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Soil Drainage and Nutrient Management to Improve Productivity of Waterlogged Vertisols for Small-scale Farmers
Full text linkVertisols cover large part of the high rainfall areas of Ethiopia. However, the potential of these soils is not well exploited because of heavy water logging during the main rain season. A study was conducted to investigate the interactive effects of soil drainage and fertilizer application on the productivity of Vertisols. Factorial combinations of four planting beds (Broadbed and furrow (BBF) with 100 cm bed size, broadbed and furrow with 80 cm bed size, ridge and furrow (RF) with 30 cm bed size, and flatbed) and two fertilizer levels (unfertilized and fertilized with 64 kg N ha-1 & 46 kg P2O5 ha-1) in RCBD were experimented for the sustainable use and improved productivity of Vertisols in Northeastern Ethiopia in the 2006/2007 cropping season. Results revealed that ridge and furrow bed (RF) drained more excess water than the broadbed and furrow beds (BBF) and the flatbed (F), but with yield penalties. Soil drainage using broadbed and furrows (BBF) and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization reduced days to heading and maturity by 12 and 15%, respectively. The broadbed and furrow and the nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization package increased grain yield by 90%, grain nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes by 183 and 252%, and stover nitrogen and phosphorus uptakes by 152 and 121%. Thus, planting in broadbed and furrows (BBF), disregard of the bed size, with fertilizer application is recommended for bread wheat production on vertisols in Northeastern Ethiopia
A Comparative analysis of Bangladesh Water Management Practice with European Water Framework Directives
Full text linkUntil 90, water management plans in Bangladesh focused mainly to controlling floods and facilitates drainage and irrigation which were segregate plans, and caused detrimental effects of other sectors such as water supply, sanitation, industry, fisheries plus environmental and other in-stream demands. For avoiding the fragmentation, the country has achieved a remarkable progress in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) activities after the period of 90.The Flood Action Plan (FAP, 1989-1995) was the pioneer of IWRM plan in Bangladesh. In 1995, Government approved The Bangladesh Water and Flood Management Strategy (BWFMS) which was an outcome of FAP. Under the recommendation of BWFMS, Bangladesh prepared NWPo and NWMP which were the holistic and government approved documents for applying integrated water resources practice in Bangladesh.The European Union has a long experience for basin wide integrated water resources management within Europe. The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union established a framework for Community action in the field of water policy in 23 October 2000 European Union’s water policies such as the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC). The EU’s experience (including its 27 Member States) is based on the best scientific knowledge and available technologies. In particular, the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) mainly focuses on river basin management rules and principles. It is recognized that the Water Framework Directive (WFD) might be used as an example for basin wide IWRM implementation and economic development for the developing countries like Bangladesh, taking into account their socio-economic conditions.This study will show that, how the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) model can be adapted for the effective implementation of integrated water resources in Bangladesh. A Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) has been depicted for sustainable IWRM in Bangladesh.
 
Development of a Small Scale Concentrating Parabolic trough Solar Collector for Drying Purposes
Full text linkA high performance solar collector was developed to modify agricultural building environment such as dairy, poultry farm buildings and greenhouses. Moreover it should be efficiently utilized as a solar dryer for drying various agricultural products and by products. The materials used include steel sheet with high performance of reflecting light, absorber tube, and angle iron and fully insulated drying chamber. A CPTSC was a tilted at 340south (Equivalent to the latitude of Peshawar) Pakistan. A CPTSC a total reflecting surface area was 2.9 m2 respectively. The absorber tube having a surface of 0.376 m2 was fixed in front of the reflector at the distance equal to the focal length. The total volume of drying chamber was 0.3135 m3. An experiment was conducted to enhance the efficiency of the CPTSC and two air mass flow rate treatments were tested with normal and convective mass air flow rate, 0.6 kg. Min-1 and 1.72 kg. Min-1 under the average temperature of the month (January, February and March, 2012). Moreover, the process was replicated three times under the completely randomized design. The result showed that both air mass flow rate and average temperature of the month significantly effected the efficiency of a concentrating parabolic trough solar collector. The new model of a CPTSC increased the efficiency from 8 to 25 % with increase in both air mass flow rates and average temperature of the months. Therefore it is concluded that the solar collector efficiency increased with increasing air mass flow rate
Mechanical Characterization of Banana/Sisal Fibre Reinforced PLA Hybrid Composites for Structural Application
Full text linkAdvanced technology emergence in the field of petrochemical-based polymers has brought many benefits to mankind. It is validating that the ecosystem is considerably disturbed and damaged as a result of the non-degradable plastic materials used for disposable items. This paper relates the use of hybrid bio-composites, which is eco-friendly and easily degradable. Previous literature related to hybrid bio-composites proves its eco-friendly and excellent degradable properties. In this paper, banana and sisal fibers were selected to execute the hybrid bio-composite preparation with poly lactic as its matrix. Specimens were made with and without fibre treatment and their mechanical properties like tensile, flexural and impact were evaluated as per the standard test procedures. The test results obtained evident that the treated fibers having the best mechanical properties than pure PLA and untreated fibre bio-composites. The chemical treatment also improved fiber matrix interaction by removal of lignin and hemicellulose, which led to the better incorporation of fiber with the matrix. The SEM micrographs of untreated banana/sisal fibre reinforced PLA bio-composites and treated banana/sisal fibre reinforced PLA bio-composites clearly indicated the extent of the fiber-matrix interface adhesion. 
Internet Banking Espousal in Bangladesh: A Probing Study
Full text linkInternet banking (IB) is a distinctive banking improvement with the intention of potentially can convert the monetary services scenery in budding nations such as Bangladesh. Nevertheless, due to the connected near to the ground acceptance rate, its full potential in deepening and extending banking services is yet to be realized, as a decisive group of customers is yet to be accessed. As a result, a improved thoughtful of why some banking customers agree to IB and others do not, alongside a recognition of the factors influencing this choice is expected to be of significant realistic as well as intellectual value. For this ground, the rationale of this learning was to explore the factors influencing the approval and practice patterns of IB among Bangladeshi customers. Using Rogers’ IDT structure, data was composed by means of a self-completion questionnaire, in which some 249 banking clients participated. Findings propose perceptions of risk, lack of adequate support and training from banking institutions are some of the causes of non-usage. The implications of these conclusions are that banks possibly will centre extra concentration on cross-selling IB mutually with other financial commodities, as IB is hardly ever used in remoteness. Installing individual computers surrounded by branches in combination with campaigns and demonstrations might also get better rates of approval. 
The Relationship between Technological Factors and Inter-Organizational Information Systems Adoption by Universities in Kenya
Full text linkKenya government, in collaboration with other stakeholders involved in enhancing teaching and research in the learning institutions have constructed a terrestrial fiber-optic network that connects most institutions of higher learning to enable them integrate their facilities for the purpose of sharing resources. Despite these efforts, adoption of Inter-Organization Information Systems (IOIS) by universities in Kenya is far from being realized. This creates the need of finding out the relationship between the IOIS technological factors and the IOIS adoption. This study filled this gap by analyzing IOIS technological determinants of IOIS adopting in the universities in Kenya, given the mixed results from empirical evidence on IOIS adoption generally. A logit regression procedure was used to analyze the collected data. Two factors were found to hinder the IOIS adoption, while one factor was found to motivate IOIS adoption.