An experiment was conducted to study the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on the growth, yield, and yield components of blackgram in charland area of Chapainawabganj district. The experiment comprised of seven treatments viz. T₁: Control, T₂: 100% RFD (Recommended Fertilizer Dose), T₃: Cow dung (5 t/ha) + 100% RFD, T₄: Compost (3 t/ha) + 100% RFD, T₅: Vermicompost (3 t/ha) + 100% RFD, T₆: 1/3 Cow Dung + 1/3 Compost + 1/3 Vermicompost + 100% RFD, and T₇: Farmer’s practice. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Yield contributing characters of blackgram like number of clusters per plant, days to maturity, number of pods per plant, pod length, number of seeds per pod were significantly influenced by the different treatments.  Results indicated that most yield contributing characters had the maximum values in treatment T₆ (1/3 Cow Dung + 1/3 Compost + 1/3 Vermicompost + 100% RFD). The highest grain yield of 13.06 q ha^-1 was observed in treatment T_6, and the lowest grain yield of 9.56 q ha^-1 was in T₁ treatment. Application of cow dung, compost, vermicompost, and fertilizer at recommended dose had a significant and positive effect on the growth and yield of blackgram. Among the treatments, the application of cow dung, compost, vermicompost with chemical fertilizers was found to be the most effective practice for blackgram cultivation in charland area of Chapainawabganj district.

Keywords: Blackgram, Compost, Vermicompost, Inorganic fertilizer, Sustainable production.

Organic fertilizer is a major limiting factor in crop production, especially for vegetables during the winter season in Bangladesh. Recently, an experiment was conducted at ARS, BARI, Satkhira on three types of organic fertilizer (OF) like OF from Co-compost (Faecal Sludge and Municipal Solid Waste), OF from earthworm compost (Vermicompost) and OF from cowdung whereas chemical fertilizer were applied as control treatment. Now a day’s farmers are cultivating tomato in saline areas and normally they do not use any compost fertilizers at their field as an organic fertilizer, therefore, it is urgent to find out the suitable combining dose of different types of compost and chemical fertilizers for maximizing the yield or know the best combination of chemical and organic fertilizer as well as the economic benefit from best treatment considering soil health. For this reason, this experiment was conducted in RCBD design with three dispersed replications in the winter season 2016-17 at ARS, Satkhira. Four fertilizer doses viz., T1 = 100% Chemical Fertilizer (Soil Test Based, FRG, 2012), T2 = Co-compost @ 2 t ha-1 with 50% recommended dose of chemical fertilizer (RDF), T3 = Vermicompost @ 2 t ha-1 with 50% RDF, T4= Cowdung @ 5 t ha-1; were set as the treatments. Tomato (BARI Tomato-14) was planted on 15 November 2016; during final land preparation following proper methodology. Only four irrigations were applied after 10, 25 and 35 and 45 days after plantation. It was found that treatment T2 gave the highest yield (45.94 t ha-1) followed by T3 (42.16 t ha-1), T1 (32.50 t ha-1) and T4 (32.50 t ha-1). From the economic study, it was found that higher income obtained from using co-compost along with chemical fertilizer (198825 Tk. ha-1) followed by T3 (155025 Tk. ha-1), T1 (118025 Tk. ha-1) and T4 (190575 Tk. ha-1). Now, it is clear that 2 ton co-compost with 50% inorganic fertilizer from Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) gave the highest yield with economic benefit. Also soil salinity was recorded minimum in co-compost treated plot.

Keywords: Vermicompost, co-compost, cowdung, tomato, saline soil.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of tillage methods and Integrated Plant Nutrition System (IPNS) based fertilizer management during 2014-15 at Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Jessore on the productivity of potato. Three tillage methods viz., (i) Bed planting (T1), (ii) PTOS (Power Tiller Operated Seeder (T2) and (iii) Conventional tillage (T3) in combination with five types of nutrient management packages viz., (a) STB fertilizer dose from chemical fertilizer (F1), (b) 120 % of chemical fertilizer over STB fertilizer doze (F2), (c) 80 % from chemical (Soil Test Based fertilizer doze STB) + 20 % from vermi-compost (STB) fertilizer doze (F3), (d) 80 % from chemical (STB) + 20 % from conventional compost (STB) Fertilizer doze (F4), farmers practice (F5) were as the treatments. The experiment was laid out in a split plot design with three dispersed replications. It was found that bed planting was given the highest yield (24.11 t ha-1) followed by PTOS (23.95 t ha-1) and conventional tillage (23.60 t ha-1). In case of fertilizer application it was found that 120 % of chemical fertilizer over STB fertilizer doze gave the highest yield (25.18 tha-1) followed by 80 % from chemical (STB) + 20 % from vermi-compost (STB) (24.11 t ha-1) farmer practice (23.53 t ha-1), STB fertilizer dose from chemical fertilizer (23.48 t ha-1) and 80 % from chemical (STB) + 20 % from convention compost (STB)(23.11 t ha-1). In case of interaction effect of tillage and fertilizers management, it was found that there were no significant effect among them however T2(PTOS) + F2 (120 % of chemical fertilizers over STB fertilizer doze) gave the highest yield (26.33 t ha-1).

Keywords: Conservation tillage, IPNS, vermicompost, potato production

With the concept of “Improvement and sustenance of crop yield and soil fertility through efficient nutrient management with integrated use of manures and fertilizers”, the present study was conducted to evaluate the field performances of different types of manures such as cowdung (CD), cowdung slurry (CD slurry), trichocompost (TC), vermicompost (VC), poultry manure (PM) and poultry manure slurry (PM slurry) in Boro rice at Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) farm during 2011 – 2012. Cowdung, CD slurry, TC and VC were added to soil at 5 t ha-1, and PM and PM slurry were applied at 3 t ha-1. Addition of manures and fertilizers (IPNS treatments) significantly increased the grain and straw yields of rice and significantly influenced different yield attributes. Nutrient uptake by Boro rice was significantly affected by different treatments. Trichocompost and vermicompost containing treatments produced higher crop yield followed by poultry manure slurry and cowdung slurry. Integrated use of manures and fertilizers gave on an average 8.3% – 33.8% grain yield increase in Boro rice over sole chemical fertilizers treatment.

Keywords: Cowdung slurry, poultry manure slurry, trichocompost, vermicompost, nutrient uptake