Fundamental and Applied Agriculture

Nutritional Composition, Total Polyphenol Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Traditionally Processed Parole (Vigna unguiculata) Seed—A Wild Cowpea of Bangladesh

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study evaluated the effects of boiling and pressure cooking on the nutritional composition, total polyphenol content (TPC), and antioxidant activity of unconventional cowpea ("parole") from the Chittagong region of Bangladesh. Parole seeds subjected to pressure cooking exhibited a higher proximate composition than those cooked by boiling. Raw seeds contained higher protein (25.47%), fat (3.87%), and ash (4.47%) than processed samples, with boiling causing the greatest reduction (17.46%, 2.84%, and 3.22%, respectively). Pressure cooking better retained nutrients (20.22% protein, 2.98% fat, 3.71% ash). Carbohydrate content increased in boiled samples (61.45%) compared to raw (51.38%) and pressure-cooked (58.58%) parole seeds. Thermal processing reduced calcium and magnesium levels but did not significantly affect moisture or energy content. TPC decreased most markedly in boiled samples (1.06 ± 0.02 µg/mg), followed by pressure-cooked (1.51 ± 0.10 µg/mg) and raw samples (2.76 ± 0.08 µg/mg), representing reductions of 61.59% and 45.28%, respectively. In contrast, antioxidant activity remained relatively constant across groups, with values of 71.03% for boiled samples, 72.76% for pressure-cooked samples, and 72.83% for raw seeds. The findings suggest that boiling and pressure cooking enhanced antioxidant activity despite reducing polyphenols and certain nutrients. Further research should optimize processing methods to improve nutrient retention and explore value-added product development.

Efficacy of Fungicides and Biocontrol Agents in Managing Sclerotinia sclerotiorum-Induced White Mold in Marigold Varieties

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

White mold of marigold, induced by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, is a destructive fungal infection that results in significant crop losses annually. This experiment assessed the effectiveness of several chemical fungicides and biocontrol agents in mitigating white mold disease. Laboratory, net house, and field experiments were conducted to assess the fungicides and biological agents. Under in vitro conditions, all fungicides demonstrated a significantly greater efficacy than the control in suppressing pathogen development. Score 250EC, Faja 70WP, Secure 600WG, Folicur 250EC, and Tilt 250EC were the most efficacious, as they entirely suppressed (100%) the pathogen's growth. Under field conditions, Score 250EC and Faja 70WP exhibited superior performance in the number of uninfected flowers/plants (In high-yielding varieties (HYV), 15.00 and 14.53; in local variety, 26.93 and 26.50, respectively) and the minimal count of infected flowers/plants throughout both varieties. The lowest disease incidence (10.55% in HYV and 24.40% in local variety), severity (22.83% in HYV, while local variety exhibited 14.02%), and reduction over control were seen with Score 250EC and Faja 70WP fungicides in both varieties. In the pot and field trial, neem oil cake was identified as an efficient biocontrol agent, increasing the number of uninfected flowers/plants and decreasing the number of infected flowers/plants in both varieties. In a pot experiment, neem oil cake resulted in 14.53 uninfected flowers/plants in HYV, whereas in a local variety, it was 19.87. Furthermore, in the field trial, the number of uninfected flowers/plants in the HYV was 15.39, whereas in the local variety it was 19.87. The incidence, severity, and decrease of disease in neem oil cake-treated plants were quite low compared to the control condition. Neem oil cake was identified as the second most effective substance in suppressing pathogen growth.

Farmers’ Perception of Climate Change and Adaptation Strategies in Dasmina Upazila, Patuakhali, Bangladesh

Jarin Jahan, Md. Shahadat Hossen, Estiak Ahmed, H M Rayhanul Islam — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This study examines the perceptions of climate change among farmers and their adaptation strategies in Dasmina Upazila, Patuakhali, a coastal region of Bangladesh susceptible to environmental changes. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, utilizing both closed-ended and open-ended structured questionnaires to collect data from 300 coastal farmers between March and July 2024. Descriptive statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software to interpret the findings. Results indicated that 95% of respondents exhibited a high level of awareness regarding climate change and its impacts on their lives and livelihoods. Farmers consistently reported observable changes over the past 22 years, including increased temperature, droughts, floods, cyclones, salinity levels, and decreased rainfall. The climate change risk perception index identified temperature as the highest perceived risk, while flooding ranked lowest. Additionally, the climate vulnerability index indicated substantial vulnerability in the study area, with a score of 0.482. Regarding adaptation strategies, the majority of farmers (82.50%) implemented medium-level adaptation measures, while 11.25% adopted high-level strategies and 6.25% employed low-level approaches, with an overall adaptation score of 39.43%. Among adaptation methods, changing crop varieties emerged as the most widely adopted strategy, whereas zero tillage was the least utilized. The problem-facing index identified pest incidence as the primary challenge hindering adaptation efforts, while prolonged crop harvesting ranked as the least significant obstacle. The findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions and policy support to enhance the resilience of coastal farming communities in Bangladesh.

Locally Produced Microbial Inoculants and Plant Bioactive Extracts Reduced Soybean Pest Damage and Improved Biomass Productivity

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Pest infestation can severely affect soybean productivity, and synthetic pesticides are frequently used to control crop damage, which may cause deleterious effects on the environment and humans, while their misuse can lead to pest resistance. This study evaluated the potential of locally produced bio-inoculants of microbial and plant origins to control bean leaf beetle and pod borer pests, and the impact on soybean growth and biomass production as a sustainable alternative to synthetic pesticides in Buea – Cameroon. Experiments were conducted in August 2021 and repeated on the same plots in April 2022 to compare performance across seasons, while a new site was used in April 2023 to confirm the effectiveness of treatments in similar seasonal conditions. Experiments were established as Randomized Complete Block Design, with thirteen treatments and four replications. Treatments include control–no input, chemical (NPK fertilizer+Lamida gold insecticide), plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB1)+endophytic fungi (EF), PGPB2+EF, PGPB1+Piper extract (P), PGPB2+P, Rhizobium (R)+P, R+EF, Mucuna extract (M)+P, M+EF, PGPB1+M+EF+P, PGPB2+M+EF+P, and M+R+EF+P. Results show similar performance of bio-inoculants from microbial or plant origin and synthetic chemicals in reducing beetle infestation, severity and damage by 15–75%, leading to significantly (P<0.05) higher soybean growth and biomass at 15–100% when compared to the untreated control for all experiments. Bean leaf beetle infestation correlated negatively with plant height, number of leaves, leaf area index and soybean biomass (P<0.05). These findings highlight the potential of locally formulated bio-inoculants as a sustainable alternative to synthetic pesticides, which opens up avenues for further research on their mechanism of action that can be explored for biological pest control to enhance soybean performance

Effects of Varieties and Fertilization on Growth and Yield of Squash (Cucurbita pepo L.)

Tasnim Jahan Hinna, Md. Harun Ar Rashid, Md. Golam Rabbani — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A field experiment was conducted at the Horticulture Farm of the Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during the period from October, 2023 to January, 2024 to study the effect of varieties and fertilization on the growth and yield of squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). The experiment was carried out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications, with two factors. Factor A: four squash variety namely, Alpona (V₁), Kolpona (V₂), Pahuja (V₃), and Alaska (V₄) and Factor B: four fertilizer treatments viz, control (T₀), cowdung @ 5 t ha^-1 with NPK @ 80:80:90 kg ha^-1 (T₁), cowdung @ 10 t ha^-1 with NPK @ 90:90:100 kg ha^-1 (T₂), and cowdung @ 15 t ha^-1 with NPK @ 100:100:110 kg ha^-1 (T₃). Data were collected on plant growth, flowering behavior, fruit characteristics, and yield components. Results revealed that both variety and fertilizer had significant effects on all measured parameters. Among the varieties, Pahuja (V₃) performed best, producing the tallest plants, highest leaf count, highest number of fruits per plant, and the highest yield (32.49 t/ha). Alaska (V₄) flowered earliest and had the widest fruits, while Kolpona (V₂) and Alpona (V₁) recorded the lowest yields. For fertilizer treatments, T₂ (10 t ha^-1 cowdung + NPK @ 90:90:100 kg ha^-1) produced the best outcomes, including the tallest plants, maximum number of leaves and fruits per plant, highest yield (32.06 t ha^-1). Excessive fertilization in T₃ (cowdung @ 15 t ha^-1 with NPK @ 100:100:110 kg ha^-1) slightly reduced fruit weight and overall yield. The best interaction effect was observed in V₃T₂ (Pahuja + cowdung @ 10 t ha^-1 with NPK @ 90:90:100 kg ha^-1), which yielded the highest production (45.37 t ha^-1), demonstrating optimal synergy between variety and nutrient management. Therefore, the variety V₃ (Pahuja) in combination with the fertilizer dose T₂ (10 t ha^-1 cowdung + NPK @ 90:90:100 kg ha^-1) showed better performance compared to other treatment combinations.