• Authors:
    • Shakir, A. S.
    • Rehman, H. U.
    • Sharif, M. B.
    • Hameed, A.
    • Qazi, A. U.
    • Khan, N. M.
    • Afzal, M.
  • Source: Pakistan Journal of Science
  • Volume: 63
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiation-resistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area. The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods. Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from CROPWAT. The result differs by 3% from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water requirement.
  • Authors:
    • Chachar, Q. I.
    • Shahzadi, A. K.
    • Mari, J. M.
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural Technology
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The study on perception of the problems in farming community in District Hyderabad, Pakistan was conducted through a set of questioners during 2007. Three hundred respondents (growers) were personally interviewed, their responses were tabulated. Data were collected on the basic information about cotton growers such as their ages, education, tenancy statuses, sizes of farm, farming experiences, and living status was asked which would highly influence the use of communication media for the perception of the problems in farming community. The growers of the area stated that irregular supply of irrigation and lack of visit of extension personnel, nonavailability of inputs, and high cost of inputs were common problems of the area. It was also noted that these are the causes for low yield. It is recommended that government should ensure the better facilities for continue supply of irrigation water and pure inputs with minimum rates in the market.
  • Authors:
    • Imran, K.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Usman, I.
  • Source: Soil & Environment
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The study was conducted with the aim to determine the impact of soil quality on the Bt cotton productivity. A sample of 150 farmers was selected by using multi-stage sampling technique from three districts i.e. Rahim Yar Khan, Multan and Mianwali. A Cobb Douglas production function was employed to assess the effect of various agronomic and demographic variables on the Bt cotton productivity. Results of the analysis indicated that land preparation cost, seed cost, fertilizer cost, labour cost and dummy variable of soil quality were significant and positively contributing towards higher Bt cotton yield. While the spray cost and irrigation cost variable were found positive but non-significant. Findings of the study suggested that focusing on maintaining and improving the quality of soils is necessary to obtain higher crop yields. All this needs attention of agricultural extension department to provide information about advance techniques to farmers for improving soil quality.
  • Authors:
    • Tahir, M. A.
    • Quddus, M. A.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Muhammad, A.
    • Nighat, F.
  • Source: Pakistani Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Volume: 48
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: The paper examined the resource use efficiency of small Bt cotton farmers of Punjab province of Pakistan using the production function approach. Data for the study were obtained from 150 randomly selected Bt cotton farmers from Punjab province using a multistage sampling procedure and then categorized into small, medium and large farmers. Average farm size of small farmer was found to be 5 acres. Regression results indicated that Fertilizer, Spray Number, Irrigation acre inch and labour cost were significantly affecting Bt cotton production while farm size was found non significant. The resource use efficiency analysis showed that efficiency ratios i.e. MVP/MFC for inputs fertilizer (Kg), spray number, irrigation (acre inch) and labour cost (Rs) were found to be 1.5, 3.94, 3.01 and 1.27, respectively. All the efficiency ratios, more than unity indicated the under utilization of all the production inputs under consideration in case of small Bt cotton farmers. Bt cotton production for small Bt farmers had an increasing return to scale with elasticity of production 1.27. Opportunities still exists to increase Bt cotton output in the study area by increasing the level of above mentioned productive resources.
  • Authors:
    • Murari, L.
  • Source: Regional Environmental Change
  • Volume: 11
  • Issue: Supplement 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: One of the targets of the United Nations 'Millennium Development Goals' adopted in 2000 is to cut in half the number of people who are suffering from hunger between 1990 and 2015. However, crop yield growth has slowed down in much of the world because of declining investments in agricultural research, irrigation, and rural infrastructure and increasing water scarcity. New challenges to food security are posed by accelerated climatic change. Considerable uncertainties remain as to when, where and how climate change will affect agricultural production. Even less is known about how climate change might influence other aspects that determine food security, such as accessibility of food for various societal groups and the stability of food supply. This paper presents the likely impacts of thermal and hydrological stresses as a consequence of projected climate change in the future potential agriculture productivity in South Asia based on the crop simulation studies with a view to identify critical climate thresholds for sustained food productivity in the region. The study suggests that, on an aggregate level, there might not be a significant impact of global warming on food production of South Asia in the short term (
  • Authors:
    • Faridi, I. A.
    • Gillani, S. R.
    • Imran, M
    • Mahmood. Z.
    • Shaheen, Q.
  • Source: ASIAN JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
  • Volume: 23
  • Issue: 12
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: This work evaluates the effects of water of irrigation in comparison with the source of water with special reference to chromium contamination in vegetables grown in various areas of Pakistan. Twenty samples of each vegetable, i.e., spinach ( Spinacia oleracea), lettuce ( Lactuca sativa), carrot ( Daucus cariota), capsicum ( Capsicum fistulosus), sweet pea ( Lathyrus odoratus), potato ( Solanum tuberosum) and cabbage ( Brassica oleracea), were collected during the year 2006 and replicated in 2007 and 2008. The range of concentration of chromium in vegetables irrigated with tube well water, canal water and municipal sewage water was in between 0.3-5.3, 1.01-13.09 and 1.11-29.89 ppm, respectively. Statistical analysis shows that the vegetables grown by tube well water and canal irrigation are quite safe and show less than 1% samples of vegetables showing chromium concentration more than that of permissible ambient levels. In case of vegetables irrigated by municipal sewage water more than 50% samples contained Cr more than that of permissible ambient levels. The results reflect that the uptake of chromium in vegetables is facilitated under the condition where the source of irrigation is sewage water.
  • Authors:
    • Vashist, K. K.
    • Mahey, R. K.
    • Barkodia, R.
    • Mahal, S. S.
    • Sidhu, A. S.
  • Source: Journal of Cotton Research and Development
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during kharif, 2004. The treatments comprised of four irrigation schedules (Irrigation application at 75, 95, 115 and 135 mm of cumulative pan evaporation) and four dates of irrigation termination (10, 20, 30 September and 10, October). The treatments were replicated four times in randomized block design. Ginning outturn was not affected due to schedule of irrigation upto the last irrigation. Highest oil content (19.34%) was observed under 135 mm CPE, which was significantly higher than 75 and 95 mm CPE but was at par with 115 mm CPE. None of the quality characters were significantly influenced by different irrigation schedules as well as date of termination of last irrigation. Maximum seed cotton yield was recorded at 95 mm (16.23 q/ha) followed by 75 mm (16.22 q/ha) CPE and these two irrigation regimes being at par with one another and they were significantly superior to 115 mm (13.98 q/ha) and 135 mm (12.66 q/ha) CPE. Termination of last irrigation on October, 10 produced highest seed cotton yield (15.64 q/ha) as compared to termination on September, 10 and 20 but at par with September, 30.
  • Authors:
    • Irshad, M
    • Ahmad, R
  • Source: Soil & Environment
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Boron (B), one of the essential micronutrients, plays vital role in plant growth. Thirty one field experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of wheat, rice and cotton to B application throughout Pakistan during 2005-08. Boron was applied at 1 kg ha -1 as Borax decahydrate (11.3% B) at different times along with recommended doses of N, P and K. The results revealed that B application at sowing time to wheat increased significantly the number of tillers plant -1 (15%), number of grains spike -1 (11%), 1000-grain weight (7%) and grain yield (10%) over control. Among the treatments, B application at sowing time showed best results followed by B application at 1st irrigation and at booting stage. In rice (coarse), B application before transplanting substantially increased number of tillers hill -1 (21%), plant height (3%), panicle length (10%), and number of paddy grains panicle -1 (17%), 1000-grain weight (11%) and paddy yield (31%) over control. Response of fine rice to B application was similar for all yield parameters as in coarse rice. In cotton, B application considerably increased plant height (3%), number of mature bolls plant -1 (12%), seed weight boll -1 (8%) and seed cotton yield (9%) over control. Although, B application at all stages significantly increased yield parameters tested but B application at sowing time was best among all treatments.
  • Authors:
    • Zhang, T. Z.
    • Yusuf, Z.
    • Nabila, T.
    • Ihsan, U.
    • Guo, W. Z.
    • Mehboob-ur-Rahman
    • Saeed, M.
  • Source: Electronic Journal of Biotechnology
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Increasing scarcity of irrigation water is a major threat to sustainable production of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.). Identifying genomic regions contributing to abiotic stress tolerance will help develop cotton cultivars suitable for water-limited regions through molecular marker-assisted breeding. A molecular mapping F 2 population was derived from an intraspecific cross of the drought sensitive G. hirsutum cv. FH-901 and drought tolerant G. hirsutum cv. RH-510. Field data were recorded on physiological traits (osmotic potential and osmotic adjustment); yield and its component traits (seedcotton yield, number of bolls/plant and boll weight); and plant architecture traits (plant height and number of nodes per plant) for F 2, F 2:3 and F 2:4 generations under well-watered versus water-limited growth conditions. The two parents were surveyed for polymorphism using 6500 SSR primer pairs. Joinmap3.0 software was used to construct linkage map with 64 polymorphic markers and it resulted into 35 markers mapped on 12 linkage groups. QTL analysis was performed by composite interval mapping (CIM) using QTL Cartographer2.5 software. In total, 7 QTLs (osmotic potential 2, osmotic adjustment 1, seedcotton yield 1, number of bolls/plant 1, boll weight 1 and plant height 1) were identified. There were three QTLs ( qtlOP-2, qtlOA-1, and qtlPH-1) detected only in water-limited conditions. Two QTLs ( qtlSC-1 and qtlBW-1) were detected for relative values. Two QTLs ( qtlOP-1 and qtlBN-1) were detected for well-watered treatment. Significant QTLs detected in this study can be employed in MAS for molecular breeding programs aiming at developing drought tolerant cotton cultivars.
  • Authors:
    • Javaid, A.
    • Mahmood-ul-Hassan
    • Alam, S. S.
    • Saleem, M.
  • Source: Pakistan Journal of Botany
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2011
  • Summary: Significant effect of different irrigation schedules and integrated nutrition levels was determined on fraction of intercepted radiation (Fi) in cotton. The treatments were four irrigation schedules viz, six irrigations (I-1), three irrigations (I-2), irrigation at 25 mm deficit (I-3) and irrigation at 50 mm deficit (14), and seven integrated nutrition levels i.e. control (No), 75-37.5-37.5 kg NM ha(-1) (N-1), 75-37.5-37.5 kg NPK ha(-1) + FYM (farm yard manure) @ 20 t ha(-1) (N-2), 75-37.5-37.5 kg NPK. ha-(1) + wheat straw@ St ha(-1) (N3), 150-75-75 kg NPK ha(-1) (N-4), 150-75-75 kg NM + FYM @20 t ha(-1) (N-5), 150-75-75 kg NPK ha(-1) + wheat straw @ 5 t ha(-1) (N-6). Positive and linear relationships were established between Fi and total dry flatter (TDM); and Fi and seed cotton yield. Significantly higher Fi values were attained when the crop was planted at N-5 with any of three irrigation schedules viz. I-1, or I-3 or I-4. The highest values of Fi (0.914 in first year and 0.913 in second year of study) were recorded with I4N5 which were followed by I3N5 and I1N5. The interactions I4N5, I3N5 and I1N5 harvested 23.51, 23.38 and 20.27 % greater Fi to I2N0.