Mango Production & Technology in Bangladesh

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is one of the most common, important and popular fruits in Bangladesh. It is considered as the ''king of fruits''. Besides, having delicious taste, captivating flavor with multifarious color, it is an excellent source of nutritive values.

Bangladesh is one of the major mango producing countries along with India, Pakistan, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, etc. (Alexander, 1989). In Bangladesh, mango occupies about an area of 50,491 ha with a production of 187220 tones according to BBS, 2003. It is now in an increasing trend in area by 112% and in production by 116% in the year of 2000-01 compared to 1984-85 (BBS, 2002).

Home fortification of foods

The sheer size of the global malnutrition problem remains staggering.  Nearly 50 per cent of the world’s infants and young children suffer from anemia caused by a lack of the right nutrients.  The direct effects that this and other nutrition deficiencies can have on a child's health and growth can be extreme.  But beyond that, a simple lack of the all the needed micronutrients can affect a child's ability to learn in school, undertake work as an adult effectively and fight off disease throughout their life.  It is not surprising therefore that both treatment and prevention of child malnutrition is high on the agenda of Governments, NGOs and companies alike.

Lychee production in Bangladesh

The lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) belongs to the family Sapindaceae and sub-family Nepheleae. It is one of the most important sub-tropical evergreen fruit trees which grow well in Bangladesh. Another member of the sub-family ‘Anshphal’ (Euphoria longana Lam.) also grows in Bangladesh, mostly in backyards. It bears longan type but small sized fruits of little commercial value.

Lychee is a highly priced, popular and major table fruit in Bangladesh. It comes to market in the months of May-June when the market is full of other fresh fruits, particularly mango and jackfruit. But in spite of the availability of different types of fruit in the market the demand for fresh lychee is always very high due to its unique taste, flavour and colour. The supply of lychee is insufficient and its availability is only for about 60 days. High quality fruits of elite cultivars like ‘Bedana’ and ‘China-3’ are in short supply due to their very limited area coverage. The average per hectare yield of lychee is about 2.5 MT, which is also low in comparison to other countries.

Green Manuring on crops

I. Introduction

 The practice of green manuring involves incorporation of plant material into the soil with a view to augmenting soil fertility. The plant material is mostly of leguminous plants. They are either grown in the same field where they are intended to be turned down or collected from outside and used in the stipulated field.

Sometimes, the effect of green manure crop may not be recognized in the first instance. But its effect is definitely noticed on succeeding crops in crop rotation. It supplies plant nutrients and humus to the soil and helps conserving native plant nutrient. Humus keeps the soil particles knitted together thereby resisting loss of soil erosion.

Basic of Agriculture

Agriculture, also called farming or husbandry, is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi, and other life forms for food, fiber, biofuel and other products used to sustain human life.  Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the development of civilization. The study of agriculture is known as agricultural science. Agriculture generally speaking refers to human activities, although it is also observed in certain species of ant and termite. The word agriculture is the English adaptation of Latin agricultūra, from ager, "a field", and cultūra, "cultivation" in the strict sense of "tillage of the soil". Thus, a literal reading of the word yields "tillage of fields".