Research facilities are available for field and laboratory works in most areas of stand establishment, crop physiology, ecophysiology, crop management, weed science, and seed science aspects of crop production.

Dr. Abdul Hamid, Professor;

Dr. Md. Abdul Karim, Professor;

Dr. Qazi Abdul Khaliq, Professor;

Dr. Moynul Haque, Associate Professor & Head;

Mr. Md. Nasimul Bari, Associate Professor.

Adjunct Faculty

Dr. A.B.M. Salauddin, Ex-Director, TCRC, BARI;

Dr. Md. Abdus Sattar, PSO, Irrigation and Water Management Division, BRRI.

Research Supervisor

Dr. A.F.M. Moniruzzaman, Ex-Director (Res.), BARI;

Dr. A.B.M. Salauddin, Ex-Director, TCRC, BARI;

Dr. Shaikh Abdus Sattar, Ex-PSO, Agronomy Division, BRRI;

Dr. Mohammad Hossain Mondol, Ex-DG, BARI;

Dr. S.B. Siddiqi, Ex-DG, BRRI;

A.B.M. Mafizur Rahman, CSO, BSFIC, Dhaka;

Dr. S.M. Altaf Hossain, Prof., Department of Agronomy, BAU;

Dr. Md. Abdul Qayium, PSO, OFRD, BARI;

Md. Jahan Ullah Chowdhury, PSO, BRRI;

Dr. Md. Abdur Razzaque (II), Member Director (Crops), BARC;

Dr. Altab Hossain, SSO, Agronomy Division, BARI;

Dr. Chris Johansen, Principal Scientist, Agronomy, ICRISAT;

Dr. S. Sunmugasundaram, Dy DG, AVRDC;

Dr. Gazi Jashimuddin, Head, Agronomy Division, BRRI;

Dr. Md. Harunur Rashid, PSTU;

Dr. Md. Shafiul Alam, PSTU;

Dr. Mohammad Amin, SSO, OFRD, BARI;

Dr. Nazmul Huda, Consultant, SID / CDP, Dhaka;

Dr. C. A. Meisner, Agronomist, CIMMYT;

Dr. Md. Yusuf Ali, SSO, OFRD, BARI;

Dr. M. Rafiqul Islam, SSO, BARI.
 

AGR 501 Principles of Crop Production ( 3 cr.):

Study of growth and development of major crops. Study of the biophysiological factors influencing growth and development of crop plants. Scope of increasing crop yield through agronomic practices.

AGR 505 Crop Physiology ( 3 cr.):

Photosynthesis: basis of crop yields; Growth analysis: parameters and formulae, limitations of growth analysis formulae; Growth and development: vegetative and reproductive growth, allometric interrelationships in growth, growth factors; crop phenology; photosynthesis and respiration: C3, C4 and CAM pathways: environ-mental effects on photo-synthesis, yield and duration of photosyn-thesis; photoperiodic sensitivity, sink-source relation-ships; light management in crops; Branch and tiler development in plants; Root growth, seedling development and crop production.

Modern concept of crop improvement; establishment of a seedling; mechanism and estimation of dry matter production; factor affecting dry matter accumulation, leaf development, floral characteristics, and seed development; thermal time and crop adaptation; light management in crop; influence of cultural management on the growth and yield of crops; Laboratory practices.

AGR 507 Principles and Practices of Irrigation ( 3 cr.):

Estimation of crop water requirement based on the soil textural classes; evaporation; methods of irrigation; optimization of irrigation water use efficiency.

AGR 510 Seed Science ( 3 cr.):

Seed development processes; viability and vigor of seed and seedlings; environmental, physiological and management aspects of quality seed production.

AGR 512 Forage Crop Production ( 3 cr.):

Importance and scope of forage production; concept of forage production; production of cereal and legume forage crops; nutritive aspects of forage crops; planning and evaluation of forage crop production; laboratory practices on introduction, planning, cutting management, and evaluation of forage crops.

Concept, evolution, and classification of weeds; physical, mechanical, chemical, and biological methods of weed control; families and general mode of action of herbicides; factors affecting herbicide efficacy; Laboratory practices on herbicide formulation, safety measures, identification of weeds.

Concepts and principles; physical resources and cropping system: physical and biological considerations in selecting crops for multiple cropping; soil fertility and water management in multiple cropping; pest management: weeds, insect pests and diseases; cropping system economics; intercropping: processes determining intercrop productivity; plant interrelationship and competition; evaluation of productivity at different cropping systems; cropping systems and sustainable agriculture.

Study of plant environment; fundamental aspects of radiation and temperature relations of crop plants; climatic influence on crop performance.

Introduction; soil and water and their relations to crop growth; soil moisture; soil moisture constrants; measurement of soil moisture; soil water potential; relationships of soil moisture to soil physical properties. Soil water movement: infiltration of water, hydraulic conduc-tivity; ground water; water table and its fluctuations, water table measure-ments. Atmospheric parameters regulating crop production; plant water status, evaporation and evapotransporation, water losses and water requirements of crops, determination of irrigation requirements of crops, conveyance and measurements of irrigation water. Evaluating land for irrigation; sources and quality of irrigation water, planning for a farm for irrigation, methods of irrigation, agronomic evaluation and choice of irrigation methods, economics and costing of irrigation. Scheduling and practices of irrigation for different agricultural crops including rice, wheat, sugarcane, potato, vegetables and orchards. Drainage of irrigated fields, principles of drainage, drainage system selection, surface drainage, subsurface drainage.

Rice:origin of rice:growth and development of rice plant: environ-mental influence on rice:mineral nutrition of rice:physiological aspects of rice yield:agronomic management for higher yield: varietal improvement and current trends in rice research: Wheat: Growth and development of wheat plant: environmental influence on wheat: determinants of wheat yield: production potential and constrains in wheat growing in the humid tropics: varietal improvement in wheat: Maize:origin of maize: mineral nutrition of maize: physiology of maize: environmental influence on maize: yield deter-mining processes of maize: seed production of wheat and maize.

Seed: purity, moisture content: seed morphology: germination of non dormant seeds: seed dormancy, treatments to remove seed dormancy: seed germination test: test for seed viability and seed vigor: light and temperature effect on germination: salinity and water stress effects on germination and seed vigor: measurement of leaf area and dry matter production: growth analysis: leaf development, canopy structure, light interception and radiation use efficiency: measurement of photosynthesis, dark respiration, stomatal conductance, mesophyll conductance and internal CO2 concentration and transpiration: measurement of soil moisture, soil water potential: leaf water content, relative water content WSD, leaf water potential and osmotic potential: root growth: measurement of root length density, root porosity and root activity: crop tolerance to deficient water, sub- and supra- optimal temperature and salinity stress: measurement of leaf membrane thermostability.

Study of primary productivity of crops and vegetation; crop and radiation environment; principles and techniques of photosynthesis; canopy architecture & photosynthesis in relation to increasing crop yield.

Special study assigned by the Major Professor on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and/or interest of the student.

Investigation of special problems in agronomy not related to a thesis problem. The investigations may consist of original research and/or literature survey.

Discussion on assigned topics.

AGR 599 M.S. Thesis Research ( Credit to be arranged but not less than 12 cr.):

Original thesis research.

AGR 601 Crop Ecology ( 3 cr.):

Ecological concepts; Ecosystems: scale, tropic levels; ecological sampling; ecological concept of species: arrangements of species and individuals in space and time; plant-plant interaction (neighbor-hood); community concept and attributes; proximity factors: species density, proportions, and spatial arrangements; Reproductive ecology: breeding systems, pollination, seed production, seed predation; Intercropping and coexistence; competitive production principles; Environment and crop: radiation and its properties, energy balance in leaves; crop productivity; crop improvement for higher harvest index.

AGR 615 Soil Management for Crop Production ( 3 cr.):

Studies of soil factors relating to stand establishment and crop performance; concept of soil water movement and its relevance to seedbed management.

Analysis of ecological factors affecting the growth and development of crop plants with special reference to gas exchange characteristics.

Principles of plant interactions with soil and water and their applications in crop improvement.

Understanding the dryland and upland farm environments. Discussion will emphasize production of field crops under deficient soil moisture conditions.

Population dynamics and evolution; energy budget-costs and allocation; plant interaction with special emphasis on competition and allelopathy; population models; strategies for growth, development, reproduction, and dispersal of crop plants.

Management concepts: risks, decision, weed science, weed ecology, empiricism/ reductionism/holism; crop loss due to weed; ecosystem structure: productivity, dominance, suppression, dynamics, suc-cession; anthro-morphic and taxonomic concept of weeds; Evolution of weeds: principles and patterns of weed evolution, survival strategies, r and k selection; reproduction and seed biology; seed bank dynamics: dispersal and dormancy, safe site; concept of space capture; limiting factors; competition hierarchies and species shift; role of mechanization and herbicides on weed management.

Special study assigned by the Major Professor on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and/or interest of the student.

Investigation of special problems in agronomy not related to a thesis problem as assigned by the Major Professor to be taken once in the program period but not more than 2 units at a time. The investigations may consist of original research and/or literature survey.

Discussion on assigned topics.

AGR 699 Dissertation Research ( Credit to be arranged but not less than 30 cr.):

Original dissertation

Note: Students having CGPA below 3.00 will not be allowed to enroll AGR 596, AGR 597, AGR 696 or AGR 697 until he/she raised the CGPA to 3.00 or above.

2  Approved by the Student's Advisory Committee.

2  Approved by the Student's Advisory Committee.