The present experiment was conducted at the research field of Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU), Patuakhali during the period from December 2013 to March 2014 to evaluate the effect of Nitrobenzene as plant growth regulators on growth and yield parameters of Boro Rice. It also observed the comparative growth and yield performance of foliar application   Nitrobenzene ( 0, 1.0,  3.0 and 5.0 ml L–1). Data were collected on Plant height; number of leaves plant–1; number of total, effective and non–effective tillers hill–1; leaf area (LA); leaf area index (LAI); total dry matter (TDM); Crop and relative growth rate (CGR and RGR); and  Yield and yield contributing characters  such as length of root; length of panicle; number of total, sterile and non–sterile spikelets panicle–1; 1000–grain weight; grain, straw and biological yield and harvest index (HI). The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized block design (RCBD) with three replications. The collected data were analyzed statistically and means were adjudged by DMRT at 5% level of probability. The treatments Nitrobenzene @ 3.0 ml L–1 as foliar application gave the highest performance in respect of  plant height (90.39 cm), LAI (3.514), TDM (19.17 g plant–1), effective tiller (20.33 hill–1), total tillers (22.73 hill–1), panicle length (26.01 cm),non sterile spikelets (134.70 panicle–1), total spikelets (155.80 panicle–1), 1000–grain weight (28.21 g),  grain yield (5.86 t ha–1), straw yield (8.44 t ha–1), biological  yield (14.29 t ha–1) and HI (41.00%) of boro rice. Progressive Agriculture 29 (4): 304-312, 2018

A pot experiment was conducted at the net house of Patuakhali Science and Technology University during rabi season 2014-15 to estimate the contribution of polythene mulch and irrigation on reducing of salinity effect on maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was laid out in a three factors randomized complete block design with three replications. The factors were salinity (two levels: without and 5 dS/m salinity), mulch (two levels: without and with polythene mulch) and irrigation (three levels: 125, 250 and 500 ml water/irrigation). BARI hybrid maize-7 was the test crop. Every pot received the same amount of fertilizer nutrients. Crops were harvested at tassel initiation stage. Mulch increased soil temperature by 2 to 4.5°C (with average of 3.1°C) over without mulch. In without mulch condition, salinity reduced shoot fresh and dry, and root fresh and dry weight by 28.3, 10.3, 39.4 and 30.6%, respectively. In with mulch condition, however, these reductions were 1.0, 7.2, 12.3 and 12.1 %, respectively. Polythene mulch reduced salinity induced reduction of the above parameters by 96.5, 30.1, 68.8 and 60.5 %, respectively. Under 125, 250 and 500 ml water/irrigation treatment, salinity reduced shoot fresh weight by 14.2, 19.3 and 6.7 %, respectively; shoot dry weight by 15.4, 6.6 and 5.0 %, respectively; and root fresh weight by 27.5, 20 and 11.6 %, respectively. Thus, the effect of salinity in maize was gradually decreased with the increasing amounts of irrigation water. Soil salinity reduced phosphorus and increased sulphur content in maize plants.