The production of coconut in Bangladesh is severely threatened by the invasive rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae). An experiment on potted coconut plants (12 to 18 months old) was conducted to evaluate widely practiced control options against RSW. The treatments imposed were yellow sticky trap, release of predatory ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and foliar spraying of biopesticides (neem oil) and synthetic insecticides (buprofezin, abamectin, pymetrozine, imidacloprid). Post treatment counts were taken on number of eggs, nymphs and adults per plant at 7 days after treatment application. Among the treatments, pymetrozine 50 WG showed highest mortality of RSW population followed by imidacloprid 20 SL treatment. The buprofezin 40 SC and neem oil 3

The invasive rugose spiralling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) has emerged as a serious threat to coconut and other crops in Bangladesh. First recorded in 2019, the RSW has rapidly dispersed nationwide, however its details morpho-molecular characterization and genetic diversity have remained largely unexplored. The present study provides the first comprehensive nationwide morpho-molecular identification and genetic diversity analysis of RSW collected from infested coconut palms ( Cocos nucifera L.) across all thirty agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Bangladesh. Species identification was confirmed using morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene. Morphological examination confirmed key diagnostic features of A. rugioperculatus , including a convex puparium with a single straight tail-like projection and greyish-brown irregular bands on adult forewing, clearly distinguishing it from the morphologically similar species, A. disperses. Analysis of 615 bp of the mtCOI gene from thirty individuals (one per AEZ) revealed complete genetic uniformity across all sampled locations. A single haplotype was detected ( h = 1) with zero haplotype diversity ( Hd = 0), zero nucleotide diversity (π = 0) and no segregating site ( S = 0). The nucleotide composition showed a strong AT bias (76.1%) with negative AT-skew (-0.1966). Phylogenetic analysis using the Maximum Likelihood method placed all Bangladeshi isolates within a single monophyletic clade with strong bootstrap support, clustering closely with invasive lineages reported from the India and the United States. The absence of detectable genetic variation across all sampled agro-ecological zones strongly suggests a recent founder event, likely involving a single introduction followed by rapid clonal expansion. The findings of this study—particularly the complete genetic homogeneity observed across all AEZs, provide important baseline information for the development of region-specific monitoring programs and predictive outbreak models under changing climatic conditions, and support the implementation of precise and targeted integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.

The rugose spiraling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin, has recently emerged as a major invasive pest in Bangladesh, causing severe damage to coconut and a variety of fruit, vegetable, and ornamental crops. The nymphs, particularly the second to fourth instars, are covered with thick waxy secretions and cottony filaments, which reduce insecticide penetration and efficacy. This study evaluated five insecticides applied alone or in combination with two additives, Surf Excel Matic Liquid (SEML) and potassium salts of fatty acids (PSFA), using both direct tank-mix and post-application approaches. Factorial analysis revealed that the main effects of insecticide, additive, and application method were significant, whereas their interactions were not, indicating that each factor independently influenced nymphal mortality. Insecticides applied alone provided limited control, whereas inclusion of additives significantly enhanced mortality, with PSFA consistently outperforming SEML. Post-application resulted in slightly higher nymphal suppression, but direct tank mixing of PSFA with insecticides offers a more practical and efficient field strategy. These findings suggest that additives can substantially improve insecticide efficacy, potentially by altering cuticular properties or increasing uptake. While results were obtained under controlled laboratory conditions, environmental factors such as rainfall, UV degradation, and spray coverage may influence performance in the field, and further studies under diverse agroecological conditions are warranted to validate the practical efficiency of additive-insecticide combinations in integrated pest management programs.

The invasive rugose spiralling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) has emerged as a serious threat to coconut and other crops in Bangladesh. Although the species was first recorded in 2019 based on limited morphological evidence, its molecular confirmation and population genetic structure remained unexplored. The present study provides molecular validation of RSW alongside detailed morphological characterization, and the first nationwide assessment of genetic diversity, using samples collected from infested coconut palms (Cocos nucifera L.) across all thirty agro-ecological zones (AEZs) of Bangladesh. Species identity was confirmed through detailed morphological characteristics and DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase subunit I (mtCOI) gene. Morphological examination confirmed key diagnostic features of A. rugioperculatus, including triangular or pointed lingula, compound pore with dagger-like projections and an irregular operculum surface, clearly distinguishing it from the morphologically similar species, A. dispersus. The morphological identification was further validated through mtCOI gene sequencing which showed 99–100

Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.) is a serious sucking pest which causes significant damage of brinjal in Bangladesh. An experiment was conducted at the Entomology Field Laboratory, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh during October to March to evaluate the efficacy of selected biorational insecticides viz. Award 40 SC (Buprofezin); Neem oil extract (Azadiractin); Bioneem plus 1% (Azadiractin); Suspend 5 SG (Emamectin benzoate); Tracer 45 SC (Spinosad) and Imidagold 20 SL (Imidacloprid) against whitefly in brinjal. the research was done in RCBD design with three replications of each treatment. Three sprays were applied on the pest infested plants and data were collected on 3, 5 and 7 days after each spray. Data were collected on no. of nymph & adult leaf-1, total no. of infested leaf & twig plant-1. Among the tested biorational insecticides, Buprofezin showed the best efficacy in reducing pest population after all sprays. In case of percent reduction of nymph on leaf over control, a remarkable decrease of 77.81%, 67.53% and 79.13% was observed from 1st, 2nd and 3rd sprays, respectively. In case of percent reduction of adult whitefly on leaf over control, 71.33%, 67.76% and 57.72% was recorded after 1st, 2nd and 3rd sprays, respectively. The highest reduction of leaf and twig infestation was also noticed in Buprofezin treated plots. Mean percent reduction of infested leaf over control was 48.81%, 53.19% and 49.46% from 1st, 2nd and 3rd sprays, respectively. The mean percent reduction of twig infestation over control was 41.21%, 36.42% and 31.76% after 1st, 2nd and 3rd sprays, respectively in Buprofezin treated plants and 48.21%, 34.38% and 17.62% after 1st, 2nd and 3rd sprays, respectively in Bio-neem plus treated plants. Therefore, Buprofezin could be used as the best management practice for whitefly in brinjal ecosystem. J Bangladesh Agril Univ 23(4): 491–497, 2025

Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops of Bangladesh in terms of acreage, production and economic value to growers. However, citrus production is severely compromised by citrus leafminer (CLM) affecting both nursery and orchard. Citrus growers conventionally spray different chemicals to control this insect which negatively impact their environment and health. Therefore, alternative management options to conventional practice was required. To provide effective integrated pest management (IPM) option(s) to manage CLM in the nursery, studies were conducted in a commercial horticultural nursery. First, seasonal infestation of this insect was monitored under grower’s management practice. Second, an experimentation was conducted in randomized complete block design with seven treatments each replicated thrice: (i) Sanitation (removal of infested leaves weekly) (ii) Imidacloprid (0.5 ml/L of water) + Sanitation (iii) Detergent mix water (28 gm/L of water) + Sanitation (iv) Spinosad (0.5 ml/L of water) + Sanitation (v) Cypermethrin (1 ml/L of water) + Sanitation (vi) Grower’s conventional practice (Chlorpyrifos @1 ml/L of water) and (vii) untreated control. Seasonal infestation of CLM remained over 30% of the three months (June, July and August) monitored. All the implemented treatments reduced percent leaf infestation, number of mines and larvae per twig compared to untreated control. Sanitation alone substantially reduced leaf infestation to 21.50%, number of mines per twig to 13.33 and number of larvae per twig to 5.11. Combining spraying (Imidacloprid, Cypermethrin, Detergent mix water) with sanitation practice could not provide further control. However, combining a biorational insecticide Spinosad provided a better control and further reduced the leaf infestation, number of mines and larvae per twig. Number of a generalist predator, ladybird beetle was reduced in all treatment plots, however, sanitation alone or in combination with Spinosad spraying, both practice, harmed it less. Citrus growers can be recommended to implement only sanitation or in combination with Spinosad spraying.

Mustard is one of the most important oilseed crops in Bangladesh. However, its production is severely constrained by aphid infestation. Farmers usually spray conventional insecticides to control aphids that negatively affect beneficial insects and environment. Thus, alternatives to conventional insecticides are required. We tested three biorational insecticides (Nimbicidine @ 1ml/L, Spinosad: Libsen 45SC @ 0.5 ml/L and Lufenuron: Hayron 5EC @ 0.5ml/L of water) against aphid infestation and assessed their effect on ladybird beetle and honey bee and compared these effects with two conventional insecticides (Diazinon: Sabion 60EC @ 2ml/L and Cypermethrin: Cypraplus 10EC @ 1ml/L of water) and with an untreated control. The study was conducted in a randomized complete block design with each treatment replicated thrice in the field of Department of Entomology, Bangladesh Agricultural University. Number of infested plants per plot, aphid per plant and per pod, number of ladybird beetle and honey bee per plot was counted and yield per plot was calculated. All tested insecticides reduced aphid infestation compared to untreated control indicating all of them were effective against aphid. However, Lufenuron and Nimbicidine was most effective to reduce plant infestation and number of aphids per plant and pod. Spinosad and Sabion were found fairly effective whereas Cypraplus was found to be least effective. Lufenuron and Nimbicidine did not reduce the number of ladybird beetle and honey bee visit per plot, however, Spinosad and conventional insecticides reduced their number. Lufenuron treated plots provided highest yield (1.35 t/ha) followed by Nimbicidine (1.15 t/ha), Spinosad (1.10 t/ha) and Sabion (1.00 t/ha) whereas Cypraplus treated plots provided lowest yield (0.9 t/ha). In terms of reducing aphid population thus plant infestation and increasing yield, all biorational insecticides performed better than conventional insecticides, however, concerning effect on ladybirds and honey bees, only Lufenuron and Nimbicidine can be recommended to farmers. J Bangladesh Agril Univ 22(3): 335-341, 2024

Mass trapping with pheromones is an effective method for controlling insect pests. However, it is unknown whether this is effective for smallholders with typically fragmented holdings, as local depletion by traps may be (over)compensated by the attraction of male moths from surrounding fields. This was tested on a major pest in eggplant, the shoot and fruit borer moth ( Leucinodes orbonalis ). In a two-year field experiment in Bangladesh, moth catches and fruit infestation were compared across isolated fields with a grid of 4 (2 by 2) traps, 24 (4 by 6) traps (10 m distance between traps) and farmers' practice fields (fields without traps but with spraying). Additionally, in one year, three networks with respectively 22, 28, and 40 traps were installed in scattered but nearby fields to compare results to the 24-trap fields. Across each season, moth catch per trap per week was three times higher in the 4-trap fields than in the 24-trap fields or the networks. Fruit infestation was comparable between 4-trap fields and farmers' practice fields in both years, while fruit infestation in 24-trap fields was 25 percentage points lower, showing effective local depletion of male moths only occurred in 24-trap fields. Trapping with networks of 22 - 40 traps yielded comparable results to the 24 contiguous traps providing evidence that loosely organized networks of multiple traps could also be effective. Given their plots are generally much smaller than 2400 m 2 , smallholders can only make trapping effective if they take concerted action.

The use of fiber board is increasing due to limited supply of timer wood. This study investigated the suitability of medium density fiber board (MDF) made from rubber wood for household and industrial use. Rubber wood was collected from Bangladesh Forest Development Corporation (BFIDC), Chattogram. Single layer fiber boards were fabricated by five different densities, such as 700, 725, 750, 775 and 800 kgm-3. The mechanical and physical properties of medium density fireboards fabricated by rubber wood fiber as a raw material and urea formaldehyde as a resin were studied. The performance of composite was evaluated by its mechanical and physical properties. Experimental investigation indicated that the mechanical strength of medium density fiber board such as modulus of rupture (MOR) and tensile strength increased with increasing board density. The bending strength (188-234kgcm-2) passed the Indian, German and British standard while the tensile strength (4.20-4.70kgcm-2) passed the German and British Standard specification. The research concluded that 800kgm-3 fiber board made from rubber wood had the best modulus of rupture (234 kgcm-2) and the highest tensile strength (4.70 kgcm-2) among all other single layer medium density fiber boards. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 46(2): 203-209, June 2021

The rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW), Aleurodicus rugioperculatus (Aleyrodiade: Hemiptera) is an invasive insect pest and it was first identified in Bangladesh in 2019 on coconut plants. A baseline survey study was conducted in Bangladesh to identify the RSW-infesting geographical locations, host plants as well as to assess the damage severity. The duration of the survey period was 8 months from May to December 2021. Based on our survey results, we report that RSW has invaded all over Bangladesh with low to very severe infestation level. The highest infestation was noticed in west, south-west and north-east regions while comparatively lower infestation was found in south, south-eastern and central part of the country. It was evident from this study that both border and non-border districts were affected almost equally by this insect pest. During the survey period, sixty onehost plants were identified throughout country where 49.18% werefruit plant species, 21.31% ornamentals and flowers, 8.19% field crops, 8.19% forests and 13.13% other species. Among the host plants, very severe infestation was noticed on coconut where 85.72% native and 81.23% dwarf coconut plants were found to be infested by RSW. Results also showed that comparatively lower leaflet infestation, low leaf area encrustation by sooty mould fungus and low abundances of adult RSW were found in dwarf coconut plants than that of native. After coconut, next infestation severity was observed on banana (low to severe) and guava (low to medium) although the extent of damage varied from district to districts. On the other hand, low infestation was found on the rest of the host plants under different plant groups viz. forests, ornamentals, flowers, field crops, cash crops etc.

Litchi is affected by number of pests, among them litchi fruit borer (LFB), Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) is serious one which causes considerable yield loss. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of different options for the management of LFB. The research work was conducted in an orchard at Gopalpur under Tangail district of Bangladesh consecutively for two seasons to manage LFB using mosquito net, two types of bags, three botanicals and five synthetic insecticides as spray material to find out the most efficient one based on the highest reduction of fruit infestation (RFI) over control along with benefit cost ratio (BCR). White butter paper bagging showed highest RFI (100%) with 51.66% increase of fresh fruit (FF) over control and BCR 7.47:1. Neem oil was significantly effective in RFI over control (78.73%) with BCR 8.67:1. Novastar 56 EC (Bifenthrin+ Abamectin) was the most effective among the chemical treatments recording 98.08 % RFI with increase of 51.18 % FF over control and BCR 6.06:1. Based on BCR, performance of different treatments could be ranked as Neem oil > Paper bagging > Novastar. So, Paper bagging as safe technique, Neem oil at the rate of 6 ml/L of water as an eco-friendly tactic and Novastar 56 EC @ 1 ml/L of water as least harmful approach could be recommended to protect litchi from the attack of LFB and ensure higher number of fresh fruits. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 46(2): 143-151, June 2021

Many pests are known to damage cucurbitaceous vegetables in Bangladesh but the abundance and host preference of the cucumber moth, Diaphania indica (Crambidae: Lepidoptera) has not been studied previously. Efforts were made to study biology, natural abundance and extent of damage and the influence of seasonal parameters on D. indica. The life cycle duration of D. indica was 17.4 ± 0.36 days, where the incubation period, larval period and adult longevity were 3.5 ± 0.16, 12.4 ± 0.16 and 3.5 ± 0.16 days respectively. Their abundance was high in the summer season and positively correlated with the temperature increases. Snake gourd followed by ridge gourd was the preferred and bitter gourd was the less preferred summer vegetable. In contrast, significantly lower leaf infestations and larval presence were observed in the winter vegetables. The findings extrapolate the potential of D. indica as a threat to summer cucurbitaceous vegetables in the future.

In Bangladesh most agronomic biomass (straw, husk, dried dung) is burnt for domestic cooking use. Consequently, the soil is continuously stripped of mineral nutrients and carbon (C) substrate. Here we investigate if recycling of household ash (ash) as fertilizer can sustainably improve soil fertility as well as minimise accumulation of toxic elements (As, Cd) in rice grain. Large scale field trials across two geographic regions (Barind, Madhupur) and two seasons (wet, dry) and with application of 3 fertiliser treatments (NPKS, ash, NPKS + ash) were conducted. At the end of each season, the impact of region*season*treatment on soil microbial comunities, rice yield, and grain quality (As, Cd, nutrient elements) was assessed. When compared to conventional field application rates of NPKS (control), application of ash boosted rice yield by circa. 20% in both regions during wet and dry season, with no effect on rice grain carcinogenic inorganic arsenic (iAs), dimethylarsonic acid (DMA) or cadmium (Cd), but with potential to increase zinc (Zn). For soil microbial communities, a significant region and season effect as well as correlation with elements in rice grain was observed, amongst these Cd, Zn, iAs and DMA. This study illustrates that application of ash can reduce the requirement for expensive chemical fertiliser, whilst at the same time increasing rice yield and maintaining grain quality, making farming in Bangladesh more sustainable and productive. The study also implies that the combined impact of region, season, and soil microbes determines accumulation of elements in rice grain.

Taher, M.A., M.M. Rahman, K.S. Islam and M.M. Uddin. 2023. Some Significant Threats to Lychee Production and their Management Options in Bangladesh. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 41(2): 114-118. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-041.2.114118 Lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) production is severely hampered by pest infestations in Bangladesh. To help in management of three major lychee pests, namely, lychee fruit borer (Conopomorpha sinensis), lychee mite (Aceria litchi) and lychee leaf roller (Platypeplus aprobola), the efficacy of seven different insecticides were assessed in a commercial lychee orchard at Gopalpur, Tangail, Bangladesh, in two consecutive fruiting seasons. Lychee fruit infestations by the lychee fruit borers (>50%) reached a peak in early to late May and in late April by the lychee mites (>42%). Leaves and inflorescences infestations by the lychee mites (>14%) and lychee leaf rollers (10-33%) were high from February to March. Among the treatments, the mixture of imidacloprid and abamectin resulted in a maximum reduction of infestation over the control trees (98.08% by lychee fruit borer, 87.10% by lychee mite and 92.12% by lychee leaf roller). The highest cost-benefit ratio was achieved by applying Novastar 56 EC (bifenthrin + abamectin) (1:10.36) and ranked second in reducing infestations. Solo application of systemic insecticide and combination of systemic and contact insecticide were effective. The combination imidacloprid + abamectin was the most efficient in reducing the damage by the pests, and the mixture of bifenthrin and abamectin was the most cost-effective to control the selected pests. Keywords: Lychee fruit borer, lychee mite, lychee leaf roller, chemical controls, seasonal abundance

Fifteen varieties of mungbean were evaluated for resistance against major insect pests i.e., leaf folder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis), flea beetle (Phyllotreta nigripes), thrips (Megalurothrips distalis), gram pod borer (Helicoverpa armigera) and legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata). Screening was done on the basis of incidence of insect pests from first incidence upto harvest. Statistically significant variation on recorded data was observed at different days after sowing. The lowest leaf folder population was recorded on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.08 larvae per plot) while the highest (2.05) on variety BARI Mung-6. The flea beetle population was the lowest on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.67 flea beetles per plot) while the highest (3.04) was recorded on variety BARI Mung-6. The lowest population of thrips was observed on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.43 thrips per 10 opened flowers) and the highest population (2.67) was observed on variety BINA Moog-7. The lowest gram pod borer population was observed on variety BARI Mung-4 (1.03 caterpillars per plot) while the highest gram pod borer population was observed on variety BARI Mung-6 (2.24). The lowest population of legume pod borer was observed on variety BINA Moog-4 (1.18 larvae per plot) while the highest population (2.75) was recorded on variety BARI Mung-6. Among the tested varieties, BARI Mung-4 was proven comparatively the least pest infested and highest resistant variety. On the contrary, BARI Mung- 6 showed least resistance. Rest of the varieties expressed moderately resistance to major insect pests. The results showed that none of the tested varieties was completely resistant to major insect pests. SAARC J. Agric., 19(2): 207-217 (2021)

Country bean is a grain legume extensively farmed for its multi-purpose uses, yet the traits related to yield are are poorly studied and yet unexplored. A study on the diversity of qualitative and quantitative morphological characteristics concerning yield among the country bean germplasms collected from Bangladesh identified considerable variation in the studied traits across the germplasms and identified a complex correlation between the qualitative and quantitative traits. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) detected five components that contributed 66.38% qualitative traits and six components contributed 74.49% quantitative traits to total variations. Eigenvalues indicated that a majority of color-related qualitative traits included cotyledon, leaf, vein, seed, flower, and petals contributed, in contrast,a majority of the seed, leaf, flower, and inflorescence-related quantitative traits contributed to the total diversity of the Lablab germplasms. Among the quantitative traits, the highest coefficient of variation (CV%) was found in average pod weight (50.98%), followed by the total number of spikes per plant (43.82%), while seed length, pod weight, length, width, thickness, number of flower/spike, spike length, and total no of spikes/plant all had more than 20.00 percent CV, suggesting suitability to use in the breeding of high yielding genotypes. The germplasms are grouped into four and three clusters based on quantitative and qualitative traits, suggesting quantitative characters offer better clustering of genotypes. Considering the above traits, our research found that the BD-10804, BD-10807, BD-11091, BD-10808, BD-10815, and BD-11089 and cultivar Goal Goda Lablab beans germplasms produced higher pod weight with corresponding higher pod length, width, and thickness suggesting to use them as high yielding genotypes for food and fodder purposes.

Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis of clay samples from four different soil series, viz. Binsara, Taras, Jaonia, and Manda in the Lower Atrai Basin of Bangladesh was performed to characterize the clay minerals. The micrographs of SEM were obtained at three different magnification levels, such as low (2,000x), medium (5,000x), and high (10,000x). The SEM proved to be ideally feasible for studying the size, shape, texture, and fabric of clay samples. The electron micrographs of clays in the Binsara soil series have shown well-formed six-sided flakes. These six-sided flake particles are 1 : 1 type (well-crystallized) kaolinite minerals. The lath-shaped, rounded flakes are the well crystallized 2:1 type illite mineral in clays of Taras and Jaonia soil series. The rod-shaped fluffy masses/flakes are the indication of the presence of 2 : 1 type vermiculite in the clays of Manda soil series. The rounded particles in all soils are quartz grains. Dhaka Univ. J. Biol. Sci. 31(1): 105-115, 2022 (January)

Mustard aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Aphididae: Hemiptera) is one of the major constraints for mustard production in Bangladesh. Traditionally, a variety of broad-spectrum chemical insecticides are being used to control this pest which is detrimental to beneficial insects and the environment. Hence, sustainable management was required. In the present study, as an alternative to conventional insecticides, we have tested: insecticides claimed to be least toxic to the environment (cypermethrin and carbofuran), botanicals (neem oil and mahogany oil) and two non-chemical measures (wood ash and wood ash combined with lime). Cypermethrin and neem oil followed by carbofuran were most efficient to minimize aphid infestations. Comparing to the untreated control plots, reduction of overall percent infestations of plants (74 79%), leaves (74 90%), twigs (48 61%) and pods (64 77%) were obtained through the application of cypermethrin, neem oil and carbofuran. Mahogany oil, wood ash solely and wood ash + lime were also found effective compared to the control plots. Therefore, cypermethrin and neem oil could be the first choice for the mustard growers followed by carbofuran to manage mustard aphids effectively. Mahogany oil followed by wood ash combined with lime and wood ash alone can be suggested only when aphid infestations remain at the lower level.

In Bangladesh, the transformation of dairy farming from livelihood-oriented to enterprise-driven farming system might require deeper understanding on the regional differences in terms of regional potential for further dairy development. This, however, entails detailed data on dairy farm at regional level. Since the data are relatively very scarce in one hand and on the other hand, even available, are contradicting among various sources in terms of data accuracy and precision, the application of the regional modeling on the data and extrapolates to the national data and vice-versa is one of the ways to identify the possible options to improve the data availability and quality. Considering this, the current study was undertaken to assess the data inconsistency by comparing the dairy herd structure and its milk production at regional level and propose a validation tool to arrive at the national data by using the regional findings. The International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN) Regional Modeling Approach (RMA) along with the locally developed Integrated Dairy Research Network (IDRN) farm model was used. The primary data was collected from three divisions (9 districts) from the North-Western part of the country. The results revealed that proportion of household farm dominates over family and business farm while considering the total dairy cow as unit for defining the farm type. The share of the cross bred cows to the local cows is 74.6% and 24.4%, respectively. However, the proportion of lactating cows over dry cows and heifer seems to be higher in local cows (48.8%) than cross breed cows (34.2%). The average milk production for all regions is 4.49 lit/day/cow while that for cross breed is 6.23 lit and local 1.71 lit/day/cow. Using regional model and its coefficient on average milk production, herd composition, proportion of lactating cows on total milk production of DLS and IDRN revealed that IDRN new model estimates 36.5% lower milk than the DLS in 2019 and 33.5% lower in 2018. The IDRN version 1.0 and 2.0 model difference was found to 15.4% and 18.3% lower for 2018 and 2019, respectively. The model setup, calibration and validation are time-demanding and challenging tasks for these large set of data, given the scale intensive data requirements, and the need to ensure the reliability data from multiple regions. This study concludes that regional modeling is quite useful for validating the regional share of the milk production and national milk production. However, this study would recommend for using standardized for data collection, validation and thus conducting further study on the other regions and finally including all regions of the country. Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2020. 49 (2): 128-141

Abstract Climate change-induced salinity intrusion into agricultural soils is known to negatively impact crop production and food security. However, the effects of salinity increase on plant–herbivore–natural enemy systems and repercussions for pest suppression services are largely unknown. Here, we examine the effects of increased salinity on communities of rice (Oryza sativa), brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens, and green mirid bug (GMB), Cyrtorhinus lividipennis, under greenhouse conditions. We found that elevated salinity significantly suppressed the growth of two rice cultivars. Meanwhile, BPH population size also generally decreased due to poor host plant quality induced by elevated salinity.The highest BPH density occurred at 2.0 dS/m salinity and declined thereafter with increasing salinity, irrespective of rice cultivar.The highest population density of GMB also occurred under control conditions and decreased significantly with increasing salinity. Higher salinity directly affected the rice crop by reducing plant quality measured with reference to biomass production and plant height, whereas inducing population developmental asynchrony between BPH and GMB observed at 2 dS/m salinity and potentially uncoupling prey–predator dynamics. Our results suggest that increased salinity has harmful effects on plants, herbivores, natural enemies, as well as plant–pest–predator interactions.The effects measured here suggest that the bottom-up effects of predatory insects on rice pests will likely decline in rice produced in coastal areas where salinity intrusion is common. Our findings indicate that elevated salinity influences tritrophic interactions in rice production landscapes, and further research should address resilient rice insect pest management combining multipests and predators in a changing environment.