International Journal of Agricultural Research, Innovation and Technology

1-6

Authors: M.S. Hosain and M.W. Islam

The study aims to explore the prospects and retrospects of land use system through agroforestry practices in Meherpur district, Bangladesh. It particularly focuses on some aspects of land uses of the study area like land use pattern, land ownership, choices of species for agroforestry, farmers’ perceptions towards agroforestry, status and prospects of agroforestry practices. This study was carried out by using mixed method followed by a semi-structure questionnaire. A total of 100 respondents were selected by using snowball purposive sampling method. The study revealed that agriculture was the major occupation (50%) of the selected respondents. Of the total land used by selected respondents, 21% land were used for agroforestry, 69% for agriculture and remaining 10% for homestead purposes. Most of the farmers (60%) were small landholders (1 to 5 acres) and 18% had lesser than 1 acre land. Among them 76% had their own land followed by 8% leased land and 16% both own and leased land. They preferred agroforestry in their homestead (92%), agricultural land (65%), water body (31%) and fallow land (18%). The farmers were practicing different types of agroforestry such as cropland, homestead and aquaculture with boundary plantation by mixing trees, agricultural crops and vegetables in their farmlands to receive diversified outcomes. A remarkable change in land use pattern was found after adopting agroforestry practices in this study area. Maximum respondents practiced agro-forestry in their homestead and croplands. Most of the land (67%) was used for agriculture

18-21

Authors: Shure Soboka, Getachew Asefa and Mohammed Beriso

The highland of Bale is known with potato production, but post harvest quality of the crop is not emphasized yet. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate six potato varieties with the objective of assessing the effect of varieties and growing on tuber nutritional and process quality of potato grown in Sinana and Dinsho highlands of Bale. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. The varieties showed highly significant (P<0.05) differences for all the parameters studied across the locations. The highest specific gravity, dry matter content and starch content (1.107, 26.61 and 19.19) were recorded from Dinsho location for Guddene variety while the lowest specific gravity, dry matter content and starch content (1.084, 19.41 and 14.61) were recorded from Sinana location for Ararsa variety. Most of the varieties were recorded as the highest values of specific gravity, dry matter and starch content at Dinsho indicating that it is an ideal location for potato production to be used for processing while Sinana is suitable for the production for home consumption. However, it is necessary to evaluate these varieties for a number of seasons and locations to recommend with high post harvest quality parameters required by the processors.

27-35

Authors: BR Irin, MA Mansur, MS Rahman

The present research was conducted to evaluate the monthly variations of macro-zoobenthos of three ponds (pond 1, bottom soil is loam; pond 2, bottom soil is sandy loam; pond 3, bottom soil is silty clay loam) in relation to soil texture types of sediment. The major groups of macro-zoobenthos recorded were Chironomidae, Oligochaeta, Mollusca and Ceratopogonidae. The values of all water quality parameters such as temperature, water depth, rainfall, transparency, dissolved oxygen, pH, free CO2, NO3-N and PO4-P were found to have positive correlations in most cases, in some cases negative correlations and in few cases significant correlations. The abundance of Chironomidae was to be dominant in the pond no. 3 during the whole study period. The highest number of Oligochaeta (400 per m2) was found in pond no. 3 at depth of 150 cm and the lowest number of Oligochaeta (0 per m2) was found in pond nos. 1, 2 and 3 at both depths. The highest number of Chironomidae (1332 per m2) was found in pond no. 3 at depth of 150 cm and the lowest number of Chironomidae (444 per m2) was found in pond no. 2 at depth of 100 cm. The highest number of Ceratopogonidae (977 per m2) was found in pond no. 3 at the depth of 150 cm and the lowest number of Ceratopogonidae (178 per m2) was found in pond no. 2 at both depths. The highest number of Mollusca (1288 per m2) was found in pond no. 3 at the depth of 150 cm and the lowest number of Mollusca (222 per m2) was found in pond no. 2 at the depth of 100 cm. Satisfactory quantity of macrobenthos in the pond no. 3 at the depth of 150 cm than those of other two ponds. Between 2 depths (100 and 150 cm), the depth of 150 cm was to have highest quantity of macro-zoobenthos in all the three ponds because this depth was most favourable for macro-zoobenthos production. In pond no. 1, 2 and 3 relation of macro-benthos (no. per m2) with chemical parameters of pond bottom-soil conditions vary pond to pond which influence primary production and also influence macro-zoobenthos production (secondary production). The highest macro-zoobenthos population density was found in pond no. 3 followed by pond no. 1 and the lowest production in pond no. 2 but macro-zoobenthos production in pond no. 2 and pond no. 1 are more or less similar and macro-zoobenthos production in pond no. 3 is different and higher than those of pond nos. 1 and 2 which indicates that silty clay loam of bottom-soil is more suitable for macro-zoobenthos than other soil textural classes of bottom-soil loam and sandy loam.

43-48

Authors: Kenea Worku, Abdissa Debela, Diriba Shanko

The study of soil physico-chemical properties were made on the soils of BuleHoraWoreda, WestGuji zone. The objective of the study was to characterize soil physical and chemical properties to assess the fertility status of the soils in the study areas. Soil profile pits at representative sites were described and soil samples were collected from each depth of 0-15 cm, 15 – 30 cm, and 30–60 cm depending on the root depth of the crop. Soil samples were collected from two different study areas for the determination of soil texture, bulk density, porosity, soil pH and electrical conductivity. The top layer (0-15 cm) has an average bulk density of 1.10 g/cm3, whereas the subsurface layer (15-30 and the bottom layer (30-60 cm) has an average bulk density of 1.16 g/cm3 and 1.26 g/cm3, respectively at the GuyyeKebele. The average value of bulk density 1.18 g/cm3, 1.29 g/cm3 and 1.39g/cm3 was recorded on the surface horizon (0-15 cm), subsurface horizon (15-30 cm) and the bottom horizon (30 - 60 cm) depth, respectively at BuleHora Farm. Accordingly, the highest (1.39 g/cm3) and the lowest (1.10 g/cm3) average bulk density values were recorded for BuleHoraand GuyyeKebele study Farm, respectively. The average highest porosity (58.48%) value was observed in the surface horizon (0 -15 cm) soil depth and the average lowest porosity value (52.11%) was observed in the bottom horizon (30 – 60 cm) depth at GuyyeKebele study Farm. The average porosity value of the soils in BuleHora study Farm were recorded 55.27%, 52.39% and 47.63% for the surface horizon (0 -15 cm), sub surface horizon ( 15 –30 cm) and bottom horizon (30 – 60 cm) depth , respectively. The soil textural class was changed with depth from sandy clay in surface horizon (0-15 cm) to clay in both sub surface horizon (15-30 cm) and bottom horizon (30-60 cm) at GuyyeKebele. The pH value was observed on the soils of the GuyyeKebele study area increased from 6.08 at surface horizon (0 – 15 cm) to 6.27 at the sub surface horizon (15- 30 cm) and then slightly decreased to 6.21 at the bottom horizon (30-60 cm) of the soil depth. Lowest soil pH value (5.44) was measured in the surface horizon (0 –15 cm) and the highest pH value (6.09) was observed in bottom horizon (30-60 cm) soil depth at BuleHora farm. The electrical conductivity of the saturated soil paste extracts of the study area was low (ranging from 0.0387 to 0.1587 dS m-1) throughout the profile showing no significant accumulation of soluble salts to convert the soil to saline soil.

57-62

Authors: GMM Islam, SK Tarafder, ABMM Hasan, SMA Iqbal, H Mamtaz

A study was conducted in Monirampur upazila under Jessore district from July to December, 2016 to collect information on names, numbers and comparative availability of different brands of Zinc fertilizers in order to aid the assessment of nutrient status for quality of the brands. For this purpose, information was collected from 54 randomly selected fertilizer shops (20 BCIC fertilizer dealers and 34 retailers) through questionnaire interview. In the study total 77 brands [41 Zinc sulfate (mono), 11 Zinc sulfate (hepta) and 25 Chelated zinc] of zinc fertilizer marketed by 49 companies were found in the upazila. Zingsul, Mim zinc, Grogin, Bumper mono zinc, Eon zinc and Geel mono of Zinc sulfate (mono) brands, Current Bumper of Zinc sulfate (hepta) brands and Mim zinc gold of Chelated zinc brands were mostly available. “Zingsul and Mim zinc” of Zinc sulfate (mono) and “Current Bumper” of Zinc sulfate (hepta) were the top most available. Ten percent of Zinc sulfate (hepta) mentioned no registration number. There was a significant difference between highest and lowest MRP of all types (imported, supplied and manufactured) of Zinc sulfate (mono) and Zinc sulfate (hepta) fertilizer as well as imported Chelated zinc brands.