The effectiveness of 17 indigenous plant powders as grain protectant were assessed against Callosobruchus chinensis (L.). The results indicated that among all the tested plant materials, tobacco leaf powder (TLP) had promising effects on inhibiting oviposition and reducing adult emergence, seed infestation, and weight loss by C. chinensis. Tobacco leaf powder offered complete protection of chickpea seeds applied at 20.0 g/kg seeds. Its lower doses exhibited efficacy in dose dependant manner. The lowest number of eggs (24.60), egg bearing seeds (23.40), adult emergence (23.20), seed infestation (8.28%), and weight loss (0.50%) were obtained from the TLP treated at 10.0 g/kg seeds, while the highest of these parameters were in untreated control. In the ovicidal test, TLP showed 100% inhibition at 20.0 g/kg seeds over control. The lowest number of adults (37.20) were emerged when larvae bearing seeds were treated with TLP at 20.0 g/kg seeds along with 59.39% retardation over the control and had no adverse effect on seed germination up to 3 months. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v39i1.20146 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 39(1): 93-103, March 2014

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Two potato varieties namely Cardinal and Heera were used in the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation experiment to investigate the genetic transformation ability in the Biotechnology laboratory of the Department of Biotechnology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh during 2006 to 2007. Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain LBA 4404 having a binary vector pB1121 of 14 KDa containing selectable marker gene npt II (neomycine phosphotransferase II) conferring kanamycin resistance, and the CIPK antisense gene encoding calcineurin B-like protein were used. Leaf and internodes were used as explants. Expression of the transgene (GUS) was confirmed by histochemical analysis. The variety Cardinal was found more suitable for expressing best GUS response (80% GUS positive) over Heera.

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