Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl caused by Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) is one of the most important diseases of tomato causing heavy losses in yield and quality of fruits. Damage caused through phloem feeding and transmission of TYLCV by the insect vectors whitefly (Bemisiatabaci). In this study the competence of silver metallic plastic mulch, botanicals and insecticides were assessed to manage the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) by controlling the insect vectors. In total 7 treatments including control were considered viz. T1=Imidacloprid, T2= ACmix, T3= Subicron, T4= Neemax, T5= Multineem, T6 = Silver metallic plastic mulch and T7= Control. All the treatments showed significant influence on different assayed parameters in the test crop tomato. The lowest disease incidence, disease severity and whitefly association was found in T6 treatment (silver metallic plastic mulch) that was 2.87%, 1.72% and 2.0% at 60 days after transplanting (DAT) respectively. While the highest disease incidence, disease severity and whitefly association were found in T7 treatment (control treatment) that was 14.71%, 46.22% and 18, respectively, at 60 DAT. From the relationship study between disease incidence and disease severity with whitefly association, it was revealed that disease incidence and severity of TYLCV was increased with increasing of whitefly population and vice-versa. Among the treatments, growth parameters, yield and yield attributers were also found better in T6treatment (silver metallic plastic mulch). Silver metallic plastic mulch is the best option to manage the TYLCV by controlling the insect vectors, whitefly instead of insecticides. SAARC J. Agri., 18(2): 77-86 (2020)

An intercrop-based experiment was conducted for two consecutive years during September 2012 to October 2014 at farmer's field of MLT site, Shibganj, Bogra to find out the performance of banana intercropped with potato and vegetables. There were three intercrop-based treatments i.e. Banana + Potato, Banana + Radish + Potato and Banana + Cauliflower + Potato were tested along with Sole Banana. The results revealed that all the intercrops produced higher banana equivalent yield over the sole banana in both the years. However, among the intercrop combinations, Banana + Cauliflower + Potato provided the highest equivalent yield (104.04 tha -1 in 2012-13 and 122.50 tha -1 in 2013-14) followed by Banana + Radish + potato. Sole banana produced the lowest equivalent yield in both the cropping seasons. Higher gross margin was also obtained from the intercrop combinations. Among the intercrops, Banana + cauliflower + Potato provided higher gross margin (Tk.656898 ha -1 ) but due to higher cost, this treatment failed to show higher BCR than Banana + Radish + Potato.

The effect of different farming systems on microbial communities in agricultural environment was investigated in the present study. Depending on the present farming trend, the microbial distribution in agricultural soils treated with organic, semi-organic and conventional fertilizers was analyzed. A total of 20 soil samples were collected from different types of agricultural fields of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI, Gazipur). Microorganisms playing beneficial roles in soil such as nitrogen fixation (e.g. Rhizobium sp., Azotobacter sp.), phosphate solubilization (e.g. Bacillus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Phosphobacteria) and auxin production (e.g. Pseudomonas sp., Serratia sp. and Bacillus sp.) were evaluated from each of the samples. The results revealed that agricultural fields treated with chemical fertilizers showed lower microbial count than that of organic fertilizer treated agricultural fields' soil samples. In addition, organic fertilizers amended field soils have higher phytohormone (Auxin) activities, phosphate solubilization bacteria and other bacterial richness compared to chemical fertilizer applied field soil.