Current Issue: Volume 1 Issue 2, December 2020

Improvement of growth performance and management of foot and root rot disease of lentil with Trichoderma sp. and Rhizobium sp.

Sayera Khatun, Asifa Aktar, Showdia Sarmin and Md. Mahmodol Hasan

Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Extension, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

Abstract: Microbial inoculants Trichoderma sp. and Rhizobium sp. were used to investigate their effects in controlling foot and root rot disease of lentil caused by Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii and Fusarium oxysporum through seed and soil inoculation. In vitro study showed that T. harzianum significantly (P< 0.05) inhibited the growth of R. solani, S. rolfsii and F. oxysporum. From the results it reveals that combined seed treatment with T. harzianum-TH and Rhizobium sp. significantly (P< 0.05) increased the seed germination and decreased seed borne infection of the fungi. The treatments also showed significant (P< 0.05) effect in reducing disease incidence in the field over the control. The highest seedling emergence and the lowest seedling mortality were recorded by the combined application of T. harzianum-TH and Rhizobium sp. Like-wise the plant shoot length, root length, stem diameter and fresh weight were significantly influenced by the same treatment. The yield and yield contributing characters viz. plant height number of branches plant-1, effective pods plant-1, non-effective pods plant-1, total pods plant-1, normal seeds plant-1, deformed seeds plant-1, total seeds plant-1, 1000-seed weight (g) and grain yield (t ha-1) were also considerably influenced by the combined application of T. harzianum-TH and Rhizobium sp. From the results it may be concluded that soil inoculation with T. harzianum-TH followed by seed treatment with T. harzianum-TH + Rhizobium sp. was the best combination for combating foot and root rot disease and for enhancing the growth and yield of lentil. However, further investigations should be done to apply the inoculants to control the foot and root rot disease of lentil in farmer level.

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Helminth parasites in small ruminants of sub-urban areas of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Md. Zakirul Islam^1†, Md. Mamunur Rashid^1†, Md. Zamal Uddin¹, Sm. Ahasanul Hamid¹, Lovely Nahar¹, Md. Emtiaj Alam¹, Alam Khan², Mst. Ishrat Zerin Moni¹, Moizur Rahman¹

¹Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

²Department of Pharmacy, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

Abstract: The growth, development and multiplication of small ruminants are greatly hampered by the helminth infections. This study determined the status of helminthic infection in sheep and goat of Rajshahi, Bangladesh. The fecal samples collected from naturally infected animals were examined by direct smear method for detection of eggs followed by modified McMaster technique to determine the intensity of infection. Helminth parasites collected from slaughtered animals were also identified accordingly. Results of coprological examination showed the prevalence of helminthic infection was 86% in sheep and 78% in goat. The females were more prone to helminth infection than male. The eggs of Fasciola, Paramphistomum, Moniezia, Oesophagostomum, Trichuris and strongyle type were detected from both sheep and goat and percentage of infection were ranges from 82 to 11. Quantitative examination of 20 fecal samples (10 goats and 10 sheep) showed highest infection of strongyles group helminth (1883±125.83) followed by Fasciola (1267±28.87), Paramphistomum (734±76.38), Strongyloides (630±38.68), Moniezia (483±86.22) and Trichuris (450±75.50) irrespective of species of animals. Adult Fasciola, Paramphistomum, Moniezia, Haemonchus, Oesophagostomum, Trichuris and metacestode Coenurus cerebralis, Cysticercus taenuicollis and hydatid cyst were identified from different organs of slaughtered sheep and goats. The results suggest that helminth parasites are highly prevalent in sheep and goats of the study area. Effective strategies are warned to control the helminthic infection for improvement of small ruminant’s production in Rajshahi, Bangladesh.

^† Equal contributor

Effects of dietary vitamin C on the growth, carcass compositions and palatability of Labeo bata

Mahbuba Sultana, Md. Rony Hosen, Syeda Nusrat Jahan and Md. Mahabubur Rahman

Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Abstract: A study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary vitamin C on the growth, carcass compositions and palatability of Labeo bata for three months. The study was carried out in 12 cages set in a pond of the Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi under 4 treatments (T0, T1, T2 and T3) with 4 experimental feeds prepared by addition of vitamin C at the rate of 0 (Control), 100, 200 and 400 mg/Kg feed. During this study, the growth parameters (weight gain, SGR and survival rate), carcass compositions (Crude protein, lipid, fiber, carbohydrate, ash and moisture content) and palatability (Odor and taste) of the fish were measured by following standard methods. Significantly higher weight gain was recorded in T3 compared to other treatments. No significant difference found in SGR among the treatments but relatively higher SGR was recorded in T3. There were no significant differences among the treatments for the survival rate of the fish due to dietary vitamin C. A relatively higher carcass protein and lipid were estimated in the fish of T3 and T2, respectively. Moreover, carcass fiber, ash and carbohydrate content showed an increasing trend in the fish fed with vitamin C treated feed. The odor of cooked fish fed vitamin C treated feed was fresh and the taste was more or less sweet compared to the control fish. The present study concluded that dietary vitamin C at 400 mg/kg feed increased the growth and carcass protein of L. bata. Dietary vitamin C also affects the odor and taste of the fish.

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Management of blast of rice through decontamination of seeds with glow discharge plasma and plasma activated water

Md. Mahmodol Hasan¹, M. R. Talukder², Md. Belal Hossain¹, Hemanta Roy¹  and Prabesh Rai¹

¹Plant Pathology Laboratory, Department of Agronomy and Agricultural Extension University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

²Plasma Science and Technology Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

Abstract: Glow discharge plasma and plasma activated water (PAW) were evaluated for seed treatment (for different time duration) in controlling seed borne Pyriculara oryzae causing blast disease of rice. Control (without treatment) and chemical treatment were also used in order to compare the treatments effects. Conidial suspension of Pyricularia oryzae treated with O₂-air glow discharge plasma for 120 s and air-plasma activated water for 12 min successfully reduced the conidial germination ability of Pyricularia oryzae on Potato Sucrose Agar (PSA) medium. The plasma seed treatments used in this study showed parallel effect and some cases better effect than chemical seed treatment. The result is very much promising and positive for seed germination, field emergence (plant stand), and seedling health and in reduction of blast severity in the field. Among the plasmas used, O₂-air glow discharge plasma for 90 s and PAW 9 min showed 14.96 and 20.21% increased plant stand over control treatment. The blast incidence and severity were significantly reduced in the plots which received seed treatment with O₂-air glow discharge plasma for 120 s and air-plasma activated water (PAW) for 12 min. It can be concluded that the O₂-air glow discharge plasma for 120 s and PAW for 12 min showed overall better performance with few exceptional cases.

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Seasonal variation in length-weight relationships and condition factor of Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1816) (Scombridae) from Ibrahim Hyderi fish harbor (commercial fishers’ catch), Karachi coast, Pakistan

Kanwal Muzzafar¹, Farzana Yousuf¹ and Sumya Khatune²

¹Department of Zoology, University of Karachi, Karachi-75270, Pakistan

²Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

Abstract: The length-weight relationship and condition factor of Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1816) were estimated using a total of 631 specimens with various sizes (36.00 – 101.00 g body weight; 9.50 – 20.30 cm in total length) from commercial fishers’ catch of the Arabian Sea, Karachi Coast, Pakistan. Samples were collected in different seasons from commercial catch landed at Ibrahim Hyderi Fish Harbor, Karachi, Pakistan. Total length (TL) and body weight for each individual were noted. The highest TL (20.30 cm) and BW (101.00 g) values for R. kanagurta were obtained in monsoon season. The lowest TL (9.50 cm) and weight (36 g) were found in post-monsoon. The highest condition factor and the lowest condition factor of R. kanagurta were determined as 2.766 (pre-monsoon) and 1.733 (monsoon), respectively. The allometric co-efficient (b) values of the LWRs for R. kanagurta were calculated as 1.79 in pre-monsoon, 1.07 in monsoon and 1.13 in post-monsoon. These results would be effective for stock assessment and management of this Indian mackerel fishery in the Arabian Sea and surrounding waters.

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Alternative livelihood status of Hilsa fishers’ in Chandpur district of Bangladesh

Farhana Taslima^1,2_, Md. Delwer Hossain¹, Md. Abdul Mannan Akanda² and Dil Afroza Khanom¹

¹Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

²Department of Fisheries (DoF), Bangladesh

Abstract: An investigation was carried out via personal interview, focus group discussion and crosscheck interviews with key informants, to evaluate the income potential and livelihood status of alternative income generating activities of Hilsa fisher of      Chandpur district in Bangladesh for a period of 12 months from January to December 2018. An initial snapshot we got from our surveys revealed, that the fishers were all male (100%), half were in the middle age group (53%), the overwhelming majority were married (84%) and muslim (86%). Of them most were from the nuclear family (67%). The minority religion was Hindu (14%). Most of the fishers did have primary education (67%), a minority of them were illiterate (17%). All of them had access to water via tube-well water (100%); however, a significant minority were using kacha latrine (16%) and deprived of electric facilities (29%). Only 3% of the fisherman enjoyed pakka housing facility. In the domain of health, a third of the fishers (31%) was uninformed on modern health facilities and was dependent on the village doctor or Kobiraj. Income per annum for majority of the fishers ranged between 80 thousand to 150 thousand BDT. We have found that the local fishers had multiple income sources and were not entirely dependent on their primary occupation for the maintenance of their livelihood. For further development of the lives of the fisherman, we recommend an expansion of education, loan facilities from both the government and private agencies and proper management of the local resources.

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Marketing system of Hilsa in Chandpur district of Bangladesh

Farhana Taslima^1,2, Md. Delwer Hossain¹, Md. Abdul Mannan Akanda² and Dil Afroza Khanom¹

¹Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

²Department of Fisheries (DoF), Bangladesh

Abstract: A study was carried out between January to December of 2018 with an objective of understanding the practices of the Hilsa marketing system in the district of Chandpur. Constituents of the primary data include personal interviews, Focus Group Discussions of fishers, intermediaries and cross check interviews of key informants keeping the emphasis on overviews of Hilsa marketing exercise, marketing channel, marketing constraints and the role of marketing participants. “Fishery ghat or mach ghat” was the main landing center of hilsa in Chandpur district from where Hilsa was distributed and marketed throughout the country with grading practice. Though level of preservation knowledge of some of market participants was alarming, Hilsa was found to be stored by some aratdar. Majority of intermediaries were self- financed. During this investigation it was observed that Hilsa marketing channel deals with both domestic and overseas marketing. Fishers were marginalized to a large extent both in the credit and product made by the advancing system of money lender, aratdar acted as a commission-based sales agent to sale the catch of fishers at the landing center. Wholesaler invested a huge amount of capital to purchase Hilsa for a short period of time and LC paikars exported their entire purchase to overseas market and retailers were the last intermediaries who sold Hilsa directly to consumer. Major constrains of Hilsa marketing includes infrastructure, long marketing chain, credit facility, and effective policy. For the development of the Hilsa market effective policies along with fishers’ cooperative societies are recommended.

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Prevalence of enteric bacterial diseases of chickens with isolation and characterization of causal agents and pathology in Gazipur district of Bangladesh

Salma Sultana¹, Md. Taimur Islam¹, Md. Ali Zinnah², Abu Nasar Md. Aminoor Rahman³, Abdur RahimUzzal¹ and Md. Golam Haider¹

¹Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh.

²Department of Microbiology and Public Health, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh.

³Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Health, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh.

Abstract: Enteric bacterial diseases are important cause of high economic losses in chicken industry due to increased mortality, decreased weight gain, increased medication costs and decreased feed conversion rates. Isolation and identification of enteric bacteria along with the pathology they produce is crucial to determine the cause of enteric diseases in chickens for formulating effective therapy and control measures. We investigated the prevalence of enteric bacterial diseases focusing on isolation and identification of enteric bacteria with gross and histopathologic changes in chickens. A total of 100 chicken (60 dead and 40 live) samples collected from Kazi Poultry Farm Laboratory of Gazipur Chowrasta Branch were analyzed by culture, biochemical tests, necropsy and histopathology. The prevalence of enteric bacterial diseases were 80% colibacillosis, 75% fowl typhoid, 50% pullorum disease, 60% fowl paratyphoid and 40% fowl cholera. E. coli fermented most of the basic sugars while Salmonella fermented only dextrose and mannitol and produced acid and gas. Pasteurella multocida fermented dextrose and sucrose with the production of only acid. Among the Salmonella organisms, only the Salmonella paratyphi displayed motility. Hemorrhagic intestine and congested lungs in colibacillosis, bronze color liver with necrotic foci in fowl typhoid and punctuate hemorrhage in the coronary groove fat in fowl cholera were predominant gross findings. Focal necrosis, congestion of vessels and heterophilic infiltrations were evident in different organs as the histopathologic changes. These findings help the poultry industry to maintain the gut health of chickens.

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Estimation of production performance of desi chicken under modern farming conditions

Md. Shariful Islam¹, Syed Sarwar Jahan¹, Jafor Raihan¹, Md. Sumon Ali¹, Md. Zahirul Islam¹ and Abdisamad Hasan Husein^1,2

¹Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

²Department of Animal Husbandry, Somali National University, Somalia

Abstract: A total of 200 hatching eggs of non-descriptive desi hens were collected and hatched out. The hatched-out day-old chicks were properly brooded for two weeks. After brooding 120 birds were equally distributed among three replications in the experimental shed until 13 weeks of age. The production performance was recorded in terms of feed intake (g), body weight and body weight gain (g),  feed conversion ratio (FCR), dressing weight (g), dressing %, and survivability (%). The recorded feed intake for the flock was 3.33 kg. The results indicated that the average body weight and body weight gain of the experimental birds at 13 weeks of age was 1080.33 and 1052.33g, respectively. The estimated FCR for the flock was 3.16. The dressing weight and dressing % of the experimental flock were 744.24g and 68.89%, respectively. Finally, the observed survivability of the flock was 97.07% under intensive farming conditions. 

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Agar tree (Aquilaria malaccensis) cultivation and its economic importance: a case study of Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh

Nasrin Akter¹, Nazmun Naher², Rashidul Hasan³, Md. Masud Rana⁴, Hafiza Arby^5, Sazzat Hossain Raihan⁶

¹ Department of Agroforestry & Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e -Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

²Department of Agroforestry & Environmental Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e -Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh

³Department of Crop Botany and Tea Production Technology, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet-3100, Bangladesh

⁴Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Bangladesh

⁵Faculty of Business Administration and Management, Department of Marketing, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh

⁶Department of Agroforestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh

Abstract: The cultivation of Agar Plant (Aquilaria malaccensis) is a rising aspect of agricultural firms in Bangladesh, with some examples operating on a small scale, necessitating the development of appropriate techniques for spurring commercial output. As a result, the study aimed to discover commercial production strategies, producer returns, and risk-bearing abilities in small-scale agar plant farming. The research location was chosen as Barlekha upazila in Bangladesh's Moulvibazar district. During February-December 2016, sixty agar cultivators were selected randomly for agar processors, and agar tree chips/oil traders from three villages were randomly selected for the above purposes. The plants have an average life of around 15 years, and the number of trees in homestead of the farmers ranged from 0 to 500 with an average 68. About 30% of the respondent farmers sold total Agar Garden and 70% did not. The farmers who do not sell garden directly, among them 21.43% is involved in raw wooding, 64.29% is involved in processing Atar and 14.29% is involved in both raw and processed. Two marketing channels are prevalent in the study area. About 64% of the farmers sell agar trees before artificial wounding, by agreement between the agar farmers and the agar-based enterprise owners. About 36% of the farmers sell agar trees after artificial wounding. Agar tree dust was mainly used as a by-product for the raw materials of agar production. The profitability of Agar production (raw) revealed the discounted benefit-cost ratio (5.99). So, Agar tree production was found to be the most desirable and highly profitable. Moreover, the cultivation of Agar Plant has simultaneously improved participants' social, physical, human, and ecological capital. So, the study argues that this practice not only provides economic returns but also augment the livelihood capital of the local farmers, thus developing their community as a whole, and this research looks at some of the key aspects of that development. Therefore, it can be concluded that the cultivation of the Agar Plant can be the most effective strategy for generating income for the rural people in the study area and impact the local farmers' livelihoods in the Moulvibazar of Bangladesh.

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Effects of cypermethrin and sumithion exposure on the hematological profiles of a minor carp, Labeo bata (H)

Md. Motiur Rahman, Jugol Kumar Sarker and Md. Mahabubur Rahman¹

Department of Fisheries, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi-6205, Bangladesh

Abstract: The study was conducted to investigate the effects of cypermethrin and sumithion exposure on the hematological profiles of Labeo bata in glass aquaria for 96 hrs through two experiments under three treatments (T1, T2 and T3). T1was treated as control fish (for both experiment) and in the first experiment, fish were exposed to 0.001µg/L (T2) and 0.003 µg/L (T3) of cypermethrin whereas in the second experiment, fish were exposed to 0.75 mg/L (T2) and 1.50 mg/L (T3) of sumithion. During this study, behavior and hematological profiles (Total WBC and RBC, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH and MCHC) of the fish were analyzed by standard methods. When the fish were exposed to the pesticides, primarily decreased their food intake, exhibited restlessness and irregular swimming behavior and then showed lethargic swimming. After 96 hr of cypermethrin exposure, WBC and MCV increased and RBC, Hb, PCV and MCHC decreased significantly whereas after sumithion exposure, WBC and RBC, Hb, PCV and MCV increased and MCHC decreased significantly. The study indicated that exposure of cypermethrin and sumithion produce an adverse effect in hematological profiles that might affect normal behavior, immunity and growth of L. bata.

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