Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science
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Farmers’ adaptation strategies towards soil salinity effects in sunflower cultivation: A gender-based analysis of some selected south-central coastal areas in Bangladesh
No full textRising salinity levels in the coastal regions of Bangladesh, driven by climate change, significantly affect agricultural productivity. Adaptation strategies to mitigate the effects of salinity are crucial for increasing crop production. This paper examines the adaptation strategies employed by male and female sunflower farmers in response to salinity intrusion in the south-central coastal zones of Bangladesh. We collected data through a household survey of 50 men and 50 women, supplemented by interviews and focus group discussions with farmers. The sample size was determined using a probabilistic sampling method. The questionnaire included open-ended and closed-ended questions and pretested with farmers before conducting final interview. Our results indicated that significant variables influencing adaptation strategies among male sunflower farmers included age, communication exposure, and training experience (p < 0.05). For female sunflower farmers, significant factors were age, communication exposure, training experience, and cultivated sunflower area (p < 0.01). Both regression models exhibited a satisfactory fit. Additionally, the primary adaptation strategies adopted by both male and female farmers included the application of fertilizers and pesticides. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers in formulating future farm-level gender based adaptation strategies for cultivating sunflower
Present status of brood stock management and breeding operations at Carp Hatcheries in Jashore, Bangladesh
No full textSustainable aquaculture production depends on the proper management of brood stock. In this regard, multiple survey studies were reviewed to assess the present status of management of carp brood stock at Jashore region in Bangladesh from March 2023 to August 2023. A total of 38 hatcheries were selected in Jashore. The areas of ponds were ranged from 33.33 to 400 decimal and shape with maximum rectangular. The green color water of pond was 79% and 75% practice pond drying. Most of the farmers applied liming doses were ranged from 500- 1200 gm dec-1. Most of the farmers used rotenone (39%) to control predators in the brood stock pond. Different sorts of fertilizers both organic and inorganic were applied. Most of the brood stocks (39%) were collected from the hatcheries and the rest of them were collected from other pond, World fish, BFRI and the natural sources (Halda and Padma River). Moreover, 4 carp species (rui, catla, mrigala and kalbashu) among 13 endemic and 4 exotic carp species (silver carp, grass carp, bighead and common carp) out of 6 exotic carp’s species were used for seed production. Negative selection of brood stock was performed in few hatcheries in order to reduce the cost for collecting or purchasing good quality broods. The formulated feed which contained 20-30% protein for carp brood stock were prepared using the indigenous ingredients including mainly rice bran, mustard oil cake, vitamin and mineral premix, wheat flour, fish meal and soya bean flour and maize flour. The main problem of hatchling production is Argulosis (fish lice) diseases which causes 95% of hatchlings mortality. Finally, these survey findings indicate that proper brood stock management could be a good approach to attain the main purpose of aquaculture
Farmers’ Perceptions of the impact of climate change on apple production in lower Mustang, Nepal
No full textUndoubtedly, climate change is becoming a worldwide concern due to its great sensitivity and detrimental effects on livelihood. The government, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders are striving to come up with novel and innovative approaches to combat the effects of climate change. Nevertheless, understanding and perceptions of the issue among local farmers are more crucial before making mitigation or adaptation plans. It’s them who are actually more exposed to these environmental works and who are on the frontlines of climate change. So, the study was conducted in 2022 at Lower Mustang to understand how farmers perceive climate change, how it has impacted apple production, and to find discrepancies between their perceptions and the actual change in climatic variability recorded by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM). Temperature and precipitation were two climatic variables that were taken into account to investigate the significant effects they have on the rate of apple production. Altogether, 60 households from Lower Mustang were selected randomly for the study. Pre-tested interviews, focus group discussions, key informant interviews, as well as secondary data from DHM, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD), etc. were used to collect the required information. The majority of farmers observed an increase in temperature (83.30%) and an unpredictable increase in rainfall (98%), which are consistent with the actual change in temperature and precipitation recorded between 1991 and 2021. Findings show that the average annual temperature and mean annual precipitation are increasing at a rate of 0.012°C per year and 0.4146 mm per year, respectively. This has resulted in the outbreak of significant amounts of diseases and insect pest infestations that have a direct impact on the quality and quantity of apples. The majority of farmers acknowledged that rainfall was the most significant climatic hazards that negatively impacted apple production, followed with hailstones having an impact on apples during flowering and fruiting. Farmers in the study area are limited to intercropping practices, mostly as an adaptation strategy to combat the impacts of climate change. The study concluded that farmers perceived climate change; they are aware of the term ‘Climate Change’ but haven’t taken any significant adaptation measures towards it. So, there is an immediate need for effective adaptation mechanisms, taking into account farmers' perspectives, to make Lower Mustang self-sufficient in apple production.
Customer attitude, buying behavior and satisfaction towards online shopping: An empirical study in some selected areas of Bangladesh
No full textIn the current digital era, online shopping has swiftly risen to prominence among Bangladeshis' preferred methods of making purchases. The current study was carried out to find out sub-urban customers' socio-economic profile, male and female attitudes, influencing factors, customer satisfaction, and problems with online shopping. For this study, 110 customers were selected using convenience sampling techniques at Muktagachha and Fulbaria Upazila in the Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. Along with descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA) including factor analysis and Likert scales (5-point) were used to analyze the data. The study found that about 71% of the customers were aged 18 to 36 years; 100% of the customers were familiar with purchasing non-agricultural products; about 78% of the customers were interested in buying agricultural products in the near future; respondents used social media like Facebook (77%) for online shopping; and about 68% of the customers were willing to pay more for security, better quality of the products, and a reliable platform. Customer satisfaction shows that time-saving (4.17), variety of products (3.93), and cash on delivery (3.86) payment systems were considered satisfactory items for online shopping. Absent of touch and feel (3.47), less quality (3.31), and online payments (3.28) were the major problems of respondents while they bought products online. To increase customer awareness of information technology services and foster a favorable view of the e-commerce industry, all online retailers should enhance their convenient promotional tools and service strategies. This paper intended to identify the factors that influence consumers' decision-making when deciding whether or not to purchase a product
Retracted: An assessment on environmental law to manage forest resources: A study from Ramechhap District of Nepal
No full textThis article has been retracted from the journal due to significant concerns regarding authorship and ethical misconduct by the original authors. The editor no longer has confidence in the integrity of the article
Elevated salt stress level affected the productivity and chlorophyll content of Centella asiatica (L.)
No full textSalinity disrupts plant nutrient uptake, metabolism, and increases susceptibility to biotic stresses. This reduces nutrient use efficiency, leading to stunted growth and decreased productivity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the growth and yield performance of Centella asiatica L. under varying levels of salt stress. The research was conducted at the Germplasm Centre, Department of Horticulture, Patuakhali Science and Technology University. A randomized complete block design with four replications was employed, wherein five salt concentrations i.e., 0 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM, 150 mM, and 200 mM were applied in four replications on 20 pots. Data on various growth and yield parameters were taken in four installments: 21, 42, 63, and 84 days after transplanting. Results showed that the highest values for various parameters were observed in the control group (2.34 mM base value), with notable figures including number of leaves (258.5), number of runners (126.75), petiole length (9.38 cm), chlorophyll content (41.62 SPAD value), fresh weight of leaves (23.92 g), dry weight of leaves (7.97 g), fresh weight of shoot (1.84 g), and dry weight of shoot (0.61 g) at 84 DAT. Conversely, fresh weight and dry weight of roots peaked at 150 mM salt concentration (1.95 g and 0.65 g, respectively). The investigations revealed that as salinity levels increased, a gradual decline in growth parameters was observed, indicating a significant reduction in the growth and yield of C. asiatica. These findings highlight the sensitivity of C. asiatica to salt stress and underscore the importance of salinity management for optimal growth and yield
Revolutionizing onion preservation: A novel aerated storage approach
No full textThe second goal of sustainable development is ending hunger, achieving food security improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture. Improved storage system is a part of sustainable agriculture. This research aimed to design and develop an aerated storage system for onions and examined the extent of losses to assess the efficacy of the storage system. Unseasonal rainfall and adequate storage facilities result in quick sales and spoilage of onions. A huge amount of onion is damaged due to a lack of proper post-harvest actions like storage, transportation, temperature control, and humidity control in our country. In this study, 40 kg of onion inside the storage and 10 kilograms outside the storage were stored for four weeks from 12 October to 8 November to observe parameters like percentage of moisture loss, sprouting, deterioration, and marketable onion. Temperature as well as relative humidity was observed throughout storage. After completing the research, it was found that the appropriate temperature was 27˚C with 83% relative humidity resulting in minimum losses throughout four weeks of storage period. It was also observed that marketable onion bulbs for aerated storage systems was 97.536% on the other hand marketable onion bulbs for natural or open storage systems was 91.629% which was less than aerated storage systems. So, the aerated storage system is more effective for storing the onion than the natural or open storage system. Small-scale farmers will be benefited and the supply chain management will be maintained using this storage system. Additionally, stakeholders and families will benefit from reduced onion damage percentages when utilizing this storage solution
Status of farm mechanization and factor affecting its adoption among the rice (Oryzae sativa) farmers in Sarlahi district, Nepal
No full textThis study aimed to investigate the degree of agricultural mechanization adoption and the factors influencing its acceptance in the Haripurwa municipality and Parsa rural municipality of Sarlahi district, specifically concerning rice agriculture using a multistage random sampling method. A total of 98 respondents were selected for the study, 52 were from Haripurwa municipality and 46 were from Parsa rural municipality. Primary data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, focal group discussion, and key informant interviews whereas secondary data were obtained through review of relevant literature. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, scaling and indexing, chi-square tests, T-tests, and the logit model. By analyzing the adoption index, 62.245% and 37.755% of respondents were under the adopter and non-adopter categories respectively. In contrast to 100% physical labor for transplanting, fertilizer application, and other intercultural tasks like weeding and harvesting, the study found that land preparation was done mechanically (100%). The two biggest obstacles to the use of agricultural machinery were small farms scattered terrain and poor infrastructure with index values of 0.845 and 0.843, respectively. Major factors influencing agricultural mechanization were respondents' educational status, gender, farmers' experience, participation in organizations, loan availability, and primary source of family income. Thus, it can be said that socio-economic determinants which had a significant association with adoption status and most needed farm implements for farmers can be considered by the concerned authority to increase the farm mechanization and enhance profitability from rice farming
Exploring economic viability: A study on profitability and resource efficiency in Polycarp production within the fish super zone of Dhanusha district, Nepal
No full textDhanusha district of Nepal is recognized as a fish hub of the country still operative fish farming in a semi-commercial level. This study evaluated and analyzed the profitability and resources utilization efficiency in the Polycarp production within the fish super zone of Dhanusha district. Along with it, the study covers socio-demographic characteristic of respondent, determine the factor affecting fish production, rank such challenges based on farmer’s experience, and evaluate returns to scale fish production of this site. 64 farmers were randomly selected and surveyed through a semi-structured questionnaire. In order to collect primary data, pre-tested interview schedule, focus group discussion, key informant Interview, and field survey were conducted. Secondary data were collected by reviewing relevant publications. Analysis of socio-demographic data revealed a predominantly male participation rate (98.44%), with overall aged between 30 and 50 years, among whom the Yadav caste showed maximum engagement (27%). Regarding land ownership, the majority (68.76%) leased land for this activity. Carp polyculture exhibited an average water surface area of 1.55 hectares. The average yearly cost of producing carp fish was Rs.1069644.00, or Rs. 891370.00 per hectare of water surface, per year with fixed costs 15.55% and variable costs 84.45%. Notably, feed costs constituted the largest expense at 49.87%, followed by labor (15.52%) and fingerlings (9.40%). Silver carp emerged as the primary market contributor, comprising 22.96% of total production (6010 kg), followed by common carp, Grass carp, Rohu, Naini, Bighead carp, and Bhakur. Net returns per hectare was Rs. 2,24,348.87, with a resulting B:C ratio of 1.33, indicating economic viability. Challenges identified in the study area included the timely unavailability of fingerling, high feed cost and theft
A review on genetic parameters estimation, trait association, and multivariate analysis for crop improvement
No full textThis review paper aims to elucidate the critical genetic parameters essential for practical crop breeding, focusing on the nature and extent of variability, its inheritance, and the complexity of traits. By evaluating genetic parameters such as Genetic Coefficient of Variation (G.C.V.), Heritability, Genetic Advance as a percentage of the Mean (G.A.M.), correlation coefficients, path coefficient analysis, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis, the review provides a comprehensive framework for optimizing breeding strategies. Emphasizing higher G.C.V. values minimizes environmental effects while highlighting Heritability and G.A.M. aids in predicting trait transmission and potential genetic improvement. The review also underscores the importance of traits with high G.C.V., Heritability, and G.A.M. for effective selection and improvement. Additionally, cluster and principal component analyses are powerful tools for identifying genetically diverse parents and reducing trait dimensionality. The findings suggest that thoroughly understanding and applying these genetic parameters can significantly enhance decision-making in plant breeding programs, ultimately leading to more efficient and targeted genetic improvements