Asit Mondal - Rural Reconstruction Foundation (RRF), Bangladesh
Mohammad Ahmed - Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-۹۲۰۸, Bangladesh
Md. Mannan - Agrotechnology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna-۹۲۰۸, Bangladesh.

This research was conducted to evaluate the effect of thickness of floating beds on the growth and yield of okra, Indian spinach, cucumber and red amaranth, from ۲۰۱۳ to ۲۰۱۴, at Gopalganj district in Bangladesh. The single-factor experiment was conducted as a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. There were three treatments viz. ۱.۵ m, ۲.۰ m and ۲.۵ m thickness of floating bed, the raw material of which was solely comprised of water hyacinth biomass. The thickness of the floating bed was reduced each month due to a gradual decomposition of water hyacinth, and as the rotten material fell into the water and soil. The rate at which the floating bed became thinner accelerated through time. For okra, the maximum plant height (۱۵۰.۶۷ and ۱۵۱.۷۷ cm, respectively) was found in response to the ۲.۵ m thick bed which was significantly similar to the ۲.۰ m thick bed in both growing seasons. Bed thickness of ۲.۵ m led to more branches (۶.۶۷ and ۶.۶۷, respectively), leaves (۴۷.۰۰ and ۴۹.۶۷, respectively), fruits (۲۵.۰۰ and ۲۶.۰۰, respectively), fruit length (۱۴.۵۶ cm and ۱۴.۰۲ cm, respectively), fruit diameter (۶.۲۹ cm and ۶.۰۸ cm, respectively) and yield (۷.۹۹ and ۸.۰۹ t ha-۱, respectively). Minimum values were observed in response to the ۱.۵ m thick bed in both years. A similar trend was also observed in the case of other three corps, i.e. Indian spinach, Cucumber and Red amaranth, regarding their growth and yield, as a function of bed thickness. From an economic viewpoint, the ۲.۰-meter thick bed was found suitable for the production of the said crops.

Economic Analysis, Floating bed agriculture, Thickness and Water logging