Suppressive effect of aerated and non-aerated compost tea against different fungal phytopathogens, namely Alternaria solani, Bipolaris sorokiniana, Fusarium oxysporum, Pestalotia palmarum and Sclerotium rolfsii was evaluated in Plant Protection Laboratory of Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh during 2016. Commercial compost, “Rastic Joibo Shar” was used to prepare aerated and non-aerated compost teas at 20% and 25% concentrations. All the treatments significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of tested five fungal phytopathogens. Among the five pathogens 25% concentration of non-aerated compost tea gave highest mycelial growth inhibition (76%) of Sclerotium rolfsii. Colony characteristics of five phytopathogens were significantly varied in all aspect by treating aerated and non-aerated compost teas at different concentrations. Finally it may be concluded that both aerated and non-aerated compost teas have suppressing  effect on radial mycelial growth Thus compost tea may be used as alternatives to inorganic fertilizers/fungicides to suppress the pathogenic activity of the soil borne fungal phytopathogens. Thus based on the efficacy of in-vitro experiments, efficacy in field condition can be assessed against different diseases. J. Bangladesh Agril. Univ. 17(2): 142–147, June 2019

Production of safe food in the densely populated areas of the developing countries is the most challenging issue due to the speedy urbanization, fragile food transportation facilities, and reduced farmlands. Given this background, a study was conducted to evaluate the agronomic properties and economic viability of lettuce grown vertically in the wall of building in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Two lettuce cultivars (V1: Green wave and V2: New red fire) and three organic growing media (P1: 40% soil + 40% vermicompost + 20% coir; P2: 50% soil + 50% vermicompost; P3: 20% soil + 40% vermicompost + 40% spent mushroom compost) along with control (P0:100% soil) were used. The results revealed that plant height, leaf area, fresh weight, dry weight, and total yield of leaf lettuce were significantly increased when the green-leafed cultivar (VI) was grown in the P1 compared to all other treatments, but V2 got maximum sensory attribute scores when grown in the P1. Lettuce leaves grown in the formulated growing media (P1, P2, and P3) had higher microbial infestation whereas, a lower content occurred in the P0. The higher economic return was observed in V1P1. These results provided baseline information for further study on urban commercial vertical farming on the building walls. These demonstrate the agronomic and economic potential for vertical farming in densely populated areas but emphasize the need for optimized food safety strategies.

Organic production of Green Cabbage may ensure the nutritional status and food safety for the consumers, but maintaining the productivity and economic viability of inorganic production is almost impossible for farmers of Bangladesh. At this context, a study was carried out at the Horticulture farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh during the period from October 2017 to March 2018 to evaluate the efficacy of vermicompost and biochar on agronomic properties and economic of cabbage. Four biochar treatments, ( B0: 0 t ha-1 biochar, B1 :2 t ha-1 , B2 :6 t ha-1 and B3 :10 t ha-1) and three vermicompost treatments (Vc0 : 0 t ha-1, Vc1 :4 t ha-1 and Vc2 :8 t ha-1 ) were selected. B0Vc0 was considered as control. The results revealed that maximum highest plant height, number of leaves plant-1, leaf length, leaf breadth and plant spread were obtained when the B3 was mixed withVc2. But the thickness of head (10.29 cm), diameter of head (16.66 cm), % dry matter of cabbage (14.93%), weight of cabbage head plant-1 (1370 g) and yield of cabbage (52.75 t ha-1) were obtained from the treatment combination of B2Vc2. In terms of economic sustainability, the net return (Tk 523598) with highest BCR (3.70) was obtained from the treatment combination of B1Vc1.These results provide prove the effectiveness of biochar and vermicompost in sustainable Cabbage production. It also provides baseline guidelines for further investigation of choosing the appropriate combination of organic amendments based on crop requirement to maximize economic value. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2021, 6 (2), 68-74

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) has wide reputation as spice and culinary herb. An experiment was carried out to promote off-season organic coriander leaf cultivation in Bangladesh. The study was conducted at the horticulture farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, replicated thrice with two factors; variety (V1Green aroma, V2 Green giant and V3 Indian variety) and organic nutrient source (T0  Control, T1  Cowdung @ 10 t ha-1, T2 Vermicompost @ 3 t ha-1), repeated over five months (March, April, May, June and July) in Randomized Block Design. Data were recorded on several growth and yield parameters. March sown seeds were recorded for highest plant height (19.0 cm), fresh weight of plants per m2 (1359.67 g) and leaf yield (13.6 t ha-1). Results revealed that treatment combination, V2T1 performed better in terms of foliage yield with its best performance (12.17 t ha-1) in March. It was also the best performer for sowing time April (5.14 tha-1), May (3.92 t ha-1) and July (3.16 t ha-1). Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2019, 4 (1), 14-23