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Introduction: Scabies is a common contagious parasitic dermatosis. Transmission of the mite Sarcoptes scabiei var hominis generally occurs by skin-to-skin contact, but with crusted scabies it may also occur through fomites, such as infected clothing or bedding. Diagnosis is usually clinical. Objective: To find out prevalence and life cycle in patients with scabies infection. Materials and Methods: Scope and Delimitation of the Study. This study focused the management of scabies. This study was conducted among the OPD patients in Kumudini Women’s Medical College Hospital, Tangail, Bangladesh and BSMMU, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study was conducted from July 2021 to August 2022. The diagnoses of scabies of the potential respondents were based on the set criteria. Only those diagnose clinically with scabies were included in this study. There were no scraping procedures (acarus test) done to confirm the diagnosis of scabies. Other skin diseases aside from scabies were not included in the study. Results: In our study 110 scabies patients it appears that maximum population affected with Scabies infection were aged between 0-6 years (16.3%) and 7-12 years (20.9%) and minimum were between 43-48 years (prevalence 3.6%) and 49-54 years (prevalence 3.6%). The highest prevalence 13.63% in female were in the 7-12 years and lowest prevalence 0.95% in 49-54 years. The highest prevalence 6.36% in male were in the 7-12 years and lowest prevalence 0.95% in 25-30 years and 31-36 years. November (29.09%), December and January (34.54%) show the highest prevalence in scabies infection. In Bangladesh, this three months represent a winter season. On the other hand, July to October represent almost hot condition. So from my result, it is concluded that scabies infection is more prevalent in winter than summer. Scabies infection is not serious problem for our country because the highest prevalence 50% of severity of scabies infection limited with in Moderate (second stage of classical scabies infection) category. Classical scabies is more active in Bangladesh; on the other hand crusted scabies is limited person in Bangladesh. Conclusion: Scabies is more common where overcrowded conditions prevail; it can affect any individual irrespective of social status, personal hygiene, profession, gender, age or ethic origin. These include increased number of household members, presence of other family members with scabies, overcrowding, poverty and low educational attainment. Children (l-12 yrs.) have the highest incidence of scabies as compared to the other age group.

Continuous cropping without adequate measurement and provisioning of soil nutrient may endanger the sustainability of agriculture. Soil nutrient measurement is greatly required for proper plant growth and effective fertilization. Existing methods of soil testing generally use visual comparison of soil solution colour with the colour-chart and this makes it subjective and error prone and time consuming whereas the spectrophotometer is very expensive and none of the approach suitable for remote analysis of soil macronutrients. On the other hand, the optical sensor could sensitively detect the soil solution colour changes thereby detecting soil nutrients in the sample without delay and subjective error. In this work, a compact optical sensor based on photometric detection of soil nutrients using high precision Photo Diode (PD) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) was developed. Real-time optical sensor using PIC microcontroller was integrated to a remote data collection server for the ease of acquisition and post-processing. The wavelength of LEDs is chosen to fit the absorption band of chemical reagents whose colour develops by reaction with soil nutrients. The sensor was used to detect three soil macronutrients: ammonia nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N), available phosphorus oxide (P2O5) from colour changes caused by addition of chemical reagent in a transparent plastic cell (5.5 mm path length). The resolution of 0.1-20 mg/100g was used as standard solution. The fifteen test samples were taken from different farmlands and ten soil samples were used to calibrate the optical sensor comparing with the result obtained by a colour chart laboratory judgement. The calibration factors obtained were then used to evaluate five unknown soil samples and the results were finally compared with laboratory results, and designed system showed good level of agreement with the laboratory results. 2016 Chaoyang University of Technology. Scopus

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com., A study was conducted to explore the traditional utilization pattern and indigenous management practices of wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris Roxb) in the rural agrarian regions of Bangladesh. A multistage sampling method with 10% intensity and a semi-structured questionnaire were used for the study. The farmers manage the palm mainly for sap production with which sugar based secondary goods are manufactured. The sap is either used fresh as drink or after some sort of processing as molasses and/or alcoholic beverage. Seven diversified sites support the palm as its habitat and most palms (20.40%) occur in orchards. Besides growing naturally, the palm is also established in orchards using the wildings as the staple planting material. Although the medium category farmers own most of the palms (33%), a considerable portion (28.68%) of it is managed by the landless farmers, who earn a substantial livelihood from the palms. The farmers practice their own indigenous wisdom in every stage of the palm’s maintenance from planting through tapping for sap collection to the processing of products. If managed more scientifically on a sustainable basis with the collaboration of farmers’ indigenous knowledge, this familiar palm could be able to support the rural economy of the country to a great extent. Side by side, it would also be able to contribute to the richness of biodiversity in the region., Article, Journal of Forestry Research. 19(3):245-251 (2008)

Urea can be supplied to plants through the foliage, facilitating optimal N management, which minimizes N losses to the environment. The efficiency of N assimilation through foliage depends upon several factors including N levels and varieties or genotypes. No information is available on the effect of the foliar application of urea on stevia (Stevia rebaudiana, Bertoni). The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of foliar application of prilled urea applied in different concentrations on the growth, yield components, leaf biomass yield, N content and its uptake by stevia. Seven levels of urea viz. 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3g 2L-1 were sprayed 10 days after planting (DAP) in acid and non-calcareous soils at an interval of one week up to 60 DAP. Foliar urea application significantly increased plant height, branch and leaf number, leaf area, fresh and dry leaf weight, leaf N content and uptake by stevia. Most of the parameters were increased with the advancement of growth period from 30 to 60 DAP. The foliar spray of 2.0g urea solution was found to be most effective for enhancing the growth, leaf yield and yield attributes of stevia. The yield increase was 478% in acid soil and 485% in non-calcareous soil over control. Further increase in the concentrations of urea spray (2.5 and 3.0g) was not found to be useful as it declined the leaf yield by 135% in acid and 175% in non-calcareous soil probably due to its toxicity. N content in stevia leaves was significantly increased with the increased levels of urea up to 3.0g in both soils. Conversely, the trend of N uptake did not follow the trend of N contents of stevia leaves. N uptake as expected increased as foliar application of urea increased up to 2.0g and then decreased with further addition. The results suggest that farmers can be advised to apply prilled urea as foliar spray @ 1g L-1 for higher leaf biomass yield and N uptake by stevia either in acid or non-calcareous soils under the agro-climatic conditions of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.

Twenty two potato accessions from USA were evaluated for nutrient contents. Two Bangladeshi varieties were also included for comparison. Nutritional analyses were performed in the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, BAU during November, 2014 to April, 2015. Considering macro nutrient content, the highest values of N, P, K and S were found in the accession AC 10062 whereas Ca and Mg contents were found highest in Bangladeshi variety Cardinal and USA accessions AC 10073, respectively. In case of micro nutrient, the maximum amounts of Cu, Mn, B and Zn were observed in accession AC 10110, AC 10069, AC 10073 and AC 10109, respectively. Significant positive correlations were observed between N-P, N-K and K-Mn contents while K-Mg, Mn-B and Cu-B contents were negatively correlated. Considering all the parameters studied, the USA accession AC 10062, AC 10069 and AC 10110 were nutritionally superior to Bangladeshi variety Diamant and Cardinal. The accession AC 10062 was found as the best USA accession to produce nutrient rich potato in Bangladesh.

Stevia is important for its leaves which are used as non calorie sweetener and also in many therapeutic applications including diabetes. The present investigation was carried out in the net house of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh to investigate the integrated effects of poultry manure (PM) and chemical fertilizer (CF) on the growth, leaf biomass yield and stevioside content of stevia grown in two contrasting soils (acid and non-calcareous) of Bangladesh. Six combinations of PM and CF viz. PM0+CF0, PM0+CF100, PM3+CF50, PM3+CF75, PM5+CF50, PM5+CF75 were used. The study revealed that PM along with different percentages of chemical fertilizers exerted significant influence on the growth, leaf yield and stevioside content of stevia. The highest values of all the parameters except stevioside were found from the plant receiving PM @ 3 t ha-1 along with 75% CF. The leaf biomass yield was 1088% and 867% higher in acid soil and non-calcareous soil, respectively, over control. Stevioside content was increased with increasing the levels of PM up to 5 t ha-1 and also with the advancement of growth period from 30 to 60 days after planting. The highest amount of stevioside (10.45%) was detected in the leaves of the plant that received PM @ 5 t ha-1 along with 75% CF at 60 DAP in acid soil and it was 9.11% in non-calcareous soil at the same period. The lowest values of all the parameters including stevioside content were obtained from the plant which received neither PM nor CF. Considering the overall performance, farmers may be advised to cultivate stevia in acid soil applying PM @ 3 t ha-1 along with 75% chemical fertilizer to boost up the production of stevia under the agro-climatic condition of the study area in the context of Bangladesh.

Present research was designed to evaluate the dry matter yield and biochemical constituents of twenty two potato accession of USA in comparison with two Bangladeshi varieties. Studied biochemical constituents were starch, protein and vitamin C contents. Analyses were performed from November 2014 to April 2015 in different laboratories of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. Potato accessions differed significantly with respect to dry matter content and biochemical parameters. Dry mater content was found highest in accession AC 10110. Considering biochemical constituent, the accession AC 10062 showed highest protein and vitamin C contents. On the other hand, accession AC 10081 had the highest starch content. Significant positive correlation was observed between dry matter and starch content while significant negative correlation was observed between starch and protein contents. Considering both dry matter yield and biochemical parameters AC 10081 was found as the best USA potato accession for cultivation in Bangladesh.

In view of the growing awareness about eco-friendly organic farming, vermicompost (VC) could be a very good option for increasing crops yield. The organic carbon in VC releases nutrients slowly and steadily into the system and enables the plant to absorb these nutrients. To assess the effect of VC on soil fertility, growth and yield of stevia in acid and non-calcareous soils, an experiment was undertaken in the net house of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, during February to May, 2012. Four levels of VC viz. 0, 5, 7.5 and 10 t ha-1 in two contrasting soils (Acid and Non-calcareous) were examined following CRD with three replications. Growth and yield attributes such as plant height, branch and leaf number, leaf area, fresh and dry weight of leaves were significantly influenced by different levels of VC. All the plant parameters increased with the advancement of growth period as well with increased rate of VC up to 7.5t ha-1 and then declined with further additions. The leaf biomass yield was 335% and 338% higher in acid soil and in non-calcareous soil, respectively over control. The overall performance of non-calcareous soil was superior to acid soil in terms of both plant and soil parameters studied. The acidity of both soils significantly decreased with the increased application of VC ranging from 4.9 to 5.7 in acid soil and 6.5 to 7.2 in non-calcareous soil. Total N, available P, exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, available S, Zn, B were also significantly increased with the increased levels of VC up to its highest level (VC @ 10t ha-1) in both soils. Thus the results suggest that VC @ 7.5t ha-1 should be applied for getting maximum leaf biomass yield of stevia and 10t ha-1 for increasing the fertility of both soils under the agro-climatic conditions of the studied area.

The soil physico-chemical properties have been disturbed due to long continued intensive agricultural practices. Under this situation we are approaching rapidly to a very strong future challenge in sustaining the quality of our soil. This study was conducted to evaluate the physico-chemical properties of the selected soil series. The area covered Mymensingh and Jamalpur districts of Bangladesh. Soil samples were collected randomly from different profiles of Lokdeo, Tarakanda, Silmondi and Melandah soil series during March-May, 2014 and analysed. All soils were acidic and textural classes were sandy loam, silt loam, loam, and clay loam. Organic matter and total N contents low to very low. Available S content in the upper layers of most soils were medium to optimum and in the deeper layer low to medium. The exchangeable K, Ca and Na contents were also low. The upper layers of all the locations contained higher amounts of available Zn. The available Cu and Fe contents of most soils were very high. The soils of all locations contained very high amount of available Mn except the deeper layers (45-75 cm) of Melandah which contained optimum amount of available Mn. Soil pH showed negative correlation with total N and available S. Total N showed positive correlation with soil OM, available Cu and available S. There was positive correlation between available S and available Mn.

A pot experiment was carried out in the net house of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) to study nutrient content and their uptake by different rice varieties (NERICA-1, NERICA-10 and BRRI dhan48) in response to different levels of arsenic (As) under varying moisture regimes. Three levels of As were added viz. 0, 30, 60 ppm to the pot soil from sodium arsenate (Na2HAsO4. 7H2O). After establishment of crops the moisture level of soil was adjusted to maintain flooded, 50% and 100% field capacity condition during crop growing period. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), with three replications. The amount of N, P, K, S and Zn was calculated as per their rate of application and was applied to the individual pot. Higher levels of As adversely affected the nutrient content and their uptake by rice except N contents. Nitrogen content increased with the increase of As level. Higher amount of nutrient content and uptake was recorded in BRRI dhan48 and flood condition enhanced higher nutrient content as well as uptake by rice. This study suggests the possible management of moisture regime and considering less As susceptible variety, which might reduce the toxic effects of As on nutrient uptake.

Rice (cv. BRRI Dhan28) seed from two sources (Farmer and BADC) were collected and stored in 10 different types of indigenous storage containers viz., i) earthen jar (EJ), ii) coaltar coated EJ, iii) seed mixed with neem leaves (Azedirecta indica) in EJ, iv) seed mixed with Biskatali leaves (Polygonum hydropiper) in EJ, v) biscuit tin, vi) drum, vii) hessian bag (HB), viii) hessian bag with polythene cover, ix) dole and x) cowdung coated dole for four months in the laboratory of the department of Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. The changes of some quality components of seed such as moisture content, germination, insect and pathogen attack, protein and starch contents were monitored at certain interval over 120 days of storage. Containers were characterized into three categories viz., easily permeable, permeable and almost impermeable. In case of almost impermeable containers like biscuit tin, drum and hessian bag with polythene cover, seed moisture increased significantly with the advancement of storage period but did not exceed desired level. Moisture percentage of the seeds of biscuit tin, drum and hessian bag with polythene cover was 12.78, 12.95 and 12.88 %, respectively. Germination percentage of seeds in all impermeable containers was above 80 %. Seed mortality was found to be positively correlated with moisture content and storage duration. Seed borne pathogens were associated along with the seed. Field fungi like Alternaria, Curvularia, Cladosporium though observed initially, but in the last pathological test Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. were found predominantly. Insect attack was severe in easily permeable containers. Permeable containers containing the leaves of neem and biskatali restricted insect and fungal attack. Seed protein and starch content varied with storage period. Starch content of seed was 77 % at 60 days of storage and decreased to 75 % at 120 days of storage. Significant superiority of BADC seed over the farmers’ seed irrespective of all the parameters studied was noticed. The overall observation suggests that, biscuit tin and drum could be used for small scale storage and hessian bag with polythene cover for bulk storage of rice seed for a certain period.

The integrated use of chemical and organic fertilizers can help in sustainable and environmentally sound nutrient management of soils. A study was conducted in the farmer’s field of Godaghari, Rajshahi from February to May 2012 to investigate the effect of integrated nutrient management on nutrient uptake by rice cv. NERICA 10 and economization of inputs. Six treatments viz. T1 = Control, T2 = RFD for MYG + cowdung @ 5 t ha-1, T3 = RFD for HYG, T4 = RFD for HYG + cowdung @ 5 t ha-1, T5 = RFD for HYG + cowdung @ 5 t ha-1 based on IPNS, and T6 = RFD for HYG + 10% excess fertilizer of HYG were used. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results showed that the uptake of N, P, K, S, Ca and Mg by both grain and straw of rice were statistically significant due to use of integrated nutrient management. The highest nutrient uptake was recorded from the treatment T5 and the lowest value was obtained from control. Combined application of cowdung @ 5 t ha-1 along with recommended chemical fertilizers based on IPNS was more economic compared to other treatments because maximum benefit cost ratio was calculated from this treatment. The overall results suggest that integrated nutrient management can be used as an alternate option of chemical fertilization to achieve maximum yield, nutrient uptake and cost of return for rice cv. NERICA 10 cultivation.