The study was undertaken to determine the flood coping strategies practiced by the inhabitants of Haor farmers particularly the ultra-poor farmers. Data were collected from a randomly selected sample of 80 ultra-poor farmers of two villages Goyasi and Belkuna under Fenchuganj upazila of Sylhet district by using a pre-tested interview scheduled from 24 August 2017 through 3 October 2017. The study revealed that the ultra-poor’s flood coping strategies centered on six major issues: crop production, life security, livestock and poultry, housing and shelter, means of livelihood, health and sanitation. Cultivation of short-duration rice variety ranked top, followed by collecting good quality seedlings from the nursery, using tube-well water to avoid water borne diseases, and earthen up homestead area. On the other hand, keeping the children away from flood water ranked sixth. However, the co-efficient of correlation indicated that annual family income and training received had a significant relationship in flood coping strategies of the ultra-poor farmer.

Keywords: Flood coping strategy, Ultra-poor farmer, Haor

An experiment was conducted from November 2018 through April 2019 at Noagaon village of South Sunamganj Upazila in Sunamganj District to observe the effects of fertilizers on the growth and yield of boro rice varieties. Two factors experiment was conducted using three rice varieties viz. V₁=BRRI dhan28, V₂=BRRI dhan29 and V₃=BRRI dhan58; and two fertilizers levels viz. F₁= N₁₃₈P_22.4K_63.5S_13.5Zn_1.3kg ha^-1 (FRG-2012) and F₂=N₅₇P₁₂K₁₂kg ha^-1 (Farmers’ practice) where Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) was followed and replicated thrice. Growth and yield data were recorded. Results of the experiment showed that growth performance was higher in V₁ followed by V₂. The highest spikelets panicle^-1 (253.23) and grains panicle^-1 (162.57) were recorded from V₂. F₁ also gave a higher performance in no. of spikelets panicle^-1 (189.81) and grains panicle^-1 (132.74) over F₂.  The highest 1000 grains weight (22.55 g) was observed in V₂ and higher (22.28 g) found in F₁. The highest grain yield of 7.66 t ha^-1 was produced in V_2, and the lowest yield (6.08 t ha^-1) was produced in V. The higher yield of 7.18 t ha^-1obtained from F₁ over F₂(6.23 t ha^-1). V₂ produced the 14 % higher grain yield (8.17 t ha^-1) with the application of F₁ over F₂. The highest BCR (1.54) was found when V₂ was treated with F_1, and the lowest BCR (1.19) was observed inV₁with F₂. In comparison to initial soil nutrients status as well as the organic matter was increased in post-harvest soil when applied balanced fertilizers.

Keywords: Variety, Haor, Balanced fertilizer, BCR, Nutrient status

This study intends to provide an insight about the innovativeness of farmers of Haor areas in securing safe and increased production of Boro rice which often faces damage by early flash flood at the harvesting stage. Innovativeness was measured on two factors viz., i) earliness of the newly evolved modern technology to produce Boro rice, and ii) area coverage of the used technology. Data were collected from 250 randomly selected farmers using a pretested well-structured interview schedule during 10 March to 29 April, 2018. Results showed an overwhelming majority (90%) of the farmers of Haor areas who had low to medium innovativeness towards adoption of the listed 10 rice farming technologies while only 10% had moderate innovativeness. Depending on innovativeness as categorized by Rogers (1983) 3% of farmers of Haor areas were found innovator, 12.5% early adopter, 34.6% early majority, 34.1% late majority and 15.8% laggard. However, the innovativeness towards individual item of 10 technologies, weedicide (Rifit) and insecticide (Virtako) adoption ranked top two for quick and extensive use by the overwhelming majority of the farmers followed by BRRI dhan28, mechanical harvester, BRRI dhan29, BRRI dhan58, MoP, BRRI dhan64, TSP and BRRI dhan62. It is also revealed that education, annual income, knowledge, training experience, extension contact and attitude of the farmers of Haor areas had significant influence on their innovativeness.

Keywords: Haor, innovativeness, Boro rice, adoption, technology

The study was conducted to evaluate the impact of farming system research on farmers’ income and livelihood status in Dekar haor of Sunamganj district. A total of 120 farmers (i.e., 60 project and 60 non-project) were selected as the sample of the study. Data were collected through direct interviewing and were analyzed with a combination of descriptive and econometric analyses. The average farm size was about 2.44 acre and 2.00 acre for project farmers and non-project farmers in the study areas, respectively. The average annual income was Tk. 51530 and Tk. 39936 for the project and non-project farmers, respectively. Based on paired t test, the average annual income of project farmer was increased by Tk. 48570 to Tk. 51530 per year which is statistically significant at 5% level. On the other hand, the income of non-project farmer was decreased. The access on natural capital, financial capital, human capital, social capital and physical capital for project farmers was increased by 25.53%, 43.33%, 68.87%, 52.5% and 33.35%, respectively due to the involvement with this farming system research which is not satisfactory in case of non-project farmers. Institutional credit is not available to the farmers of the study area due to complex process. Different commercial bank should make the credit system to the farmers of haor area. If these problems could be solved within a reasonable time, farmers could earn more monetary income which might help them to change their livelihood status ultimately.

Keywords: Farming system research, income, livelihood, haor

The experiment was conducted at the Tajpur village of the Lakshmansree Union, Sunamganj Sadar Upazila and Rahimapur village of the Beheli union, Jamalgonj Upazila, Sunamganj district during November 2016 to May 2017 to see the effect of variety and MoP fertilizer on the growth of boro rice varieties in haor areas. Two varieties (BRRI dhan29 and BRRI dhan58) and six MoP fertilizer rates including 147, 137, 127 [BARC Fertilizer Recommendation Guide], 117, 107 and 82 kg ha-1 [Farmers’ practice dose (FP)]. Urea-TSP-CaS04-ZnS04 application followed as BARC Recommendation dose of 300-112-75-11 kg ha-1 Farmers’ practice (FP) where 165 and 82 kg ha-1 Urea and TSP were used. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Plant height of BRRI dhan58 (95.33 cm) was significantly higher than BRRI dhan29 (91.52 cm). Plant height also affected due to application of MoP fertilizer treatments at all stages of growth. Interaction effect of variety and MoP fertilizer showed significant variation at 45, 60 and 75 days after transplanting (DAT). At 75 days after transplanting (DAT), the higher number of tillers hill-1 (21.83) was produced by BRRI dhan29. But it was higher in BRRI dhan58 (14.20) at harvest. Higher number of effective tillers hill-1 (12.48) was produced by BRRI dhan58. The correlation values indicated that growth and yield parameters were positively significant except few non-yielding characters.

Keywords: Fertilizer, haor, varieties, boro season, growth parameter

The experiment was conducted at the farmers’ fields of two villages namely Bahadurpur and Noagaon at Sadar upazilla and Daskin Sunamganj, respectively under Dekar haor of Sunamganj district, Bangladesh during November 2015 to May 2016 to find out the effect of variety and fertilizer on the growth, yield and yield contributing characters of local fine boro rice. Four varieties (Tapi boro, Begun bichi, Rata boro, Atobshail) and three fertilizer treatments (Farmers’ practice, BARC recommendation guide based fertilizers and Soil test based fertilizers) were included in the experiment. The experiment was laid out in a two factors Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three disperse replications at farmers’ field. The highest grain yield of 2.81 t ha–1 was recorded from the variety Atobshail. The highest straw yield of 4.90 t ha–1 was recorded at Begun bichi. The grain yield was significantly affected due to fertilizer application, the lowest yield was observed in the farmers’ practice (2.22 t ha-1) and the highest was in STB fertilizer application (2.85 t ha-1). The highest grain yield of 2.91 t ha-1 was produced due to interaction of Tapiboro and application of soil test based fertilizer dose.

Keywords: Productivity, fine rice, fertilizer management, haor

A study was undertaken to evaluate the groundwater potentiality and performance of a shallow tubewell at haor areas under Netrakona district. For this purpose, a shallow tubewell was installed under the project ‘LIFCHASA” being carried out by the Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). The borelog data were collected and analyzed for different layers and distribution of formation materials. The aquifer borelog was stratified with silt loam (0 to 7 m), loam (7 to 14 m), clay loam (14 to 21 m), and fine sand (21 to 120 m). Total depth of the shallow tubewell was 32 m. The values of pump efficiency, delivery performance ratio, water delivery performance, and conveyance loss ratio were found as 34%, 34%, 33%, and 0.40, respectively. The formation material of the aquifer was found mainly fine sand. The tubewell was used to irrigate the fallow land where the farmers of the concerned selected haor area could not cultivate due to lack of irrigation facilities. These tubewells are being used successfully for irrigation purposes and, consequently, the farmers are making substantial profit from their farm products. The neighboring farmers were motivated and encouraged from the success of the LIFCHASA tubewell and installed four new STWs within a very short time.

Keywords: Installation, performance evaluation, shallow tubewell, haor, Netrokona

The present study was conducted to determine the endoparasitic infestation and their effects on the growth of Channa punctatus from different water bodies in Sylhet during the period from January to May 2013. Six different species of parasites identified from the hosts examined were i). Euclinostomum multicaecum, ii). Allocreadium handiai, iii). Genarchopsis dasus, iv). Isoparorchys hypselobagri, v). Camallanus intestinalus, and vi). Pellisentis ophiocephali. Moderate infestations were found in C. punctatus due to parasites. Prevalence was different in different months. The highest prevalence observed in January (75.00%) and lowest in February (55.56%). Changes in the nature of growth and loss of weight as a result of parasitic infestation were noticed. Accordingly length, weight and condition factors were found greatly affected. Loss of total length was 2.68%. The loss of weight and condition factor was 10.45% and 0.03, respectively. The loss of gonad weight also observed in infested male and female host and it was 5.25% and 3.64%, respectively.

Keywords: Endoparasitic infestation, Channa punctatus, haor