The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technology into the agriculture sector has the potential to transform farming practices and enhance agricultural productivity. Nowadays, the widespread adoption of IoT in agriculture is absent. The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers to the adoption of IoT technology in the agricultural sector. Through literature review, KII, and expert opinions, 25 potential barriers were identified, and out of these, 11 key barriers were selected for further analysis. Besides that, 15 FGDs with farmers and 150 individual interviews were conducted. The Delphi method was employed for data collection, and the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) technique was used to evaluate these barriers. The identified barriers include high investment requirements, lack of skills and aptitude, resistance to change, limited awareness among policymakers, inadequate digital communication infrastructure, absence of a regulatory framework, lack of a cohesive digital strategy, insufficient IoT training, gaps in knowledge management and data literacy, irregular maintenance and support, and limited understanding of IoT benefits. The study identifies the key factors by analyzing underlying interrelationships that influence the decision to adopt IoT in agriculture. The analysis revealed that resistance to change has the most significant negative impact on adoption, with a score of 1.13, while IoT training has the least negative impact, with a score of 0.39. The main barriers are high investment costs, a lack of training, and a clear understanding of IoT benefits, which are affecting adoption. These findings highlight the importance of addressing financial constraints, providing education and training, and increasing awareness among stakeholders to overcome key barriers and promote the adoption of IoT solutions for advanced agricultural practices.

Seasonal food insecurity and low dietary diversity remain persistent challenges for women in rural Bangladesh. This study assessed whether integrating a solar conduction dryer (SCD) with community-based nutrition education (NE) improves dietary diversity among women of reproductive age in subsistence farming households. A pair-matched, cluster-randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted in eight villages of Nilphamari district, Rangpur Division (n=220; 110 intervention, 110 control) over one agricultural cycle (2018-2019). Intervention households received an SCD with training on drying, safe storage, and use of preserved foods, while both arms participated in structured NE sessions.The primary outcome was minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W≥5), assessed using 24-hour recalls at baseline and endline during the lean season. Intention-to-treat analyses using generalized linear mixed models accounted for clustering and baseline differences. At endline, 30.9% (95% CI: 18.5-43.3) of women in the intervention arm achieved MDD-W compared with 13.1% (95% CI: 5.1-21.1) in the control arm (p=0.02). Increases in dietary diversity were accompanied by higher consumption of animal-source foods and fruits. No significant effects were observed for anthropometric or biochemical outcomes.Women dried nearly 40 food items and reported high acceptability, citing reduced spoilage and improved food availability during lean months. Integrating food preservation technology with nutrition education is feasible and may improve dietary diversity in seasonally vulnerable settings. Larger studies are needed to assess sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

Loss reduction of paddy during harvesting is one of the most strategic options for ensuring food security for the growing population of Bangladesh. Amongst the many other factors, harvesting speed of a paddy combine harvester is more crucial one to be focused. Developed countries have found the appropriate harvesting speed of combine harvester for paddy harvesting in their countries. However, no recommended standard harvesting speed for combine harvester operation in the paddy fields of Bangladesh have been reported in the research literatures. Hence, this study was conducted in a paddy field (BRRI Dhan 75) of Seskandi, Purbadhala, Netrokona, Bangladesh in two Aman seasons (November 2022 and November 2023) to investigate the effect of harvesting speed of combine harvester on harvesting loss of paddy. Harvesting loss was significant at low harvesting speed but tends to decrease with the increase in harvesting speed. Harvesting loss stabilizes to some extent while harvesting speed was in the range of 2.3 km/h to 3.8 km/h. Total harvesting loss (1.09

Biomass conversion into bioenergy through anaerobic co-digestion (ACoD) and commercialization requires reliability in terms of ecological sustainability. This study aimed at investigating the environmental impacts of co-digestion of nitrogen-rich livestock waste: cow dung (CD) and poultry droppings (PD) with carbon-rich lignocellulosic maize cob (MC) for modern electricity production and conventional cooking practice. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted for 5 impact categories namely acidification potential (AP), climate change potential (CC), eutrophication potential (EP), malodorous air, and photochemical oxidation potential (POP) for conventional (biogas use in cooking and open storage of digestate) and modern (biogas use to produce electricity and close storage of digestate). Modern practice showed 88-98.5 %, 24.74-53.32 %, 41.91-92.22 % (except PD), and 49.77-57.19 % emissions reduction for AP, CC, EP, and POP, respectively, compared to conventional. In modern practice, the close storage of biogas had significantly reduced emissions. In the case of modern practice, ACoD of CD with MC resulted in 41.14-41.88 % CC, 28.25-70.25 % EP, and 2.68-5.67 % POP reduction compared to mono digestion of CD and MC. On the contrary, co-digestion of PD with MC resulted in a lowering of 56.35-95.42 % EP, and 2.29-12.60 % POP compared to mono-digestion of PD and MC. Leakage from biogas production and electricity generation played a major role in environmental emissions in modern practice. Further LCA study should be carried out considering biogas upgradation and appropriate use of digestate to commercialize biogas use for electricity production.

Rice is the staple food of the people of Bangladesh. Burning and landfilling of carbon-rich rice straw (RS) causes greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, cow dung (CD) and poultry droppings (PD) produced from the livestock sector in Bangladesh could be a potential threat to the environment if the wastes are not properly managed. However, anaerobic co-digestion of RS with CD and PD could be an effective means of biogas generation. Therefore, co-digestion of CD and PD with carbon-rich RS was conducted in batch assay at seven different mixing ratios (100:0, 90:10, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, 10:90, 0:100) separately. Mesophilic condition (35 °C) was maintained for 92 days of digestion time to investigate biogas production potential and find out optimal mixing ratios of both co-digestion sets. Co-digestion of CD and RS at 70:30 ratio significantly showed maximum biogas yield (441.7 ± 54.1 ml/gVS). Additionally, an increase in biogas yield in this ratio was 212.11 % and 38.10 % compared to mono-digestion of CD and RS, respectively. Another co-digestion set of PD with RS showed highest biogas yield (344.8 ± 22.3 ml/gVS) at 90:10 ratio. The 90:10 ratio of PD and RS improved biogas yield by 173.16 % and 7.8 % as compared to mono-digestion of PD and RS, respectively. Co-digestion of RS with CD and PD had a statistically significant effect (P ≤ 0.05) on biogas production. Furthermore, kinetic modelling outcomes suggested the modified Gompertz model as ideal for forecasting biomethane production over time in both cases. The findings of this study will help in the implementation of ACoD at the field level.

Co-digestion of biodegradable wastes is a viable option to utilize multiple biogenic wastes and overcome energy shortages. However, bioenergy and biofertilizers produced during the co-digestion of different wastes can be reliable options for achieving circular bio-economy systems and Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). Thus, a batch study of poultry droppings (PD) and maize cob (MC) was conducted at seven different (100:0, 90:10, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, 10:90, and 0:100) mixing ratios to select the optimum ratio for codigestion. This laboratory scale study was conducted in a control condition (35 degrees C temperature) to investigate the biogas production potential of each test group. The 30:70 ratio of PD and MC showed the highest biogas (315.4 +/- 15.8 mL/gVS) and methane (162.67 +/- 7.37 mL/gVS) yield. Biogas production was 4.8 and 1.16 times higher compared to mono-digestion of PD and MC, respectively. Hydrogen sulphide content of biogas at 30:70 ratio was reduced by 99.50 % and 92.58 % compared to mono-digestion of PD and MC, respectively. Potassium and phosphorus content of digestate at 30:70 ratio was increased by 97.91 % and 75.17 % compared to feedstock. Kinetic simulation of experimental methane yield showed that the Logistic model was well-fitted and reliable for determining the kinetic process parameters, and forecasting methane yield. Further study on suitable pretreatment and the addition of additives during co-digestion might increase yields.

Farmers and farm managers in Bangladesh encounter difficulties when assessing the field effectiveness of agricultural technology, typically due to the lack of precise data for accurate evaluations. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) are two of the important technologies of precision agriculture (PA). Using these technologies machine performance can be evaluated precisely. The paper provides a rationale for utilizing Real Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK GNSS) technology to evaluate different operational attributes (transplanting track, efficiency and turning time loss) of a rice transplanter. Geo-referenced data for rice transplanter operation during the Boro transplanting season (January-May, 2020) were collected by the GNSS receiver from a field located at Dumuria upazila, Khulna, Bangladesh. The field efficiency of rice transplanter calculated from GNSS receiver data was found higher (73.83%) compared to that obtained from manually observed data (50.948%). This is because GNSS measured time loss more precisely than manual method. Geo-referenced machine data can enable farmers and farm managers to plan their farm operation according to their accurate machine performance. The findings of the study are anticipated to provide valuable guidance for decision-making, minimize inefficiencies, and improve the overall performance of agricultural technologies like rice transplanter.

Solar irrigation system has evolved as a green farming technology in areas of abundant irradiance. The challenge in Bangladesh is to make the technology affordable for marginal farmers. This study reports the results of a series of experiments carried out to evaluate the performance of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) in the coastal region of Bangladesh. In this regard, field experiments were conducted on brinjal during the consecutive winter seasons of 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. A field survey on 24 diesel operated low lift pumps (LLPs) schemes and 6 electric AC pump schemes was carried out to estimate the suitable pump size for an average farmhouse in the coastal area. An SIP scheme with a solar pump (0.8 ​kW) was eventually developed to irrigate using three drips, and one furrow irrigation treatment. The experiment was laid out with a randomized control block design and was replicated thrice. Under the SIP schemes, drip irrigated plots produced higher average yields compared to the furrow irrigated plots. The best irrigation frequency under SIP was found to be 5 days under drip method considering the average solar irradiance in the coastal area. In order to emulate multipurpose use, a solar home system (SHS) was also developed receiving power stored from the SIP scheme at times when there was no need for irrigation. The financial evaluation showed that SIPs with multipurpose use could be a profitable investment when compared to LLPs, and electric AC pumps. The discounted benefit-cost ratio, and the internal rate of return for SIPs under multipurpose use were found to be 1.46 and 30% respectively. The break-even point of SIPs (0.80 ​ha) was found to be well within its command area (1.36 ​ha). This indicates that SIPs are a superior investment option for the existing diesel pump owners in the coastal area of Bangladesh and similar regions.

Quality seed gives higher germination and production and contributes to food security. Safe seed storage refers maintaining quality of seeds during storage. Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) meets up the major share of paddy seed demand in Bangladesh. In the study, paddy seed storage in hermetic cocoon and traditional gunny bag was studied thoroughly for large scale paddy seed storage in BADC. The hermetic cocoon is a large pouch that can enclose bagged paddy seed in an airtight environment. Three hermetic cocoons (30-ton capacity each) were set up alongside of traditional bulk seed storage in gunny bags at BADC, Madhupur, Tangail for comparison. Seed samples were collected during the experiment. Moisture content of paddy seed stored in hermetic cocoon was much more stable than traditional gunny bag storage. Though insect infestation was absent in both gunny bag and hermetic cocoon storage intermediate activities i.e. several rounds of fumigation and insecticides application were required for keeping paddy seeds free from insect attack in case of traditional gunny bag storage. However, hermetic cocoon kept the paddy seed insect free without such kind of chemical application. Germination rate of stored paddy seed was found higher (92.94%) than that in traditional storage (91.47%). Thus, hermetic cocoon has the potentiality to replace intermediate activities of traditional storage at BADC maintaining paddy seed quality. Therefore, hermetic cocoon could be an appropriate technology for large-scale paddy seed storage in BADC of Bangladesh.

Energy scarcity and environmental pollution from biogenic residues and wastes are major challenges in the 21st century, which can be converted to useful renewable energy and reduce environmental threats. In Bangladesh, a tremendous amount of biogenic residues is generated which remains largely underutilized. Mono-digestion, which is a common practice in Bangladesh for biogenic residue processing, resulted in low biogas yield. However, Bangladesh has a vast source of biogenic residues which can be utilized through anaerobic co-digestion to increase biogas production. In this paper, a desk study and comprehensive review has been conducted in finding potentiality of biogenic residues in biogas production from available biogenic residues in Bangladesh. Research studies on co-digestion of biogenic residues were reviewed critically, and their practices and benefits on energy production and impact on the environment were stipulated in this study. The study shows that co-digestion of biogenic residues in appropriate ratio increases the biogas production, improves digested quality and reduces GHG emissions.

Postharvest food loss and waste offset worldwide agricultural productivity and food security. Insufficient drying and storage are the prominent drivers of food loss and waste in underdeveloped countries. Mechanical grain drying systems have distinct benefits over sun drying but are inaccessible to underserved communities due to high capital costs and energy demand. This study evaluated the techno-economic and financial performance of a half-ton-capacity BAU-STR dryer. The moisture extraction rate, drying rate, drying efficiency, and energy consumption were used as technical performance indicators. In contrast, the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), benefit–cost ratio (BCR), and payback period were considered economic performance indicators. The technical performance analysis results revealed that the moisture content of rice was reduced from 19.5% to 13.5 ± 0.15% in 4.0 h with an average drying rate of 1.5%/h and a drying efficiency of 75.1%. The financial performance analysis resulted in a drying cost, NPV, IRR, BCR, and PBP of USD 0.96 per 100 kg of grain, USD 3018, 135%, 3.0, and 0.73 yr., respectively, when the annual use was 240 h. If the yearly use of the dryer increased from 240 to 720 h, a higher NPV, IRR, and BCR, as well as a lower payback period and drying cost, could be achieved. Adopting a BAU-STR dryer for drying grain (rice and corn) among underserved communities could play a key role in postharvest food loss and waste.

Anaerobic co-digestion (ACoD) of cow dung (CD) and maize cob (MC) may be envisaged as the best way to enhance biomethane formation and production of nutrient-enriched fertilizer for the implementation of a circular bio-economic system. The study aimed to find out the optimum ratio for the highest biogas production to produce heat and energy and also the generation of nutrient-enriched organic fertilizer to use in crop land. A batch study was carried out for 99 days in an incubator maintaining 35 ± 1 °C temperature for seven different test groups of CD and MC (100:0, 90:10, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70, 10:90, and 0:100). The highest biogas production (356.6 ± 21.2 mL/gVS) was at 50:50 ratio with 138.05% and 32.02% increments compared to the digestion of CD and MC alone, respectively. Kinetic modeling showed the best fit using a Logistic model to evaluate ACoD of CD and MC mathematically. ACoD of available CD and MC in Bangladesh could produce 716.63 GWh/yr electricity for consumption and a large volume of nitrogen-enriched fertilizer to use in nitrogen-deficit soil. There was no significant difference in nutrient enrichment among different test groups. Awareness about ACoD technology and proper use of digestate might bring this technology to field-level utilization and thus help to implement the circular bio-economic concept through zero waste generation.

Detection and quantification of total aflatoxins in farmers' stored rice seeds at different storage intervals in two cropping seasons (Boro 2017-2018: cv. BRRI Dhan28 and cv. BRRI Dhan29 and Aman 2017: cv. BR 11 and cv. BRRI dhan49) was focused in this study. Aflatoxin was quantified in two cropping seasons (Boro and Aman). Blotter incubation test was conducted for fungal prevalence assessment and a one-step lateral flow immune-chromatographic assay was used to quantify the aflatoxins. Seed moisture content ranged from 11.59 to 13.32% and aflatoxin concentrations ranged from 2.41 to 11.12 ppb. Variation in fungal contamination in stored seeds was correlated with seed moisture content. The moisture content in stored rice seeds increased with storage time and was positively correlated with fungal infestation and toxin production. The findings of this study indicate that moisture content of stored rice seeds and storage duration are determining factors for aflatoxin contamination.

Mechanical rice transplanting has been emerged as an alternative of traditional rice transplanting in Bangladesh. Hence, this study analyzed the financial viability of rice transplanter operation businesses for agropreneurs using the "RuralInvest" software developed by FAO. The analysis considered that seedlings were raised by the farmers themselves and the estimated lifespan of a rice transplanter machine was set at 6 years. The direct beneficiaries were identified as 4 individuals, while an additional 40 individuals were considered indirect beneficiaries of this business model. The financial assessment based on field data revealed favorable indicators with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 45.09%, a net present value (NPV) of BDT 644276, a payback period of 2 years and an annual net income of BDT 199860. By adopting the mechanical rice transplanting agropreneur model, individuals are provided with an opportunity to generate income while contributing to the widespread use of mechanical transplanting methods. This not only addresses the challenges of labor scarcity and high wages but also improves the timeliness of transplanting thereby enhancing food security in Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh, where agriculture forms the backbone of the economy, efficient grain storage is crucial, particularly for paddy storage. Traditional methods like gunny bags and plastic containers are common, but the recent introduction of hermetic storage technologies, such as GrainPro bags and hermetic cocoons, have significantly reduced postharvest losses paddy. However, most research focuses on oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in those open storage systems. This study introduces an innovative, cost-effective remote monitoring system for hermetically sealed grain storage, designed using locally sourced components, including a Digital Hygrometer, WiFi Mini IP Camera, and a Remote Controller unit. Tested over a 125-day period at Advanced Storage Lab, Bangladesh Agricultural University, the system effectively monitored the internal environment of the storage units. Key findings show that the internal temperature of the storage bags varied between 16.7°C and 29.2°C, demonstrating lesser fluctuation compared to the ambient temperature range of 16.1°C to 33.5°C. The relative humidity inside the storage units remained stable between 45% and 54%, in contrast to the external humidity range of 45% to 81.2%. Additionally, using the Steffe and Singh equation, an increase of 0.512% in Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) of paddy was recorded. Notably, there was no evidence of insect or mold growth after 125 days of storage. This study's remote monitoring system not only marks a significant advancement in hermetic grain storage technology but also contributes to sustainable agricultural practices. It provides a practical, real-time solution to monitor and manage key environmental parameters, ensuring the preservation of grain quality over time.

Long time storage of paddy is a concerning issue at farm households and rice mills of Bangladesh due to inadequate sustainable storage technologies. Hence, paddy storage facilities of 20 rice mills and 40 farm households of Mymensingh division were investigated following semi-structured questionnaires to know the existing paddy storage technologies, problems, and future needs. Traditional gunny bags are used in rice mills for storing consumable paddy whereas 77.5%, 20%, and 2.5% farmers use dole, gunny bag and plastic bag, respectively. About 60%, 17.5%, and 7.5% farmers under the study use GrainPro bag, metal/plastic drum, and motka, respectively for storing paddy seed. Despite using preventive chemicals about 2.4%, 3.4%, and 3.3% paddy loss occurs during storage in automatic, semi-automatic, and major rice mills, respectively. To solve problem, about 80% of rice mill owners demanded for hermetic cocoon.

Poultry industry is a promising sector for meeting protein demands in Bangladesh. Poultry droppings generated from farms pose a threat to the environment, but could be one of the best sources of plentiful substrates for anaerobic co-digestion. Poultry droppings mixed with carbon rich banana waste, which is readily available in Bangladesh, can be used for increasing biogas production. Hence, a study was conducted to assess the bio-methane potential from the anaerobic co-digestion of poultry droppings (PD) with raw banana peel (BP), and to find the optimal mixing ratio. The batch study was conducted in an incubator at 35 degrees C for a retention time of 83 days. The PD and BP were mixed at a ratio of 100:0, 90:10, 70:30, 50:50, 30:70,10:90 and 0:100 to find out the optimum one. Five kinetic models were used to fit the experimental result to determine different kinetic parameters. The highest amount of biogas (347.0 +/- 53.6 ml/gVS) and methane (200.1 +/- 18.6 ml/gVS) were obtained at 50:50 ratio of PD and BP for the digestion period. The biogas and methane yield at this ratio were 1.68 and 3.12 times higher than the mono-digestion of banana peel, respectively. Biogas production was not significant when compared with mono-digestion of PD, but co-digestion at 50:50 ratio showed maximum us-ability of banana peel. Furthermore, the results of kinetic modelling showed both the cone model and the modified Gompertz model are best fitted for predicting methane production.

Major rice mills rely on weather for paddy drying and they cannot dry paddy in time. On the other hand, existing mechanical dryers of automatic and semi-automatic rice mills can dry either parboiled or aromatic paddy. Post-Harvest Loss Reduction Innovation Lab (PHLIL)-Bangladesh project, Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University has developed a 12 ton capacity BAU Recirculating Paddy Dryer suitable both for parboiled and aromatic paddy for rice mills. Now, this dryer needs to be introduced and scaled up to the rice mills. For this reason, effect of the BAU Recirculating Paddy Dryer on the performance of a major rice mill need to be analyzed first. Even, different types of rice mills may face different challenges that need to be addressed for scaling up the proposed dryer. Hence, key informant interviews were conducted with owner and manager of Moti Auto Rice Mill, Shyamganj Bazar, Purbadhala, Netrokona and a focused group discussion was conducted with rice mill workers to identify the concerning issues that need to be addressed for scaling of the BAU Recirculating Paddy Dryer in Bangladesh. The study found that the capacity utilization of the Moti Auto rice mill has increased from 33.3% (before adopting the dryer) to 60% (after adopting the dryer) as the miller does not need to wait for favorable weather for paddy drying after the adoption of BAU Recirculating Paddy dryer. Women did not lose their job as the miller is still using the concrete drying floor for paddy while there is a clear sunny day in parallel to the dryer. The male workers are getting more jobs to do (loading, unloading and parboiling) which has increased their weekly income by about USD 14.3 after the adoption of the dryer. Workers involved in sun drying operation of paddy in the rice mills found poultry rearing, cattle fattening and goat rearing as the highly demandable and profitable alternatives of their present job. However, they have opined that they will need training and credit facility to involve themselves in those income generating activities.

Overwhelming majority of farm households in Bangladesh are smallholder. Purchasing all the agricultural machines for farm activities is beyond the reach and not rationale for them. Even, a smallholder farmer cannot utilize the full capacity of a small-sized machine. Micro agripreneurs (single) with one or two machines also cannot maintain their livelihoods on custom hiring business because of seasonal use of machines. Agripreneurs having machines for all farm activities under a single shed would provide all the necessary services to farmers on custom-hire basis and on the other hand able to maintain their livelihoods round the year. Organized farmers‘ group may also acquire agricultural machines and ensure farming services to her members. However, these agripreneurs (youth and adult farmers) are lacking knowledge and skill on operation and maintenance and custom hiring business of agricultural machinery. To address these issues, a study was conducted to compare the performance of single, single shed and farmers‘ group agripreneurship models for custom hire service provisions of agricultural machines. All three models are found beneficial for the agricultural machinery service receiving farmers. However, from the point of business model, single shed service point (S3P) is found more sustainable in terms of benefits and maintaining livelihoods of the agripreneurs round the year and ensure services to the farmers. Beyond service provisions to the farmers, the S3P is also acting as the center of awareness, knowledge, capacity building and networking for the potential agripreneurs, youth and adult, farmers, students, academicians, researchers, extension officers and policy makers. S3Ps are also promoting the operation and maintenance of agricultural machines, custom hiring business strategies, day to day accounting, business scheduling and sustainability of the business. Farmers‘ group agripreneurship is also found beneficial in terms of financial resource mobilization for having the machines and providing services to group members; however, management of operation and services are found lacking in motivation as the operator of the machines does not personally own them. Since, farmers are getting agricultural machinery services from the S3Ps hence they are adopting synchronize cultivation practice of crops- a key concern for sustainable agricultural mechanization for a country having fragmented land like Bangladesh. Considering the above mentioned situational analysis, it is imperative that the single shed service point (S3P) service model would have played an important role for strengthening agricultural mechanization in Bangladesh.