A. K. M. Zakir Hossain

Rice-based cropping systems remain dominant in Bangladesh’s agricultural landscape, yet their long-term sustainability and profitability are increasingly constrained by high input requirements, ecological pressures, and evolving food consumption patterns. This study investigates the agronomic and economic performance of four rice-based farming sequences in the Karatoa–Bangali Floodplain, comparing the conventional T. Aman–Fallow–Boro (R–F–R) rotation with three diversified alternatives: Mustard–Mungbean–T. Aus–T. Aman (M–M–R–R), Potato–Maize–Dhaincha–T. Aman (P–M–D–R), and Potato–Sweet gourd–Jute–T. Aman (P–S–J–R). Field experiments conducted during 2021–2022 evaluated system productivity, profitability, land use efficiency (LUE), and sustainability indicators such as marginal benefit–cost ratio (MBCR), sustainable yield index (SYI), and rice equivalent yield (REY). The results showed that the gross return, benefit–cost ratios (BCR), LUE, and production efficiency (PE) of all intensified cropping systems significantly outperformed the baseline pattern (R–F–R). Among them, P–S–J–R sequence demonstrated the highest REY (31.81 t/ha), SYI (98.97%), and MBCR (2.75), highlighting its strong agronomic and economic potential. The integration of short-duration rice cultivars and high-value non-rice crops facilitated more efficient land utilization—up to 94%—and enabled continuous year-round cultivation. These findings underscore the value of strategic crop diversification and intensification, particularly through the use of short-duration varieties and relay cropping, in enhancing system resilience, resource optimization, and farm-level income in rice-centric regions. Scaling up such cropping systems, with support from policy and research initiatives, could foster more sustainable and climate-adaptive agricultural systems across the Indo-Gangetic Plains.

Salt stress is one of the major limitations to modern agriculture that negatively influences plant growth and productivity. Salt tolerant cultivar can provide excellent solution to enhance stress tolerance with plant fitness to unfavorable environments. Therefore, this study was aimed to screen salt tolerant sorghum genotypes through evaluating of different morphological, biochemical, and physiological attributes in response to salinity stress. In this study, we have been evaluated total six sorghum genotypes including Hybrid sorgo, Debgiri, BD-703, BD-706, BD-707, and BD-725 under salt stress (12 dS m⁻¹ NaCl). The response variables included length and weight of root and shoot, root: shoot ratio (RSR), photosynthesis (A), transpiration rate (E), elemental concentrations (K⁺ , Na⁺ and K⁺ /Na⁺ ), photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (F_v/F_m), water use efficiency (WUE) and pigment content (chlorophyll a, and b). The results revealed that saline environment significantly reduced all response variables under study of sorghum genotypes, however, Hybrid sorgo remained unmatched by recording the maximum root and shoot traits. The same genotype recorded higher photosynthetic efficiency which was attributed to Na⁺ extrusion, K⁺ uptake and higher K⁺ /Na⁺ ratio (1.8 at stress), while these mechanisms were not fully active in rest of genotypes. Moreover, this study also implies the involvement of proline in imparting tolerance against saline environment in Hybrid sorgo genotype. Overall, BD-703 remained the most salt sensitive genotype as evident from the minimum morphological growth traits and the least biosynthesis of osmoprotectants. These findings open new research avenues for salt stress alleviation by identifying elite salt-tolerant genotypes of sorghum for breeding programs.

Increasing soil salinity due to global warming severely restricts crop growth and yield. To select and recommend salt-tolerant cultivars, extensive genotypic screening and examination of plants’ morpho-physiological responses to salt stress are required. In this study, 18 prescreened maize hybrid cultivars were examined at the early growth stage under a hydroponic system using multivariate analysis to demonstrate the genotypic and phenotypic variations of the selected cultivars under salt stress. The seedlings of all maize cultivars were evaluated with two salt levels: control (without NaCl) and salt stress (12 dS m⁻¹ simulated with NaCl) for 28 d. A total of 18 morpho-physiological and ion accumulation traits were dissected using multivariate analysis, and salt tolerance index (STI) values of the examined traits were evaluated for grouping of cultivars into salt-tolerant and -sensitive groups. Salt stress significantly declined all measured traits except root–shoot ratio (RSR), while the cultivars responded differently. The cultivars were grouped into three clusters and the cultivars in Cluster-1 such as Prabhat, UniGreen NK41, Bisco 51, UniGreen UB100, Bharati 981 and Star Beej 7Star exhibited salt tolerance to a greater extent, accounting for higher STI in comparison to other cultivars grouped in Cluster-2 and Cluster-3. The high heritability (h²_bs, >60%) and genetic advance (GAM, >20%) were recorded in 13 measured traits, indicating considerable genetic variations present in these traits. Therefore, using multivariate analysis based on the measured traits, six hybrid maize cultivars were selected as salt-tolerant and some traits such as Total Fresh Weight (TFW), Total Dry Weight (TDW), Total Na⁺, Total K⁺ contents and K⁺–Na⁺ Ratio could be effectively used for the selection criteria evaluating salt-tolerant maize genotypes at the early seedling stage.

In the present study, seed quality status of fifteen rice varieties were evaluated for physical properties, health status and proximate composition. Physical properties like moisture content, seed purity, germination and vigor index varied between 11.77-14.67%, 96.08-98.93%, 96.50 to 99.00% and 1972.74 to 2639.76, respectively. The shoot length and root length of seedlings were from 8.93 cm to 12.99 cm and 10.89 cm to 14.22 cm, respectively. Seed health was determined by blotter test method. Five seed-borne fungi were detected and the identified fungi were Bipolaris oryzae (1.00-8.50%.), Fusarium moniliforme (0.50-3.50%), Fusarium oxysporum (0.50-9.00%.), Curvularia lunata (0.00-7.50%) and Alternaria padwickii (0.00-4.00%). Proximate composition analysis assessment was done using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method. The dry matter, ash, crude fiber, crude protein, crude fat and carbohydrate were between 92.52- 93.77%, 2.39-6.70%, 8.65-14.27%, 6.51-9.13%, 1.23-1.97% and 62.84-71.06%, respectively.

Drought adversely affects growth and yield of crops to various extents. Growing of drought tolerant crops is a good option to obtain economical yields from water stress areas for which quick method to screen drought tolerant plants, particularly in early stages of their growth is important. For this reason, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the genetical potential to drought tolerance of four sorghum varieties viz Hybrid Sorgo, Safal, BD 731, BD 740. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three replications. The plants were grown under three drought levels viz. 100% FC (control), 70% FC and 40% FC. Growth and yield of the Sorghum varieties were found to be decreased gradually with gradual increase in drought levels as compared to the control. This reduction was associated with decreased yield components. Water stress also decreased protein and starch content. The variety BD 740 followed by BD 731 showed the better performance in respect of no. of grains panicle-1, panicle dry weight, 1000-grain weight, grain yield hill-1, protein content and starch content than Hybrid Sorgo and Safal at same water stress condition. Therefore Bangladeshi varieties were found more tolerant than Hybrid Sorgo variety to water stress. Findings of this research will be helpful for the farmers about the beneficial use of resource in terms of managing limited water as well as increasing crop productivity. Finally these research findings would certainly contribute food security in Bangladesh.Progressive Agriculture 27 (3): 265-271, 2016