A survey was conducted to determine the effect of climate change on crop production and water quality in 12 villages of Deluty and Garaikhali unions under Paikgacha upazila of Khulna district, Bangladesh. Total of 100 farmers were interviewed using a pre-tested questionnaire. The climatic hazards as reported on the study area are salinity, cyclone, drought, hailstorm, river erosion and waterlogging, of them salinity is the most dominant hazard. Due to salinity the cropping system has undergone changes. Many crops and varieties have been either extinct or their cultivation has come down. Both soil and water are severely affected by salinity. Most of the farmers (90%) use pond water for irrigation and the majority farmers use pond and rain waters for drinking purpose. Results of the present study serves as a good basis for in-depth study to achieve successful crop production in the south west coastal area of Bangladesh.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.3(3): 369-378, December 2016

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.