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Impact of Harvesting Time on Grain Yield, Physicochemical Attributes, and 2-Acetyl-1-pyrroline Biosynthesis in Aromatic Rice
No full textAchieving a consistent grain yield while preserving persistent aroma remains a substantial challenge in aromatic rice production in Bangladesh. To address this challenge, a field experiment was conducted at the agronomy research area of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207, between 15 June 2022, and 25 November 2022 (Aman season). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of harvesting time on aromatic rice performance. The experiment, following a randomized complete block design with three replications, involved two factors: factor 1 comprised various rice varieties [Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) dhan34, BRRI dhan70, BRRI dhan80, and Tulshimala], and factor 2 comprised three harvesting times [3, 4, and 5 weeks after flowering (WAF)]. Results revealed significant impacts of variety and/or harvesting time on grain yield, physicochemical characteristics, and aroma of aromatic rice. Notably, Tulshimala and BRRI dhan80 exhibited superior milling quality, biochemical properties, and aroma characteristics among the aromatic rice types. BRRI dhan70 and BRRI dhan80 displayed higher grain yield when harvested at 5 WAF. However, Tulshimala and BRRI dhan80 showed superiority in grain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) concentration when harvested 3 or 4 WAF. Earlier harvesting at 3 and 4 WAF resulted in higher percentages of grain 2-AP (60.22% and 53.96%, respectively) compared with later harvesting at 5 WAF (used as check). In conclusion, varying harvesting times markedly impact the yield, physiochemical characteristics, and aroma of aromatic rice varieties, with earlier harvesting beneficial for aroma retention in Tulshimala and BRRI Dhan80 and later harvesting for increased economic yield in BRRI dhan70 and BRRI dhan80
Clean energy transition in rural Bangladesh: Challenges in adoption and impact
No full textAt the household level, the solar photovoltaic (PV) system is an off-grid clean energy source with significant poverty reduction potential, thereby contributing to the attainment of several sustainable development goals. Nevertheless, there has been limited adoption of renewable or clean energy technologies in Bangladesh. At present, renewable energy sources account for only 3% of the country’s electricity generation. This study thus investigates the drivers of solar PV adoption and the impact of this on household income and poverty in Bangladesh. We present an econometric analysis of data from the International Food Policy Research Institute’s Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey, 2020. Our findings indicate that only 5.51% of the sample households adopted solar PV, with the likelihood of adoption 3.8% higher in households with a mobile phone, 1.7% higher in households with internet access, and 2.8% higher among homeowners. However, the government’s programs to expand the electricity grid made the delivery of solar PV by partner organizations less competitive. Our analysis reveals that the adoption of solar PV has a positive effect on household income of between 9.31% and 13.50%. The poverty gap is likely to decrease by around 20% to 26% due to adoption. These findings are pertinent to ongoing policy development efforts targeted at increasing the adoption of renewable energy to meet the sustainable development goals. Solar PV information could be potentially disseminated through mass media and modern communication technologies that require internet access. Furthermore, increasing the installation of solar PV systems in rented houses may promote the adoption of solar PV. It is imperative to implement policies that provide incentives for the installation and utilization of solar PV
Vanillic Acid Modulates Antioxidant Defense and Methylglyoxal Detoxification Systems to Combat Drought Stress in Tomato Seedlings
No full textVanillic acid (VA) regulates various plant physiological and biochemical processes upon different environmental stresses to enhance their tolerance. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of VA on growth and physiology, including osmoprotection, and antioxidant defense systems for enhancing higher tolerance by lowering oxidative damage against water deficit stress in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. BARI Tomato-16). Hydroponically grown tomato seedlings (8 d old) were pretreated with 50 µM VA for 2 days followed by water deficit stress (imposed by water withdrawal and 12% polyethylene glycol; PEG-6000) for 4 d. Drought stress inhibited the seedlings' growth by reducing water content and photosynthetic pigments contents, alleviating oxidative stress induced by a reactive oxygen species and methylglyoxal. A significant enhancement in growth, biomass accumulation, and photosynthetic pigment content was observed in VA-pretreated stress conditions. In addition, there was an improvement in the water status and proline content, along with modulated activities of the antioxidant responses, including both non-enzymatic and enzymatic components in leaves of VA-pretreated seedlings upon the water deficit. Vanillic acid significantly reduced the reactive oxygen species generation and decreased cellular membrane damage in drought-affected tomato seedlings. Methylglyoxal detoxification was ensured to a great extent in VA-pretreated stressed tomato seedlings by strengthening the glyoxalase enzymes' activities. Therefore, VA can be effective for protecting tomato seedlings by inducing a plant antioxidant defense and the methylglyoxal detoxification system and osmoregulation under drought stress.Thanks to all stuffs and personals of Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Japan for their help during experimentation
Climate‑smart practice: level of efectiveness and determinants of Sorjan farming adoption in coastal Bangladesh
No full textClimate-smart agriculture stands as a promising solution to elevate cropping intensity and enhance food security in climate-vulnerable communities. Despite the evident potential, there is an existing gap in understanding the effects of climate change adaptation measures, with limited research explicitly focusing on adopting sorjan cultivation. This study seeks to address this gap by delving into the effectiveness and determinants of sorjan farming in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Data was collected in three south-central districts, namely Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, and Pirojpur in 2022. A total of 222 farmers participated in the study, with 120 practicing plain land cultivation, while the remaining 102 were engaged in sorjan farming. Results show that the cropping intensity of farm households increased from 100–200% to 300–500% in sorjan farming. Farmers earned the highest net return by following the crop combinations of ‘Bottle gourd-Potato-Sweet gourd-Indian spinach’, ‘Banana-Okra-Snake gourd-Bottle gourd’, and ‘Jujube-Stem amaranth-Indian spinach’ under the sorjan method in Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, and Pirojpur districts, respectively. On average, farmers realized an additional net benefit of Tk. 55 for every Tk. 100 invested upon transitioning from plain land farming (benefit cost ratio, BCR = 1.25) to sorjan cultivation (BCR = 1.80). The results of the logit model found that household size, farming experience, and extension contact positively influenced the adoption of the sorjan method, while farmers' age and farm size had a negative influence. Further analysis of challenges in both types of farming revealed the advantages of sorjan over plain land cultivation, categorizing them into four distinct areas: environmental, management, input-related, and market issues. Government policies should prioritize holistic support systems and foster collaborative knowledge-sharing among stakeholders to enhance the adoption and diffusion of sorjan farming in coastal communities.Graphical abstrac
Do climate-smart agricultural practices impact the livelihoods of vulnerable farmers in the Southern part of Bangladesh?
No full textEfforts to reduce food insecurity must include building resilience in rural farmers to shocks. One way to achieve this is through climate-smart agriculture (CSA). This paper analyzes the impact of CSA on farmers’ livelihoods. Data were collected in two phases in 2010 and 2018 from a study (CSA practitioners) and control group (CSA non-practitioners) of climate-affected farmers (240 farmers in each group) using a quasi-experimental survey design considering all possible biases. Descriptive statistics, variance inflation factor analysis, multiple regression, path analysis, FE-IV, and propensity score matching models were applied. Practicing CSA technologies improved food security and the incomes of the farmers through increased agricultural productivity. The impact of CSA technologies differed based on farmers’ understanding of technologies, the time and amount of financial support, availability of extension staff, the provision of technical and other logistical support, and CSA practitioners’ experience, such as knowing how to enhance plant resilience. Specific policy interventions, including financing of CSA, would benefit rural farmers. CSA provides a path towards sustainable livelihood development and food security. These findings will be useful for policymakers, planners, administrators, and development workers
Assessment of proximate composition, mineral element profile and antioxidant properties of the edible oyster mushroom grown in Bangladesh
No full textMushrooms have been considered as a therapeutic and nutrient-rich foods in numerous countries for years due to their significant levels of nutritional components, vitamins and antioxidants. This study aimed to assess the nutrient content, mineral profile and antioxidant properties of eight different kinds of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus sp.) cultivated in Bangladesh. The mushrooms were analyzed for their moisture content, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibers, ash, vitamin A, and vitamin C. The mineral profile included sodium, potassium, calcium, and iron, as well as heavy metals. Antioxidant activities were evaluated through various methods, including phenolic, flavonoid and tannin content, total antioxidant activity, and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl) scavenging capacity. The findings revealed that the mushrooms under investigation were high in carbohydrate (ranges between 45.25 and 63.22 g/100 g), protein (23.48–33.16 g/100 g) and dietary fiber (42.87–52.31 g/100 g). The total ash content was ranged from 7.28 to 9.41 g/100 g and vitamin C content was 0.020–0.416 mg/100 g. Interestingly, all of the mushrooms had a lower fat content (0.91–2.6%). The mineral profile indicated the presence of varying concentrations of essential elements. Hazardous heavy metals, such as Cd and Cr were not detected in the mushroom sample, while As and Pb were detected but lower than the tolerance levels. The oyster mushrooms exhibited high levels of phenolic, flavonoid, and tannin contents, as well as significant antioxidant capacity. A methanol extract of the oyster mushrooms exhibited scavenging activity against DPPH in a dose dependent manner with the highest capacity (75.4%) obtained at a concentration of 0.2 mg/ml. Our result su
Functional characterization and structural prediction of hypothetical proteins in monkeypox virus and identification of potential inhibitors
No full textThe excessive activation of the monkeypox virus (MPXV-Congo_8-156) is linked to various skin and respiratory disorders such as rashes, fluid-filled blisters, swollen lymph nodes and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), highlighting MPXV-Congo_8-156 as a promising target for drug intervention. Despite the effectiveness of Cidofovir, in inhibiting MPXV activity, its limited ability to penetrate the skin and its strong side effects restrict its application. To address this challenge, we screened 500 compounds capable of penetrating the skin and gastrointestinal tract to identify potent MPXV inhibitors. Various characterization schemes and structural models of MPXV-Congo_8-156 were explored with bioinformatics tools like PROTPARAM, SOPMA, SWISS-MODEL and PROCHECK. Using molecular docking in PyRx, we evaluated the binding affinities of these compounds with MPXV-Congo_8-156 and identified the top five candidates ranging from − 9.2 to − 8.8 kcal/mol. ADMET analysis indicated that all five compounds were safer alternatives, showing no AMES toxicity or carcinogenicity in toxicological assessments. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, conducted for 100 ns each, confirmed the docking interactions of the top five compounds alongside the control (Cidofovir), validating their potential as MPXV inhibitors. The compounds with PubChem CID numbers 4061636, 4422538, 3583576, 4856107 and 4800629 demonstrated strong support in terms of root-mean-square deviation (RMSD), root-mean-square fluctuation (RMSF), radius of gyration (Rg), solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) value, hydrogen bond analysis, and Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) analysis. Thus, our investigation identified these five compounds as promising inhibitors of MPXV, offering potential therapeutic avenues. However, further in vivo studies are necessary to validate our findings
First record of three species of leucosiid crabs (Crustacea: Brachyura: Leucosiidae) Arcania heptacantha (De Man, 1907), Arcania septemspinosa (Fabricius, 1787) and Ixa cylindrus (Fabricius, 1777) from Bangladesh
No full textThis study reports the first occurrence of three leucosiid crabs, Arcania heptacantha De Man, 1907, Arcania septemspinosa (Fabricius, 1787), and Ixa cylindrus (Fabricius, 1793), from Saint Martin’s Island, Bangladesh. These species were identified using taxonomic accounts based on both morphology and DNA barcoding. The nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) barcode region of all of three species were also identified and submitted to GenBank for the first time. These records update the country’s total number of crab species as well as extend the geographic range of these species to the northeastern Bay of Bengal.We acknowledge the Ministry of Education, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh for their funding support and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University for their enormous support. We thank all the anonymous people who helped during this research work
Development of In Vitro Regeneration Protocol for Sweet Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) using Cotyledon as Explant
No full textPlant tissue culture techniques offer a promising avenue for the efficient propagation of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), a valuable crop with significant agricultural importance. An effective and repeatable in vitro plant regeneration protocol was developed for the CKN-1 (Lemon yellow) and CKN-8 (Red) genotypes of sweet pepper. Utilizing cotyledonary leaf and cotyledonary node explants, various concentrations and combinations of growth regulators were tested for shoot rejuvenation. For both explants, MS medium supplemented with 8 mg/L BAP, 0.02 mg/L NAA, and 0.5 mg/L IAA was found to be most effective for achieving high rates of response and shoot induction. Notably, cotyledonary node explants outperformed cotyledonary leaf explants, displaying a remarkable 80% response within 11-12 days. Additionally, the supplementation of 1 mg/L IBA with MS medium significantly improved root initiation, with cotyledonary node explants exhibiting the highest responsiveness at 83.77%. Throughout all stages, the genotype CKN-8 (Red) consistently outperformed CKN-1 (Lemon yellow), including in the percentage of regenerated plant establishment. J Bangladesh Agril Univ 22(3): 310–316, 202
Adolescents’ selective exposure to nutrition-related content on the web: understanding the roles of identity-consistent content choice, self-altruism and social support
No full textMedia, particularly the Internet, significantly influences youth behavior. However, there remains a gap in our understanding of the antecedents and outcomes of adolescents’ selective exposure to web-based media content and its subsequent consequences. Therefore, this study explores adolescents’ perspectives on their use of web-based media for receiving nutrition-related content and how it reinforces their nutrition literacy and health-related behavior. A mixed-method approach was employed, combining focus group discussions (FGDs) and survey, to comprehensively gather data on adolescents’ selective exposure to online nutritional content. Qualitative data from the FGDs were analyzed using NVivo, while the 345 valid survey responses were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). By incorporating the Reinforcing Spiral Model (RSM), this research concludes that adolescents’ content choices, self-altruism, and social dynamics over the web platform influence their selective exposure to media content