[en] A replicated field trial consisting of nine varieties including C-47 as a check was conducted during kharif 1989. Significant differences were observed in grain yield, stover yield, days to 50% flowering and plant height among the varieties. Y-84 produced the highest grain yield of 1666 kg/ha followed by DB-V (1611 kg/ha) and MP-155 (1500 kg/ha). Y-84 and MH-285 each produced the highest stover yield of 12.22 t/ha. MP-201 was the earliest variety to 50% flowering (54 days), while DBR-III was the tallest variety having a plant height of 219 cm. The check variety C-47 produced a grain yield of 722 kg/ha, with a stover yield of 6.11 t/ha, it flowered in 77 days and was 212 cm tall.(author)

[en] A study was conducted to understand the role of epidemiological factors of chickpea blight such as inoculum potential, plant age, effect of leaf wetness and incubation period, under green house conditions. A positive correlation was observed between disease severity and inoculum concentration. The chickpea cultivars; Punjab-91 and C-727 were inoculated with spore suspension of A. rabiel at different physiological stages from 2-12 weeks (seedling to reproductive stage) after sowing. Disease severity was more on 2-weeks old seedling than the adult plants. Incubation period for 3 and 4 days when sprayed with water 1 or 2 times a day had a pronounced effect.(author)

[en] Heritability and correlation were conducted in the 13 geographically diverse peanut genotypes. The lowest heritability value was noted for seeds/pod while 100-kernel weight exhibited the highest heritability. However, 100-kernel weight showed the highest but non significant correlation with pod yield. Path coefficient analysis indicated that 100-kernel weight had the highest direct effect on pod yield followed by pods/plant, seeds/pod and sound mature kernel (SMK%). Kernel weight affected pod yield negatively via indirect influence of pods/plant, seeds/pod, SMK% and shelling %. (author)

[en] A field study was carried out for two consecutive years in subtropical rainfed conditions of Rawalpindi, Pakistan to evaluate the forage quality of oats, barley and vetch grown in pure stands and cereal-legume mixtures. Treatments comprised oats pure stand, oats in oats-vetch mixture, barley pure stand, barley in barley-vetch mixture, vetch pure stand, vetch in oats-vetch mixture and vetch in barley-vetch mixture. Forage yield and quality of oats and barley were improved in oats-vetch and barley-vetch mixtures than their respective pure stands. The higher values of crude protein (CP) and lower values of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) reflected quality forage. CP for oats in oats-vetch -1 -1 mixture and barley in barley-vetch mixture was 175 g kg and 170 g kg, -1 respectively. NDF and ADF for oats in oats-vetch mixture were 494 g kg /sup -1/ and 341 g kg, respectively; while these values for barley in barley-vetch -1 -1 mixture were 340 g kg and 176 g kg, respectively. (author)

[en] Growth in agricultural production along with low variability is highly desirable. The objective of this study was to investigate growth and variability in area, production and yield of selected fruit crops including apple, peach, pear, and plum in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The study is based on secondary data from 1975-76 to 2011-12 which is further bifurcated into three periods; period-I (from 1975-76 to 1990-91), period-II (from 1991-92 to 2011-12), and period-III (from 1975-76 to 2011-12). Cuddy-Della Valle index has been used for variability analysis. The findings of the study revealed that growth in production of selected fruit remained positive with area under fruit as a major contributor during period-I. Period-II witnessed either low or negative growth in fruit production except peach. Variability in fruit production was higher in period-II as compared to period-I. Main contributor to fluctuations in fruit production during period-I was variability in area under fruit, whereas, both area and yield variability were mainly responsible for variability in fruit production during period-II. (author)

No abstract available

[en] Abstract:- This study examined 10 elite genotypes of sesame across three locations for the estimation of genotypes environment(GE) interaction and to identify stable genotype(s) using stability parameters, and to determine inter-parameters correlation. Two locations (NARC and D.I. Khan) were suitable for high productivity. PR-19-9-S produced maximum (341 kgha ) at NARC and V-90005 produced 344 kgha and PARS-I produced 304 kgha at D.I Khan. The variance due to GE interaction was highly significant for all the traits showing heritable variation among the genotypes. The linear component of GE interaction was also significant for all traits except branches per plant. Pooled deviation was significant only for yield indicating the differential genotypic response across the locations. The significant variance due to environment (linear) indicated that the performance of genotypes was under genetic control. The b-values of V-90005, T-89 and PARS-I were larger than unit regression; hence were suitable for favourable environments for yield. Whereas, V-III and Sanghar- I were with b-values less than unity indicating their below average response. For branches per plant, Sanghar-1 and S-17 had regression coefficients less than one with negative sign making them suitable only for poor environment. Four genotypes namely, Sanghar-I, S-17, PR-19-9-S, and Rattodero-1 had greater than unity and non-significant regression coefficients with high response towards better agronomic conditions and were stable due to low deviation from regression. Correlations of mean with b-value and S d, for seed yield were highly significant and positive suggesting that average yield could be considered as a measure of response and stability. (author)

[en] Effects of 15, 25, 35 and 45 krad gamma radiation on seedling emergence percentage, days to 50% flowering, plant height and grain yield per plant of sorghum varieties, 'DS-75' and 'Pak-SS-II' were investigated. Highly significant differences in the mean values due to radiation doses for all the characters and due to varieties for days to 50% flowering, plant height and grain yield were obtained. However, the values for seedling emergence were non-significant. The maximum reduction as compared to control due to 45 krad was computed for all the characters. Variety 'DS-75' was more sensitive to radiation than 'Pak-SS-II' for all the characters studied

[en] This study investigates the acreage response of Flue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco to its own price and area under maize crop in three major FCV producing districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa i.e., Swabi, Mardan, and Charsadda. Data used in the study cover time series data for 1971-2011. The newly developed Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model for cointegration was used to estimate the short-run and long-run elasticities. The study found a long-run price elasticity of 0.33, thereby revealing that FCV acreage response to its own price is relatively inelastic. The short-run acreage response was also low (0.13) and therefore relatively inelastic. This implies that price policy could not be used as the sole instrument to affect area under FCV. The provision of some other non-price incentives may also play a significant role in increasing area under FCV in the study area. The results also show that area under maize crop negatively affect area under FCV, thereby indicating that maize crop could be considered as competing crop to FCV in the study area. The results of this study could help policy makers in identifying important determinants of acreage response of FCV tobacco crop in the study area. (author)

[en] Sunflower occupies main position among oil seed crops in Pakistan. Mostly indigenous sunflower hybrids are cultivated which give low achene and fodder yields. The issue related with these hybrids ascribed to lack of information about use of inputs and cultural practices. Judicious nitrogen use and suitable high yielding hybrid play key role in increasing sunflower productivity. Protein is the basic requirement of the metabolic processes for the vegetative, reproductive growth and yield of the crop. The protein is wholly dependent upon the amount of nitrogen fertilization available in soil for the plant use. A two year study was conducted in 2012 and 2013 at National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC), Islamabad, Pakistan. The experiment was aimed to evaluate the effect of different nitrogen (N) levels (N = 0 kgha , N = 60 kgha , N = 0 1 2 -1 -1 -1 -1 80 kgha , N3 = 120 kgha , N4 = 180 kgha and N5 = 240 kgha ) on two sunflower hybrids, SMH-0907 and SMH-0917 to optimize the N levels for obtaining maximum yield on sustainable basis. Both hybrids were kept in the main plot while N levels in the sub plot in a randomized complete block design with three replications. -1 The results showed that the number of achene head , 100-achene weight and achene yield increased with increased N application. The increased levels of N -1 also enhanced the achene yield. The maximum achene yield (3170.8 kg ha ) was -1 -1 recorded at 180 kg N ha followed by 240 kg N ha . Minimum achene yield (2115 kg -1 ha ) was observed in control treatment (N ). Polynomial regression line showed 0-1 that the rate of yield increase was higher up to 180 kg N ha and become slow-1 thereafter. The hybrid SMH-0907 produced more achene (2736 kg ha ) as compared -1 to the hybrid SMH-0917 (2694 kg ha ). Results revealed that economized application of different doses of N can boost up the yield in both sunflower hybrids SMH-0907 and SMH-0917. These findings could be helpful in rationalizing most valuable inputs such as nitrogen in sunflower crop. It can be deduced that the -1 application of 180 kg N ha can provide the best combination for good yield in sunflower crop under the prevailing humid conditions of Pakistan. (author)