• Authors:
    • Bastiaanssen, W. G. M.
    • Cheema, M. J. M.
  • Source: Agricultural Water Management
  • Volume: 97
  • Issue: 10
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Water resources planning and management is fundamental for food security, environmental conservation, economic development and livelihoods. In complex basins like the Indus Basin, water is utilized by different land cover and land uses. Up to date information about these Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) classes provide essential information on the water flow path. Traditionally, landscapes are described by cover type. For water management analysis, the information on land use is vital. To this end, a classification of LULC in the Indus Basin (covering 116.2 million hectares of Pakistan, India, China and Afghanistan) has been made. Vegetation index images freely available from SPOT-Vegetation satellite were used to describe the phenological cycle of all agro-ecosystems at a spatial resolution of 1 km x 1 km. An unsupervised clustering technique was adapted to classify 27 land use classes. Ground information and expert knowledge on the growing patterns of crops was used to label the resulting LULC classes. This helped to discern specific crops and crop rotations. An error matrix was prepared using ground truthing data to evaluate the classification accuracy. Existing global, regional and local studies were also considered for validation. The results show an overall accuracy of 77%, with the producer's accuracy being 78% and user's accuracy 83%. The Kappa coefficient (0.73) shows moderate agreement between on ground and satellite derived map. This is deemed sufficient for supporting water management analysis. The availability of major crop rotation statistics and types of forests and savanna is key information for the input data in hydrological models and water accounting frameworks. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Authors:
    • Evans, A.
    • Blummel, M.
    • Noble, A. D.
    • Ahmad, W.
    • Simmons, R. W.
    • Weckenbrock, P.
  • Source: Irrigation and Drainage Systems
  • Volume: 24
  • Issue: 1-2
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: In 2006 a comprehensive sampling program was undertaken in two pre-selected peri-urban villages in Faisalabad, Pakistan to evaluate the soil and agronomic impacts of long-term (25-30 years) untreated wastewater re-use on wheat grain and straw yields and attributes of wheat straw fodder quality. Soil SAR, ESP, RSC and ECe were 63%, 37%, 31%, and 50% higher under wastewater (WW) as compared with canal water (CW) irrigated plots. Further, 2.7 and 6.65 fold increases in soil NO 3-+NO 2--N and Olsen-P were observed in WW as compared with CW irrigated plots. However, no significant differences in grain yield, wheat straw biomass, or fodder quality attributes were observed between WW and CW irrigated plots. In addition, for both CW and WW irrigated plots wheat straw, Cd and Pb concentrations were orders of magnitude below the EC Maximum permissible levels for Pb and Cd in feed materials and thus pose no threat to the fodder-livestock food chain. Further, elevated soil N associated with WW irrigated plots has a significant ( p
  • Authors:
    • Hameed, M
    • Afzal, M
    • Rana, S. A.
    • Ruby, T.
  • Source: International Journal of Agriculture & Biology
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 6
  • Year: 2010
  • Summary: Arthropods are the most integral part of an agro-ecosystem, but the crop intensification practices are badly affecting these key components. Studies pertaining to biodiversity of arthropods in the cropland of two zones i.e., mixed crop zone (Faisalabad) and Cotton-Wheat zone (Multan) Punjab, Pakistan were conducted for a period of one year. The main focus was to collect, identify and compare the species richness and evenness. Sugarcane, Fodder, Wheat and Brassica were sampled round the year showed variations in species composition of their fauna in the two districts representing the two zones. Mixed-crop zone was highly diversified with respect to species and abundance of individuals per species. On the whole order Orthoptera was dominant followed by Araneae, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Hymenoptera, Odonata, Diptera and Thysanoptera, Neuroptera, Prostigmata each represented by single species except Mantodea with two species. This data base will be helpful in future ecological pest management strategies. The mixed-crop zone was found better than cotton-wheat zone with respect to faunal diversity that may be functional in keeping the sustainability of agro-ecosystem intact.
  • Authors:
    • Erenstein, O.
  • Source: Agricultural Water Management
  • Volume: 96
  • Issue: 12
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: The intensive irrigated rice-wheat systems in the northwest Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia are built on a long tradition of canal irrigation and the more recent advent of tubewells. Findings from farm surveys are used to examine water management and water productivity in the rice-wheat belt of India's Haryana State and Pakistan's Punjab province. Attributes of the irrigation sources help explain the widespread interest in groundwater use and the relative demise of canal water use. In each area groundwater now is the main irrigation source, used either solely or in conjunction with surface water. The ownership of tubewells is near universal among the surveyed farms, whereas conjunctive water use is more widespread during the monsoon season, among better endowed farmers and in the Pakistan Punjab. In Pakistan Punjab farmers primarily rely on diesel powered tubewells whereas Haryana farmers mainly use relatively cheaper electric power. Water productivity indicators for rice are markedly lower than those for wheat - largely reflecting significantly higher water inputs in paddy cultivation - but also vary between the study areas and by the prevailing water use, reflecting the limited incentives for farmers to use water wisely. A combination of technological, land use and market based approaches is likely to be most effective in achieving sustainable water management in these intensive cereal systems.
  • Authors:
    • Ahmad-ur-Rahman, S.
    • Sadur-Rehman
    • Kamran, K.
  • Source: Sarhad Journal of Agriculture
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: A field study was conducted to devise a scheme for the integrated management of potato-peach aphid, Myzus persicae (sulzer). Different treatments including, Imidacloprid 25% WP, Tracer 240 EC, Acetamaprid 20 SP, Potato berseem mixed cropping with or without yellow sticky plastic sheet and Potato+Yellow traps were evaluated for their effectiveness. Among all the treatments mixed cropping of potato and berseem together with or without yellow sticky plastic sheet traps was found most effective in reducing the population density of M. persicae i.e. 1.92 aphid per potato leaf and culminated in enhancing the number of associated natural enemies of M. persicae per potato comprising ladybird beetle (9.06), syrphid fly (4.18), green lacewing (8.80), parasitoid mummies (8.18). Also highest yield (12.42 tones ha -1) was recorded from the same treatments. Imidacloprid 25% WP, Acetamaprid 20 SP and Tracer 240 EC were ranked next to potato berseem mixed cropping (with or without yellow traps) in reducing the population density of M. persicae to 2.01, 2.01 and 2.07 aphid per potato leaf, respectively. Imidacloprid 25% WP, Acetamaprid 20 SP and Tracer 240 EC had almost similar effect on the number of natural enemies and on the yield of potato crop.
  • Authors:
    • Wasaya, A.
    • Asif, M.
    • Tanveer, A.
    • Nadeem, M. A.
    • Tahir, M.
    • Ali, A.
    • Jamil-ur-Rehman
  • Source: Pakistan Journal Of Life and Social Science
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2009
  • Summary: In field experiment at Faisalabad, Pakistan conducted during August, 2005, the effect of different irrigation management strategies on growth and yield of soybean was investigated. The experiment comprised of eight irrigation practices of viz; rainfed, one irrigation at vegetative growth stage, one irrigation at flowering, one irrigation at pod formation, two irrigations at vegetative growth stage and at flowering, two irrigations at vegetative growth stage and at pod formation, two irrigations at flowering and at pod formation and three irrigations at vegetative growth stage, at flowering and at pod formation. Number of plants m -2, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod and seed yield was significantly higher when crop was irrigated with three irrigations at vegetative growth stage, at flowering and at pod formation.
  • Authors:
    • An, M.
    • Cheema, Z. A.
    • Iqbal, J.
  • Source: Plant and Soil
  • Volume: 300
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2007
  • Summary: A 2-year field investigation was carried out during 2003-2004 to determine the effectiveness of intercropping single and double rows of sorghum, soybean and sesame in a cotton crop on the suppression of purple nutsedge ( Cyperus rotundus L.). Results revealed that all three intercrops were effective in inhibiting purple nutsedge density (70-96%) and dry matter production (71-97%) during both years of experimentation. Control in the second year was more effective than in the first year. The seed cotton yield was also depressed by the intercrops but its suppression (8-23%) was far less severe than that of purple nutsedge and its loss was compensated by greater total economic returns. Intercropping of sorghum and sesame produced greater than 20% net benefits (up to 60%) in comparison with the control (cotton alone). Soybean intercropping produced comparable net benefits (95-103%). Sesame two rows intercrop treatment appeared the most profitable with net benefit of 51-59% with good purple nutsedge control (73-92% density suppression, 77-95% dry weight suppression) during both years of experimentation.
  • Authors:
    • Kahlown, M. A.
    • Azam, M.
    • Kemper, W. D.
  • Source: Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
  • Volume: 61
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2006
  • Summary: Conventional management practices for the rice-wheat rotation in Pakistan's Punjab have failed to improve crop yield, increase water and fertilizer use efficiencies, and decrease production costs enough to meet an ever-increasing food demand. New technologies such as no-till, laser leveling, and bed and furrow irrigation are being rapidly adopted by the farming community, but without adequate scientific information. Therefore, those practices were evaluated on 71 farms within four representative sites. Land preparation/sowing costs, water savings, use of fertilizers, soil salinity, and crop yield were evaluated. Land preparation and sowing cost on no-till fields was significantly less than on tilled fields. Highest yields were obtained on laser-leveled fields, followed by no-till, bed and furrow fields. Water and nitrogen use efficiencies were much higher on fields with bed and furrow irrigation as compared to the conventional fields. Although the new technologies were economically feasible, we conclude that no-till was the best option for the farmers.
  • Authors:
    • Ahmad, R.
    • Jabbar, A.
    • Ehsanullah
    • Nazir, M. S.
  • Source: Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 42
  • Issue: 1/2
  • Year: 2005
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted during 1998/99 and 1999/2000 to evaluate the performance of diversified rice-based relay cropping systems at zero and conventional tillage under strip plantation on a sandy clay loam soil in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The treatments comprised rice/fallow and rice intercropped with wheat, barley, forage oats, gram [ Cicer arietinum], lentil, linseed, fenugreek, sunflower, rape, forage maize and Egyptian clover [ Trifolium alexandrinum]. All rice-based relay cropping were more productive and economically viable than rice/fallow. However, rice intercropped with grain or forage legumes (such as fenugreek, gram, lentil and Egyptian clover) were more superior to that intercropped with non-legumes (such as wheat, barley, forage oats, rape, sunflower and forage maize) in terms of sustainability, total rice grain yield equivalent (TRGYE) and net field benefits under both zero and conventional tillage. Rice/fenugreek relay cropping recorded the highest TRGYEs of 7.48 and 9.27 t/ha and net monetary gains of Rs. 40 620 and 45 120/ha under zero and conventional tillage, respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Sathaye, J. A.
    • Makundi, W. R.
  • Source: Environment, Development and Sustainability
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 1-2
  • Year: 2004
  • Summary: This paper summarizes studies of carbon mitigation potential (MP) and costs of forestry options in seven developing countries with a focus on the role of agroforestry. A common methodological approach known as comprehensive mitigation assessment process (COMAP) was used in each study to estimate the potential and costs between 2000 and 2030. The approach requires the projection of baseline and mitigation land-use scenarios derived from the demand for forest products and forestland for other uses such as agriculture and pasture. By using data on estimated carbon sequestration, emission avoidance, costs and benefits, the model enables one to estimate cost effectiveness indicators based on monetary benefit per tC, as well as estimates of total mitigation costs and potential when the activities are implemented at equilibrium level. The results show that about half the MP of 6.9 GtC (an average of 223 MtC per year) between 2000 and 2030 in the seven countries could be achieved at a negative cost, and the other half at costs not exceeding $100 per tC. Negative cost indicates that non-carbon revenue is sufficient to offset direct costs of about half of the options. The agroforestry options analyzed bear a significant proportion of the potential at medium to low cost per tC when compared to other options. The role of agroforestry in these countries varied between 6% and 21% of the MP, though the options are much more cost effective than most due to the low wage or opportunity cost of rural labor. Agroforestry options are attractive due to the large number of people and potential area currently engaged in agriculture, but they pose unique challenges for carbon and cost accounting due to the dispersed nature of agricultural activities in the tropics, as well as specific difficulties arising from requirements for monitoring, verification, leakage assessment and the establishment of credible baselines.