsicum annum L.)

A field study was performed at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) sub-station farm, Rangpur during Rabi season of 2021-22 to determine the effect of varieties and foliar application of boron on the growth and yield of green chili. The treatments were laid out in a Split-plot and replicated three times. Different concentrations of foliar Boron were applied as foliar sprays. The experiment comprised of nine treatments: T1= 0.5 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage, T2= 1.0 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage, T3= 0.5 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage + 1.0 g BL-1H2O at Fruiting stage, T4= 1.0 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage + 1.0 g BL-1H2O at Fruiting stage, T5= 1.5 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage & T6= 1.5 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage + 1.5 g BL-1H2O at Fruiting stage, T7= 2.0 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage, T8= 2.0 g BL-1H2O at vegetative stage + 2.0 g BL-1H2O at Fruiting stage & T9 = Control and two chili varieties/lines viz. Binamorich-2 & RCL-1. From the present study, it was concluded that the highest fresh chili yield (18.11 tha-1) produced Binamorich-2 compared to RCL-1 which gave 14.52 tha-1. Among the nine treatments of foliar boron, B @ 2.0 g/L H2O at vegetative stage + B @ 2.0 g/L H2O at fruiting stage exhibited the highest fresh chili yield (21.22 tha-1). In respect of the interaction effect of foliar boron and variety, the Binamorich-2 was giving the highest fresh chili yield (25.00 tha-1). However, further research will be needed with different doses of foliar boron for promising production of chili at different locations of Bangladesh.

Foliar Application of Different Levels of Zinc and Boron on the Growth and Yield of Mungbean (Vigna radiate L.)

An experiment was conducted during Kharif-1 of 2022 at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Substation, Satkhira to know the effect of foliar application of micronutrients (zinc and boron) on the growth and yield of mungbean. There were three levels of zinc (Zn) (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%) and boron (B) (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%) along with a blanket dose of urea (35 kg ha-1, triple super phosphate (TSP) (80 kg ha-1), murite of potash (MoP) (40 kg ha-1) and Sulphur (60 kg ha-1). The growth and yield of mungbean was significantly affected by foliar application of different levels of Zn and B. Results revealed that foliar application of Zn at the rate of 0.6% and at the rate of B 0.6% along with recommended dose at 45 days after sowing increases the branches/plant, fresh weight (g), dry weight (g), chlorophyll content, flower/plant, pod/plant, seed/pod thereby increase seed yield. Therefore, the foliar spray of 0.6% Zn significantly increased and influenced 1000 seed weight (g), decreased days to flowering, increased number of seed/pod and yield ton/ha along with blanket dose of Urea, TSP, MoP, gypsum might be considered as suitable dose for mungbean production in southern region of Bangladesh.

Loading of zinc and iron in grains of different wheat genotypes in the calcareous and floodplain soils of Bangladesh

Major malnutrition in Bangladesh is zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) deficiency as most people commonly depend on cereals, chiefly rice and wheat. The main objectives are to enhance Zn and Fe concentrations through the use of selected varieties and the application of respective fertilizers. Field experiments were conducted at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) farm, Mymensingh (AEZ 9, non-calcareous soil) and at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) substation, Ishwardi (AEZ 11, calcareous soil) for two consecutive wheat seasons (2014–15 and 2015–16) with 10 varieties and 15 advanced lines. Varieties BARI Gom 25, 27, 28 & 29 and breeding lines Vijay, HPYT-5, 15 & 21 and BL-1883 have been recognized as Zn-enriched wheat varieties (24–30 μg g−1). Among the genotypes, Zn further increased by 4–8 μg g−1 due to Zn fertilization. Concerning Fe-enriched wheat genotypes (24–30 μg g−1), five varieties viz. Shatabdi, Prodip, BARI Gom 25 & 28 and Sufi, and four lines such as HPYT-12, BL-1883, BL-1040 and Fery-60 have been identified. The grain Fe concentration of wheat genotypes increased when Fe was added, the increment being 6–12 μg g−1. A positive relationship between Zn and N is observed with increased protein content. The grain yield of wheat was increased by 3.8–25.7% due to Zn application over the varieties and locations but Fe addition had no effect. The result of the current study showed that a potential breeding line with appropriate fertilization can improve Zn and Fe levels in wheat grain, without incurring loss to wheat yield.

Influence of boron and molybdenum on yield attributes of mustard

Boron and Molybdenum play a remarkable role in crop production and they are especially important for oil seed crops. Mustard is a very important oil seed crop in Bangladesh. The optimum and adequate levels of boron and molybdenum are very important for attaining a higher quality yield of oil seed crops. This study was carried out to investigate the influence of boron, molybdenum, and their interactions on yield and yield attributes of mustard var. Binasarisha-5 at the experimental field of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Mymensingh. Three levels of boron (0,1 and 2 kg/ha) and two levels of molybdenum (0 and 20 ppm) were used as treatment variables. Molybdenum was sprayed at the maximum vegetative growth stage. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Results showed that the mean effects of boron and molybdenum significantly influenced the growth and yield of mustard. Application of 2 kg B/ha gave a significant influence on most of the yield contributing characters which resulted in the highest seed yield/ha (1294 kg/ha). Interactions of boron and molybdenum significantly influenced the seeds/siliqua, seed yield/plant, shoot weight/plant, shell weight/plant, seed yield /ha, straw yield/ha, and biological yield /ha. Seed yield (1337 kg/ha) was the highest with the interaction of 2 kg/ha application of boron and foliar spary of 20 ppm molybdenum. So, it is concluded that B and Mo application may increase the seed yield of mustard. Bangladesh J. Agri. 2023, 48(1): 101-111

Assessing the Effectiveness of Newly Developed Fungicides in Managing Rice Blast Disease

Rice blast, which is caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, is a highly destructive disease that poses a significant threat to rice cultivation. It results in considerable crop damage, affecting both the yield and quality of rice. This makes rice blast a major concern for farmers and a significant issue in terms of food production. These studies were carried out at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh with the aim to manage rice blast disease by means of different fungicides under in in-vitro and field conditions. In-vitro bioassay of six chemical fungicide(s) viz. Amister top 325SC, Seltima, Nativo 75 WG, Filia 525 SE, Avalon 27SC and Trooper 75 WP was done against Magnaporthe oryzae following poison food technique in the Plant Pathology Lab of BINA. The maximum mycelial growth inhibition (73.43%) of Magnaporthe oryzae was obtained by Avalon 27SC (Picoxystrobin 6.70%+ Tricyclazole 20.33%), Nativo 75WG (Tebuconazol 50% + Trifloxistrobin25%) and Seltima (Pyrachlostrobin 10%) at 0.0125% concentrations and 100% growth inhibition was obtained by all the six fungicides at 0.1% and 0.5% concentrations. In vivo evaluation of five fungicides viz. Amister top 325SC, Seltima, Nativo 75 WG, Filia 525 SE and Avalon 27SC against rice blast was carried out in research plot of the Plant Pathology of BINA. From the result, it was concluded that all the fungicides were effective in controlling leaf blast but Avalon 27SC (Picoxystrobin 6.70%+ Tricyclazole 20.33%) @ 0.2% was more effective among other fungicides, showing least leaf blast severity mean at three time interval (1.00, 1.33 and 1.46), least incidence (11.90%, 15.08%, 16.67%), and the highest grain yield (7.58 t ha-1).

Evaluation of Gamma Irradiation in Controlling Post-Harvest Rot of Ginger and Improvement of Shelf Life

Gamma irradiation has emerged as a promising method to enhance the shelf life and control of ginger rot after harvesting. By effectively reducing microbial contamination and inhibiting the growth of spoilage organisms, gamma irradiation offers significant potential in improving storage stability and prolonging the freshness of ginger. This study was carried out at the Division of Plant Pathology located at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) in Mymensingh, to explore the effectiveness of Gamma irradiation in controlling post-harvest storage rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum in ginger. The study was conducted using a design of complete randomization, and it was replicated three times, and six doses of Gamma irradiation (20, 40, 60, 300, 500, 700 Gy) were applied to ginger rhizomes, which were then stored in three types of containers: natural condition (on brown paper), gunny bag, and poly bag. The experiment also included chemical fungicide, bio-fungicide, and control (without radiation) treatments for comparison. The results showed that the highest suppression of mycelia growth (76.86%) was achieved with a dose of 700Gy. No sprouting was observed at doses of 60, 300, 500, and 700 Gy, even after three months of storage. The lowest incidence of rhizome rot (56.83%, 68.15%, and 87.89% after three months of storage) was recorded at 700Gy on brown paper, gunny bag, and poly bag, respectively. This resulted in a corresponding suppression of rhizome rot of 35.72%, 24.83%, and 12.11% over the control treatment. Overall, Gamma irradiation was found to be advantageous in increasing the shelf life of stored ginger by suppressing sprouting and in lowering the incidence and severity of post-harvest storage rot caused by Fusarium oxysporum. Therefore, Gamma irradiation may be considered as a suitable management practice for controlling post-harvest storage rot in ginger, without any adverse environmental effects.

Effect of Nano Urea Foliar Spray on Yield and Yield Attributes of Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.)

Foliar application of nano urea is a good option of nitrogen or a balanced dose of nitrogen to increase the yield of black gram. For that, this study was conducted to evaluate the performance of black gram (Vigna mungo L.) under two forms of nitrogen at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) sub-station experimental field, Chapainawabganj during September to December 2022. Black gram variety Binamash-2 and 3 treatments, viz. Control (no fertilizer) (T1), Farmers practice (recommended fertilizer application as basal dose and top dressing during active growth) (T2) and Nano urea (2-4 ml of nano urea (4 % N) in one litre of water and sprayed on crop leaves at its active growth stages) (T3) were used under randomized block design. Yield and yield contributing characters were significantly affected by different forms of nitrogen (urea). The highest grain yield was obtained with T3 which was 1587.33 kg per hectare whereas T1 had given the lowest yield (983.33 kg per hectare). It was obvious that grain yield of black gram can be increased substantially with the judicious application of nano urea as foliar spray during active growth stages.

Phenotyping for the Seedling Stage of the Drought Stress Tolerance in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The ever-increasing demand for rice raises the need to increase productivity by developing drought-tolerant rice varieties. Drought tolerance is a complex polygenic trait that largely depends upon plant developmental stages and showed genotype-specific variability. The experiment was conducted using drought tolerant (Binadhan-19, BRRI dhan83) and drought susceptible (BRRI dhan26, BRRI dhan48) rice genotypes at the glasshouse of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh to characterize the seedling stage drought tolerance as well as disclose the variability of the genotypes for morphological and biochemical traits. A completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications and treatments (control and drought stress imposed by 20% PEG) was used for the experiment. Data on shoot length, root length, fresh root weight, fresh shoot weight, dry root weight, dry shoot weight, chlorophyll content (SPAD value), MDA, and H2O2 were recorded and analyzed through appropriate breeding tools. Significant variation (p<0.01) was observed for genotype, treatment, and genotype (G) × treatment (T) interactions viz., shoot length, root length, root fresh weight, shoot fresh weight, root dry weight, shoot dry weight, chlorophyll, H2O2, and MDA. Drought stress leads to a significant decrease in root and shoots growth whereas the level of H2O2 and MDA increased significantly. A greater decrease in root and shoot growth was observed in susceptible genotypes (BRRI dhan28, BRRI dhan48) compared to tolerant genotypes (BRRI dhan71, Binadhan-19). In contrast, a limited increase in H2O2 and MDA was recorded in tolerant genotypes compared to susceptible genotypes. H2O2 showed a significant positive correlation with root and shoot characteristics under control conditions, whereas H2O2 showed a significant negative correlation with chlorophyll content under drought conditions. MDA showed a significant negative correlation with most of the studied traits under well-watered conditions. Considering all of the traits at the seedling stage, the genotype Binadhan-19 is considered a drought-tolerant genotype both under well-watered and drought conditions, and this genotype was selected for further study under direct field conditions as well as for genetic improvement against drought stress.

Yield Comparison of Bina Developed Four Sesame Varieties Under the Agro-Ecological Conditions of Gopalganj District of Bangladesh

An experiment was conducted during kharif (summer) season 2021 at the substation of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Gopalganj, Bangladesh. Yield and yield contributing attributes of BINA developed four sesame varieties were observed during the trial. A Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 3 replications was performed. The varieties were V1 = Binatil-1, V2 = Binatil-2, V3 = Binatil-3 and V4 = Binatil-4. Results from the experiment revealed that plant height, number of branches plant-1, number of pods plant-1, pod length, pod breadth, number of seeds pod-1, 1000 seed weight and seed yield were significantly different among the varieties. The tallest plant (106.00 cm) was found in Binatil-1 while shortest plant (77.33 cm) was observed in Binatil-3. It was observed that Binatil-2 had the foremost branches plant-1 (4.80) while the lowest number of branches plant-1 was found in Binatil-1 (0.33). Moreover, Binatil-3 showed the very best number of pods plant-1 (93.33) while Binatil-1 gave the lowest number of pods plant-1 (47.87). The largest pod was found in Binatil-1 (3.74 cm) while the smallest was found in Binatil-2 (2.42 cm). It had been recorded that Binatil-1 showed the maximum number of seeds pod-1 (76.97) while Binatil-3 gave the minimum number of seeds pod-1 (57.60). The highest number of thousand seed weight was recorded in Binatil-3 (3.12 g) while the lowest thousand seed weight was recorded in Binatil-1 (2.93 g). It had been detected that the variety Binatil-2 showed the highest seed yield (1.35 ha-1) while Binatil-1 gave the lowest seed yield (1.25 ha-1). The remarkable growth and yield performance of sesame from kharif season (summer) trial was observed at Binatil-2. And it will be helpful to select the varieties having high yield potential as well as future breeding materials of sesame in Bangladesh.
 Vol. 9, No. 3, December 2022: 247-251

Soil Fertility Status of Major Tobacco Growing Lands of Bangladesh

Tobacco cultivation is associated with the destruction of soil quality, productivity, and environmental pollution. An experiment was conducted to know the soil fertility status of tobacco and non-tobacco growing soils of major tobacco growing areas (Manikganj, Kushtia, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Chattogram, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari) of Bangladesh. Soil samples were examined to check the level of various nutrient components of soil like Organic Carbon (OC), Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Zinc (Zn) in the Laboratory of Soil Science at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture. Wet oxidation, Kjeldhal, Olsen, flame photometer and atomic absorption spectrophotometer methods were followed to determine the OC, total N, P, K and Zn respectively of the soil samples. Overall, the results showed a decrease in all the nutrients in the tobacco growing lands compared to non-tobacco growing lands. The amount of OC (p value 0.0271), total N (p value 0.0162) and exchangeable K (p value 0.0006) were significantly lower in the tobacco lands. The organic carbon content of both tobacco and non-tobacco land showed below standard limit (2%). The total nitrogen content of the soil samples for both tobacco and non-tobacco showed below 0.5% except the non-tobacco growing lands of Chattogram and Khagrachari. The available P and Zn content in tobacco lands also showed a decrease in compared to non-tobacco lands but statistically there were no significant differences between them. The available P and Zn content in all the soil were below 50 ppm (except Khagrachari in non-tobacco lands) which was very low. The K content was also low in the tobacco growing lands and low to medium in the non-tobacco growing lands. This result reveals the poor soil condition due to tobacco cultivation in the major tobacco growing areas of Bangladesh. So, effective measures should be taken immediately to retain the soil health.

EFFECT OF TILLAGE AND WEEDING ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF MAIZE

The experiment was conducted to assess the effect of tillage and weeding practices on the growth, yield, and weed infestation of maize at the research field of the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Sunamganj substation, from December 2020 to April 2021. Three tillage (conventional tillage, zero tillage, strip tillage) and three weeding practices (pre-plant herbicide application, one manual weeding and no weeding) were tested using factorial randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications. The results revealed that maize growth, yield and its attributes as well as weed infestations were significantly affected by the tillage, weeding practices and their interactions. Weeds of all categories, including grass, sedge, and broad leaf, were present and affected by tillage and weeding activities. In the weed affected plots, Eleusine indica L., Fimbristylis maliaceae, Eclipta prostrata L., Echinochloa crusgalli L. were found prominent. It was observed that conventional tillage plots treated with herbicide produced the highest grain yield (10.78 t ha-¹) and benefit cost ratio (BCR) (2.26), as well as the lowest weed density (5.75 m-²) and maximum weed control efficiency (84.15%). The lowest yield was found in zero tillage plots with no weeding (4.89 t ha-¹) due to higher weed density (88.50 m-²). However, strip tillage along with herbicide treated plots produced yield of 8.01 t ha-¹ incurring a moderate cost of production (81,477 Tk.) and good BCR (2.13). As conventional tillage plots treated with herbicide resulted in higher plant growth and yield and lower weed density than conservation tillage practices with or without weeding it can be practiced in the field for better outcome. However, considering farmer’s income, strip tillage with herbicide application can be suggested for good yield and BCR with the low cost of production.

Biochemical and molecular characterization of some advanced mutant rice (Oryza sativa L.) Genotypes

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the main cereal crops in the world and the main staple food of Bangladesh. Amylose content of rice endosperm is the main chemical properties that contributes the eating and cooking quality. On the other hand, rice protein is the important source of nutrition of almost 50 per cent of the world’s population living on rice. A total of 12 rice genotypes including ten advanced mutant lines, one landrace namely Laxmidigha along with BRRI dhan49 was collected from Plant Breeding Division of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh and Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), Gazipur. The genotypes were analyzed to assess the amylose and protein content as well as their genetic diversity relationship. Among all the tested genotypes amylose content were ranged from 23.9-20.3% where highest amylose percentage was found for Magic-86 (25.6%). Protein content of the genotypes were ranged from 8.50-5.04%, where highest 8.86% protein was recorded for SSB-3. The highest gene diversity (0.81) was observed in RM519 marker and the lowest (0.28) was in RM111 marker. The PIC values ranged from 0.24-0.78 with a mean of 0.51. The highest Nei’s genetic distance value 0.87 was found in RM-16(N)-10 vs RM-40(C)-4-2-8 and the lowest value 0.18 was found in LD-200-1-3-3-8 vs LD-200-1-3-2-4. A dendogram was constructed using UPGMA system based on Nei’s similarity coefficient and six major clusters were obtained at 0.7 cut off. The genotypes showing diverse ranges of amylose and protein content tended to cluster together in the dendogram with some exceptions. SAARC J. Agric., 20(1): 41-53 (2022)

Growth, yield and seed protein content of Faba bean (Vicia faba) subject to seed inoculation by its root nodulating rhizobial strains

Faba bean (Vicia faba L) is a protein rich legume crop which capable to fix atmospheric nitrogen in association with rhizobium bacteria. Present study was conducted to evaluate symbiotic effectiveness of isolated rhizobial strains by pot experiment at field conditions. Experiment was conducted during 2019–2020 at the Bangladesh institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Bangladesh. In this study sixteen rhizobial strains with two controls were used as treatments named Faba-1, Faba-2, Faba-3, Faba-6, Faba-8, Faba-9, Faba-10, Faba-11, FM-1a, FM-4a, FM-4b, FM-4c, FM-4f, BL-129, BL-153, BL-640, control-1 (without nitrogenous fertilizer and rhizobial strain) and control-2 (nitrogenous fertilizer without rhizobial strain) were used. Different parameters related to growth and yield viz., chlorophyll content, number of nodules/plant, nodule dry weight and dry matter weight plant−, Number of branches/plant, Number of pods/plant, Number of seeds/pod and 100-seed weight were higher in the inoculation with Faba-2 compared to others. Subsequently, the highest seed yield (7.33 g/plant) and protein content (33.63%) were found from inoculation with Faba-2 followed by FM-1a and Faba-10. Among the tested rhizobial strains, 66.67% strains showed better performance over absolute control while 44.4% strains showed high performance than nitrogenous control and only 27.74% showed lower performance than two control due to the “selfish character” of rhizobia. So, the strain Faba-2 appears as the promising strain to use as bio-fertilizer as the means of restoring soil fertility and reduction of the use of chemical nitrogenous fertilizers in Faba bean cultivation in Bangladesh.

Effect of different residues based vermicompost with chemical fertilizer on the growth and yield of T. aman rice

A field experiment was conducted to reduce the chemical fertilizers with the integrated use of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers in T. aman rice cultivation. The research was conducted at the Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh during the T. aman season of 2019-20 at BINA farm Mymensingh. Six treatments were used in the experiment. These were T1: Native soil fertility, T2: 100% N from Chemical Fertilizer (CF), T3:70%N from CF, T4: 30% N from vermicompost-3 + 70% N from CF and T5:30% N from vermicompost-4 + 70% N from CF and T6: 100% PKS only. The experiments were conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications. The test crop was T. aman rice (Binadhan-17). The treatment T5 gave maximum grain yield (5.5 t ha-1) of T. aman rice followed by 5.4 t ha-1 that did by the treatment T4. But the treatments T5, T4 and T2 gave identical grain yields of T. aman rice. Similar results were observed in case of straw yields of T. aman rice. The maximum total N, P, K and S uptake were also noted with the treatment T5 (30% N from vermicompost-4 + 70% N from CF) followed by the treatment T4 (30% N from vermicompost-3 + 70% N from CF) which were comparable with the treatment T2 (100% chemical fertilizer). The result indicated that 30% N from either vermicompost-3 or vermicompost-4 with 70% N from CF gave comparable yields to the sole application of 100% N from CF alone. Therefore, overall 30% chemical fertilizers (N, P, K and S) could be saved with the integrated use of vermicompost-3 or vermicompost-4 following IPNS in the cultivation of T. aman rice.
 Progressive Agriculture 32 (2): 96-106, 2021

Impact of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Yield and Yield Contributing Characters of Mustard (Brassica napus L.)

Bangladesh is a densely populated country where the oil crisis is one of the major issues. On the other hand, the balanced fertilizer used is lacking until now. The purpose of the study is to investigate the yield of Mustard (Brassica napus L.) Binasarisha-9 is influenced by the different applications of organic fertilizers. The experiment was conducted at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), substation, Satkhira during the rabi season of 2020-2021 to observe the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the yield of mustard (Brassica napus L.) viz Binasarisha-9 and determine the best dose of combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers for optimum yield of mustard (Brassica napus L.) viz Binasarisha-9. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) comprising five treatments (T1= Absolute control, T2=recommended dose chemical fertilizer (RDCF), T3=50% RDCF+ 5t/ha vermicompost, T4= 50% RDCF+ 5t/ha poultry manure, T5= 50% RDCF+ 5 ton/ha cow dung) with three replications were executed to conduct the study. Mustard (Brassica napus L.) was responded significantly to T3 treatment (50% RDCF+ 5t/ha vermicompost). The highest mustard yield was recorded (2.14 tons/ha) from T3 treatment whereas the lowest mustard (Brassica napus L.) yield (0.81 ton/ha) was obtained from T1= (absolute control) treatment. Balanced nutrient management application significantly increased mustard yield compared to the imbalanced treatment. Organic fertilizers (vermicompost, poultry manure, cow-dung) showed better nutrient uptake compared to chemical fertilizers. However, vermicompost tends to be the most suitable organic source for higher yield and thus is the proper substitute of the most commonly used nutrient sources for the production of mustard.

​Binasoybean-6: A High Yielding Mutant Soybean Variety Developed through Sustainable Mutation Breeding

Background: Soybean is an important source of food, protein and oil and hence more research is essential to increase its yield under different agro-ecological conditions, including stress. In this regard, four popular soybean varieties viz. Shohag, BDS-4, BAU-S/64 and BARI Soybean-5 were irradiated using Co60 gamma rays to create genetic variation for earliness, higher seed yield and other desirable agronomic traits. Methods: The experiments were conducted at Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) Headquarters farm, Mymensingh during 2006-2009 and 28 elite mutant lines were selected for evaluation. The mutant line, SBM-22 derived from mother variety BARI Soybean-5 irradiated with 300Gy of gamma rays was found to be superior compared to other mutants. Considering the superior performance of mutant SBM-22 including 28 mutants and mother check variety BARI Soybean-5, were evaluated through different trials. The evaluation trials were conducted at different agro-ecological zones of the country during Rabi season (January to April) of 2010-2018. Result: Significant variations were observed both in individual location and over locations for all traits. Reactions to major diseases and insect-pests infestation were also studied. Due to better performance of the mutant SBM-22, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) applied to the National Seed Board (NSB) of Bangladesh for registration as an important soybean variety “Binasoybean-6”. Consequently, the NSB of Bangladesh registered SBM-22 as an improved soybean variety in 2019 as Binasoybean-6 for commercial cultivation.