Courses

15. AGRONOMY DEPARTEMT
The Department offers graduate programs leading to MS and PhD degrees.
Faculty Members: Dr. Md. Abdul Karim, Professor Dr. Qazi Abdul Khaliq, Professor; Dr. M. Moynul Haque, Professor; Md. Nasimul Bari, Professor; Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam, Associate Professor; Md. Moshiul Islam, Assistant Professor (Study Leave) and K.M. Shamsul Haque, Assistant Professor (Study Leave).
Research Supervisor: Dr. S. M. Altaf Hossain, Department of Agronomy, BAU; Dr. Gazi Jashimuddin, Ex CSO, Agronomy Division, BRRI; Dr. Md. Harunur Rashid, PSTU; Dr. Md. Altaf Hossain, CSO, Agronomy Division, BARI; Dr. Md. Altaf Hossain, SSO, SRDI; Dr. J. K. Ladha, Co-ordinator, IRRI Rice-Wheat Program in Asia, Dr. M. Murshedul Alam, Senior Scientist and Research Platform Coordinator, CSISA, IRRI; Dr. M.A. Mannan, Associate Professor, AGR, PSTU; Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam, PSO, AGR, BARI; Dr. Rina Rani Saha, PSO, AGR, BARI; Dr. Md. Shafiqul Islam Momin, PSO, BARI
Research facility:
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.

COURSES:
AGR/SST 501 Principles of Crop Production (3 cr.): Definition and domain of agronomy; plant and plant kingdom: origin, domestication and diversity of plants, gene pool system, classification of crops, structural and functional organization of crop plants, economy of plant forms and functions, development of plant; crop improvement: aerial environment, below ground (root) environment; plant processes: radiation and photosynthesis, soil-plant-water relations; crop yield: determination of crop yields, ecology of crop yield in relation to climate change, physiological aspects of yield improvement of crops, yield increases-trend, limits and prospects.
AGR 505 Crop Physiology (3 cr.): Importance of crop physiology in relation to crop productivity; photosynthesis and crop yield: photosynthetic classification of crops; photosynthesis in C3, C4 and CAM plants; factors affecting crop photosynthesis; crop photosynthesis under elevated CO2; crop photosynthesis and crop nutrition; crop respiration: factors affecting respiration, photorespiration and crop productivity; crop growth and development: factors affecting vegetative and reproductive growth, crop growth analysis; photoperiodic sensitivity of crops; source-sink relationship and crop productivity; assimilate translocation and dry matter partitioning in crops.
AGR 506 Crop Growth and Culture (3 cr.): 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.): Review of soil physical properties; soil water: available water : movement & measurement of soil water; principles of irrigation; determining crop water requirements; irrigation water need; irrigation scheduling; water requirement at each irrigation, seasonal requirement, system capacity; pumping water for irrigation; land and water resources of Bangladesh; irrigation systems: conveyance, distribution and field application; drainage of agricultural lands; irrigation efficiencies; measurements of different on farm losses; irrigation management, minimizing water loss.
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.
AGR 516 Principles of Weed Science (3 cr.): Concept, definition, characteristics, harmful and beneficial effects of weed; classification of weeds; persistence of weeds; distribution and dispersal of weeds; crop-weed interference; allelopathy, types and mechanisms; principles and components of weed management; physical, cultural, biological and chemical methods of weed control; basic chemistry of herbicides; herbicide formulations and additives; behavior of herbicide in plant and soil; mode of action of herbicide, herbicide selectivity; herbicide-environment interactions; integrated weed management; experimental techniques in weed research.
AGR 520 Cropping Systems (3 cr.): Concepts and principles; physical resources and cropping systems: 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, cropping system and conservation agriculture.
AGR/SST 525 Principles of Seed Science and Technology (3 cr.): Introduction: origin, evolution, ecology and physiology of seed; morphology and chemical composition of seed; seed dormancy: biological significance, dormancy and seed production; seed quality: genetical, physical, physiological and pathological quality; seed moisture: isotherm relationship, seed moisture test; pure seed definition, purity test; seed viability, estimation; germination test, physiological and biochemical changes during seed germination; seed and seedling vigor, stimulation, estimation; germination under various stress conditions; hardseedness, seed priming; seed health; seed quality control during production, processing and storing; hybrid seed production; custom seed production; seed deterioration, physiology of seed deterioration; seed certification; seed legislation; seed marketing.
AGR 530 Microclimate (3 cr.): Plants and its physical environment; atmosphere; energy exchange, energy budget and temperature of leaf; gas exchange; plant processes; fundamental aspects of radiation and temperature relations of crop plants; climatic influence on crop performance, crop water requirement;
AGR 540 Irrigation Agronomy (3 cr.): Soil moisture: constraints and measurement; relationships between soil moisture and soil physical properties; soil water movement; ground water: fluctuation and measurements; atmospheric parameters regulating crop production; plant water status, water losses and water requirements of crops; conveyance and measurements of irrigation water; evaluation of land for irrigation; sources and quality of irrigation water, planning for a farm for irrigation, agronomic evaluation and choice of irrigation methods, economics and costing of irrigation; scheduling and practices of irrigation for crops and orchards; drainage of irrigated fields.
AGR 550 Cereal Crop Production (3 cr.): Crop production concepts & constraints in Bangladesh; rice: origin and botany of rice, rice growing environments, morphology, growth and development of rice plant, anatomy of rice grain, climatic requirements of rice production, mineral nutrition of rice, physiological analysis of rice production; wheat: origin and botany of wheat, morphology, growth and development of wheat plant, climatic effects on wheat production, varietal improvement in wheat; maize: origin of maize; mineral nutrition of maize; physiology of maize; environmental influence on maize.
AGR 560 Laboratory Methods in Agronomy (3 cr.): Crop growth analysis; measuring light interception and radiation use efficiency at different canopy levels; gas exchange measurement: photosynthesis, respiration and transpiration; determining plant water relations i.e. xylem exudation, relative water content, leaf water potential and osmotic potential; root growth analysis: root length density and root porosity; determining crop tolerance to abiotic stresses viz. water, salinity and soil flooding; measuring cell membrane thermo-stability; estimating stomatal frequency; determining seed moisture content and seed vigor.
AGR 580 Photosynthesis and Crop Production (3 cr.): Study of primary productivity of crops and vegetation; crop and radiation environment; principles and techniques of photosynthesis; canopy architecture and photosynthesis in relation to increasing crop yield.
AGR 596 Reading and Conference (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr.): Special study assigned by the Major Professor on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and/or interest of the student.
AGR 597 Special Problems (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr.): Investigation of special problems in agronomy not related to a thesis problem. The investigations may consist of original research and/or literature survey.
AGR 598 Seminar (1 cr.): Discussion on assigned topics in the field of Agronomy.
AGR 599 Thesis Research (Credit to be arranged but not less than 12 cr.): Original thesis research.
AGR 601 Crop Ecology (3 cr.): Ecological concepts; ecosystems: attributes, ecological pyramid, metabolic, production and turnover processes; concepts of species; species interaction; population dynamics and resource allocation; community concepts and attributes; proximity factors; methods of ecological sampling; reproductive ecology: genetic resource, sexual system, mating, offspring; measurement of intercrop performance; environment and crop: radiation absorption pattern by crop canopies, photosynthetic productivity of crops, energy exchange; resource management; crop productivity: carbon cycle, energy flow model and measurement of productivity; Greenhouse effect, climate change and global warming.
AGR 610 Climate Change and Crop Production (3 cr.): Scenarios of climate change; global warming: causes and effects on agriculture; climate data for agricultural planning and management; land use change: threats and opportunities; ecosystem change and management; resource management and programs to mitigate the risk of crop production associated with climate change; crop development: agronomic options and genetic adaptation of crops to drought, salinity, excess moisture/flooding, temperature etc; climate resilience cropping systems for the climatically vulnerable area of Bangladesh; climate change research strategies.
AGR 615 Soil Management and Crop Production (3 cr.): Organization levels of the soil materials; soil physical properties; criteria of soil classification; soil structure and aggregate stability; water retention and water movement in soil, soil erosion problem, soil and water conservation technology, tillage and no-tillage crop production; agro-ecological zones: concept, characteristics and implications; land evaluation and land use planning: land qualities, land capability and crop suitability classification, land use requirement; soil management: issues of soil management, soil health conservation policy and implications, physical aspect of soil management in Bangladesh; problem soils: extent and management
AGR 636 Physiological Ecology (3 cr.): Photo synthetically active radiation: responses to different quantum flux densities; ecological significance of photo-inhibition; responses of photoperiod: varieties of plant response to photoperiod, ecological aspects of photoperiodism, photoperiodism mechanisms; plant responses to extreme temperature-cellular and sub-cellular bases; ecological significance of crop resistance to high temperature; physiological responses of crops to moderate water stress; physiological response of crops to flooding.
AGR/SST 640 Seed Production of Field Crops (3 cr.): Agro-ecological and climatic considerations; types of seed production; classes of seed production; inputs and equipment requirements, cost analysis in seed production; seed production planning; environmental and management factors influencing seed yield and quality; principles of seed production; methods of seed production: land selection, crop alteration, isolation, land preparation, spacing, planting, nutrition, irrigation, weed control, rouging, fertilization control, plant protection, field inspection, maturation and seed harvesting; seed production technology of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, jute and sugarcane.
AGR 650 Soil-Plant-Water Relations (3 cr.): Introduction to soil-plant-water relations; properties of water and aqueous solution; plant water potential; water movement in soil-plant-atmosphere continuum; soil water content and water balance in soil; water movement pathways; mechanism of water absorption; root and stem pressure; ascent of sap: pathways and mechanism; pathways of water movement in leaf; stomatal physiology; transpiration: factors and measurement; crop water balance; plant water status: deficit or excess and plant growth; water use efficiency; feature of crops to avoid drought.
AGR 656 Rainfed Agronomy (3 cr.): Agro-climatic, moisture and rainfall regimes, water balance model, agro-ecological zones (AEZ) of Bangladesh, rainfed environments in the AEZs; climatic factors and their effects on crop production; moisture supply and crop productivity relations; water use efficiency; plant response to drought, mechanisms of stress injury and resistance; drought, physiological processes and grain yield; effective drought control, drought hardening; roots in relation to drought; crop productivity in rainfed/dryland farming; efficient water use for increasing yield; dryland farming; time of harvest; management practices for increasing yield in rainfed farming; improving water availability to crop, increasing WUE; farming under rainfed environments in Bangladesh.
AGR 660 Plant Population Biology (3 cr.): 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.
AGR 662 Weed Management (3 cr.): Management concept: risks, decision, weed science, weed ecology, empiricism / reductionism / holism; crop loss due to weed; ecosystem structure: productivity, dominance, suppression, dynamics, succession; anthromorphic 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.
AGR 665 Research Methods in Agronomy (3 cr.): Understanding the research process in the field of agronomy; fundamental principles of experimental design; methodology of agronomic study; appropriate experimental techniques, technologies, research methods and data presentation analysis in relation to agronomic problems and situations; collection of data and statistical analysis, presentation of data; conclusion and recommendations; writing a research paper and present it at a department seminar; understanding the publication and reviewing process.
AGR 696 Reading and Conference (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr.): Special study assigned by the Major Professor on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee and/or interest of the student.

AGR 697 Special Problems (Credit to be arranged but not more than 3 cr.): Investigation of special problems in agronomy not related to a thesis problem as assigned by the Major Professor to be taken once in the programme period but not more than 2 units at a time. The investigations may consist of original research and/or literature survey.
AGR 698 Seminar (2 cr, not more then 1 cr. per term): Discussion on assigned topics in the field of Agronomy.
AGR 699 Dissertation Research (Credit to be arranged but not less than 30 cr.): Original thesis research.
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