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Subterranean termites cause considerable damage to a wide number of agricultural crops, tree plantations and wooden infrastructures all over the world including Pakistan. This study was aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy of 10 commercial formulations of new-chemistry insecticides against Odontotermes obesus (Isoptera: Termitidae), one of the most economic subterranean termite species in Indo-Pak region. Label-recommended dose rates of insecticides were tested against worker termites using modified filter paper disc method according to completely randomized design. All insecticides caused significant mortality of termites as compared to control treatment. Formulations of chlorantraniliprole, chlorfenapyr and pyriproxyfen exhibited maximum termite mortality, ranging from 31.18±5.67, 28.33±7.03 and 21.67±4.01%, respectively at 3 h post-exposure to 100% at 24 h, followed by triflumuron (81.67±3.07%) and indoxacarb (63.33±5.58%). Moreover, chlorantraniliprole, chlorfenapyr, pyriproxyfen, emamectin, indoxacarb and triflumuron showed LT50 values of 15.62 h (10.66 – 20.58), 18.48 h (14.72 – 22.93), 27.34 h (22.34 – 33.97), 28.22 h (23.37 – 34.53), 31.91 h (26.68 – 38.90) and 32.82 h (28.03 – 39.11), respectively. On the contrary, spirotetramat, pymetrozine and spinosad were least effective against O. obesus termites. Conclusively, based on the results of this study, chlorantraniliprole, chlorfenapyr, pyriproxyfen, triflumuron and indoxacarb are recommended to be incorporated in future integrated pest management programs against subterranean termites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A population of Aphelenchoides bougainvilli n. sp. was retrieved from soil sample collected around roots of paper flower (Bougainvillea spectabilis L.), thoroughly described and illustrated from village Sarai Naurang located in southern district Lakki Marwat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The population was identified as new species and related with Group 2 of Aphelenchoides species, distinguished via length of female's body 428-444 µm (0.42-0.44 mm), cephalic region rounded and offset. Lateral field found with three incisures. Cuticle finely annulated, about 1µm apart. Stylet 10 µm (10±0), delicate with minute basal knobs. Excretory pore located 2 µm anterior to the metacarpus and 44 µm from cephalic end. Vulva anteriad, having slight elevated anterior and posterior lips. Post urine sac (PUS) short (15-20 µm), and covering 16.6-20% of vulva-anus distance. Tail small (24-26.5 µm), conical, about 3 times long to anal diameter and with a small, single mucro (1 µm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper made an attempt of econometric analysis of the investment situation in Pakistan for the period 1990-2017. The variables including domestic credit, national savings, lagged investment (IV), imports, and the real exchange rate were found to be the major factors affecting investment in Pakistan. Among all, the savings coefficient is positive and insignificant because of savings in Pakistan had no healthy pattern. Exchange rate has adversely affected the investment because of unidirectional causality. Specification and analytical tests supported reliability of the investment does not affect investment model from key econometric issues. The stability test shows that investment fluctuated during the 1990-2017 periods. OLS and GMM results are comparable. OLS estimation results are reliable since these variables do not suffer from Endogeneity problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to examine the behavior of national and regional food consumption and purchasing power to develop food security policies. This study estimates the demand for food in Pakistan through indirect expenditure and price utility functions, using integrated household economic survey 2015-16 data and the nonlinear quadratic almost ideal demand system. The paper finding shows that demand for most commodity items except for fruit, meat, sugar and other products is less than unit elastic to expenditure elasticity at the country and regional levels. Cross price elasticity assessment demonstrates that the most nutritious food items, such as fruit, milk and meat, are complementary products as compared to wheat, pulse and vegetables in Pakistan as well as urban and rural areas. The regional analysis indicates that the gross and net substitute impacts in urban areas are somewhat more dominant than in rural areas. It implies that urban areas household makes more substitutes relative to rural areas. These findings suggest that policy makers and public organizations should reexamine the connection between consumption, price and income for food and nutrition security and social development. It also proposes that constant price of nutritious food and any rise in prices of these commodities should be supported by price subsidization or safety nets programmes for deprived groups. In addition, the state should concentrate on rural income generation activities such as agriculture, livestock and its related industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper made an econometric investigation of inflation and economic growth in Pakistan for the period 1990-2017. Money supply, imports, exchange rate and budget deficit were the major causes of inflation. Growth in GDP is expected to lead to a reduction in inflation. To combat inflation, unwarranted growth of money supply is checked and the exchange is stabilized. It is less likely that imports are reduced to lessen inflation due to economy needs. It appears difficult that GOP succeeds in curtailing the BD because of the widespread corruption and money-laundering. Human resource development coupled with investment and value-added by both agriculture and industry contributed significantly to economic growth. Should the policy makers attach genuine attention to these factors, it is expected that Pakistan economy will perform reasonably well. Specification and diagnostic tests revealed the appropriateness and soundness of the inflation and economic growth models. Parameters stability was examined for two periods (1991 and 2002). CPI showed stability in both periods but GDP did not demonstrate in the second period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chablisea Gauld and Dubois, 2006 is a small genus of subfamily Pimplinae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). Pakistan has a very rich entomo fauna but only a few attempts were made to study this subfamily. Specimens were collected from different ecological zones of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan in 2018. In this paper, Chablisea imbiba and Chablisea condimenta are described for the first time from Pakistan. Morphological description is provided and elucidated with digital images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan is an agricultural country and its population continues to grow rapidly at an alarming pace. The agricultural sector is playing a vital role in strengthening the economy of the country. Apart from traditional cereals cultivation, climatic conditions of Pakistan are feasible and appropriate for the cultivation of temperate, tropical and subtropical fruits. Thus, diverse environmental conditions allow the farmers to cultivate a variety of fruits which ultimately uplifting the burden from traditionally cultivated crops. In recent years, the cultivation and yield of different fruit trees are declining in the country. The key contributors to the decline in fruit crop yield include abiotic stresses, biotic stresses, certain pathogens and nematodes, market devaluation and access, urbanization, poor gardening, poverty climate change, small landholdings, exogenous factors and managerial decisions, etc. So, to counter these fruit yield declining factors the use of advanced molecular markers is a handy option for the improvement of the fruit germplasm in Pakistan. Additionally, they also have diverse applications in the area of genetic diversity, varietal identification studies, hybrid detection, disease diagnostics and sex differentiation by administering the powerful diagnostic polymorphism detection tools at specific loci and the genome level. This review focuses on exploring the application, recent advancements and future implications of DNA-based molecular markers with the context of their role in the genetic improvement of fruit germplasm that is widely grown in Pakistan like citrus, apples, mangoes, guavas, bananas, date palms and peaches, etc. Furthermore, by offering a piece of scientific information and addressing developments, notably in DNA-based molecular markers, this review paper may serve as a road map for obtaining high-yielding fruit varieties in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to test the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity of major crops, including rice, wheat and maize, in specific districts of Pakistan. This is done by observing year-to-year fluctuations in rainfall and temperature in relation to agricultural productivity for the period 1981-2009. For estimation purposes, the production function technique is used to evaluate the relationship between climate and yield variability. The results show that higher amount of rainfall has a negative and significant impact on the production of all crops including wheat, rice and maize. It may be because unexpected rainfall in Pakistan during monsoon season severely damages crops. This result is consistent with our expectation that high level of rainfall would decrease agricultural productivity and contribute to food insecurity in Pakistan. However, variation in temperature displays a stable trend and has significant positive impact on crop yield. This is contrary to our expectation that high temperature results in low agricultural productivity. This analysis is useful from the stand point of policy makers and analysts as it will help them develop policies relating to improvement in agricultural sector in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on empirical evidence from Pakistan for 1981-2018. To analyze the impact of various factors on the diversification of crops towards high value crops, the Herfindahl Index (HI) was used to check the level of concentration or diversification in the structure of crops in Pakistan. The values of the Herfindahl index obtained as a result of the analysis indicate a high level of crop concentration and need to be diversified towards high value crops. The ARIMA time series model (1,1,1) was used to study the impact of various factors on the Transformed Herfindahl Index (THI) of diversity. To check the impact of improved infrastructure; the length of the road was adopted and showed a positive and significant relationship with crop diversification. Per capita income, urbanization, and profitability of minor crops were taken as demand side factors. Per capita income, urbanization and profitability of minor crops regression coefficients showed positive and significant impact on crop diversification. The technology was determined using fertilizers, the number of tubewells, Net Area Sown (NAS) and the production of tractors in quantity. The regression coefficients of fertilizers, number of tubewells and production of tractors showed positive and significant impact on crop diversification except Net Area Sown which showed negative impact but it was insignificant. The resource was identified with water availability (MAF) for irrigation purposes, which demonstrated a positive and significant association with crop diversification. To determine the effects of climate, rainfall was adopted in the model and showed a negative and significant relationship with crop diversification. It was found that development of infrastructure received a low priority in rural areas and it is recommended that cold storage in relevant areas, vibrant roads net work and consistency in power supply for cold storage should be developed on priorities basis that will help to minimize the post harvesting losses. The judicious use of fertilizer, efficient utilization of water and support price for fruits, vegetables, pulses and oilseeds are required for the promotion of high value crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempted to analyze the impact of farm size on the economic efficiency of cotton farmers in southern Punjab of Pakistan. Farm-level allocative, economic and technical efficiency of samples of 240 small, medium and large-scale cotton farmers was estimated using Stochastic Frontier Approach of district Rahim Yar Khan Punjab, Pakistan. Empirical findings of the study indicated that medium farm size cotton farmers were more allocative, technically and economically efficient (0.90, 0.94, 0.85) rather than small farm farmers (0.79, 0.92, 0.76) and large farm farmers (0.70, 0.97, 0.68). Farmers schooling years, formal credit access, own tubewell availability, adequate extension access and sowing cotton crop timely were significant socioeconomic factors that affect farmers efficiency level. Medium farm size cotton farmers were producing higher cotton yield and earning higher per acre gross profit (Rs. 18142.28) relatively to small (Rs. 15232.94) and large (Rs. 8231.349) farm size cotton farmers. There is a need for significant prolong state-based policy measures for provision of adequate and quality based crop inputs, infusion of advanced mechanisation and regulating market mechanism for consistency in prices of crop inputs and outputs. It is essential to increase managerial competencies among farmers through increasing literacy, sufficient access of extension services, familiarity and infusion of advanced mechanisation and adequate access of formal credit through implementing adequate policy measures by concerned authorities of the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper focuses the ambiguous analysis of livestock sector in raising the level of economic performance. The study reveals implications of livestock in tackling seasonal fluctuations, inputs shocks and failure of crops in major sector by taking time series data from 1984 to 2017. Auto regressive distributive lag (ARDL) econometric technique was applied to conclude empirical results. Further, cumulative sum (CUSUM) and CUSUM square test was used to check the stability and structural breaks of the model. The results of research show the statistical significant and positive impact of livestock on economic performance while inflation effect on economic performance is insignificant. I have reviewed a lot of economic literature but not found single one study of this nature. This comprehensive research will assist the govt. in making policies on livestock to revive the economic performance of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to review and evaluate the performance of Pakistani basmati to international markets and to estimate the impact of different factors on basmati export from Pakistan. For this purpose, panel data of eleven markets are collected from 2003 to 2016. Independent macroeconomics variables used in the study are exchange rate of Pakistan, exchange rates of trading partner, inflation in Pakistan, inflation in trading partner and dummy variables joint border and religion by application of Park's Feasible Generalized Least Square (FGLS). Result of this study showed that exchange rate of Pakistan has negative and significant effect on basmati export but exchange rate of trading partner has positive and significant effect on basmati export of Pakistan to its trading partner. The inflation in Pakistan has negative and significant effect on basmati exports from Pakistan to its trading partner. If Pakistan wants to improve its export value of basmati rice, there must be an effective strategy to control the inflation in Pakistan or at least need to make policy for minimizing the impact of inflation for the rice producers. If it is very difficult to control the inflation there must be subsidies for rice growers for inputs used in the basmati production. The high rates of inflation in trading partners have positive and significant impact on the demand of Pakistani basmati is an indication for Pakistani exporters to mark extra motivation on those international markets where inflation is comparatively high. Dummy variables for Muslims and joint boarders have positive and significant impact on basmati export flow from Pakistan to its trading partner. The results of dummy variables showed that there must be more emphasis on the neighbor and Muslim countries for improving the export value of Pakistani basmati. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broccoli production for more than just food has created needs to expend its cultivation spectrum in Pakistan. Present studies conducted during 2016-17 and were designed to understand socio-economic and agronomic constraints associated with adoption of broccoli in Pakistan. Growers and other stakeholders were contacted by personal visits, telephone calls and distribution of the structured questionnaire. Information was collected from Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhawa (KPK) provinces, Kashmir and Islamabad. A total of 167 farmers and amateurs growers, engaged in the cultivation of high value or medicinal crops were contacted. Out of these, 68 found as broccoli growers and most probably due to shyness only 37 contributed in data collection process. In the perspectives of health-promoting properties of broccoli 62% were unaware of health benefits and 7% aware of beneficial properties against heart diseases. In case of selection of varieties 37% were unaware of the name of variety and 22% cultivate "Marathon" while a small group was cultivating other improved varieties. In case of agronomic input 96% farmers were applying fertilizers and observing other recommendations for cauliflower. In case of postharvest handling 49 % were not specific for packing material whereas broccoli leaves were being used for wrapping of florets by 30% while 21.6% farmers were using paper for wrapping. The present studies concluded that broccoli has great potential for adoption especially for smallholding growers. But it needs government and media assistance for creating awareness for its health benefits and crop production technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent times agriculture sector has been considered as one of the most affected sectors by climate change. Climatic factors that have direct influence on agricultural productivity are: rise in temperature, heavy rainfall, precipitation, floods and drought etc. This paper has empirically examined the effect of climatic variations on cotton productivity in Pakistan. In order to evaluate the climate change, three climatic variables (rainfall, max. temp and min temp) and three non-climatic variables (technology, fertilizer and area) had been used for analysis. Historical climate data from 1981-2015, was collected from Pakistan Meteorological Department, while data of Technology, fertilizer and cotton area has been gathered from Pakistan Economic Survey. ARDL bound testing econometric approach was employed to gauge the empirical estimates. The outcomes of cointegration shows that all climate variables have statistically substantial effect on cotton productivity in Pakistan. Both rain-fall and maximum temperature have positive effects while minimum temperature has negative effects on cotton production. Furthermore, both fertilizer and area have positive impact on cotton production. long run cointegrating relationship holds among climate change variables and cotton productivity. mitigating negative impressions of climate change requires strategies focusing on the adaptation of climate resistant cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper forecasts guava area and production in Pakistan using time series data over the period 1997-98 to 2014-15. The study used the Box Jenkins approach and forecast was made up to the period 2029-30. The order of ARIMA model was identified using autocorrelation function (ACF) and partial autocorrelation function (PACF). Suitable model for area and production of guava are ARIMA (0,0,0) and ARIMA (1,1,0) respectively. The projected area of guava for the forecasted period is 61.37 thousand hectares each year. Area of guava shows a static trend throughout the forecasted period. The forecasted production of guava is 502.14 thousand tonnes in the year 2029-30. Guava production can be increased using improved guava cultivars, improved system of irrigation and adequate cultural practices. Strategy should be adopted to bring more barren land under guava cultivation. This would help to increase guava production in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are effective biocontrol agents against different insect pests. However, very little work has been done in Pakistan on the symbiotic bacteria associated with EPNs and their metabolites. In this laboratory study, two bacterial isolates i.e. Xenorhabdus spp. associated with EPN Steinernema glaseri (Steiner) (Steinernematidae) and Photorhabdus spp. associated with EPN Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Poinar) (Heterorhabditidae), were evaluated against armyworm Spodoptera litura Fabricius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) which is a destructive lepidopterous pest. These EPNs associated bacterial isolates were applied @ 4×107 CFUs/mL against different larval instars of S. litura. At day one post-treatment, maximum larval mortality (59.40%) was exhibited by Xenorhabdus spp. against 2nd instar larvae followed by 52.80, 46.20 and 46.20% mortality of 5th, 3rd and 4th instar larvae, respectively. In case of Photorhabdus spp., maximum mortality (26.40%) was observed against 2nd instar larvae. In other bioassay, 40% suspensions of bacterial metabolites were evaluated against different larval instars of S. litura and were found significantly effective against all larval instars. Maximum average mortality (52.80%) was observed in Xenorhabdus spp. derived metabolites against 2nd instar larvae as compared to Photorhabdus spp. In both bioassays, mortality was increased along with the exposure time and reached 100% in all S. litura larval instars at fourth day posttreatment. Findings of this in-vitro study demonstrate that EPNs and their symbiotic bacterial isolates would be effective biorational control tools against S. litura. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper intends to portray current scenario of agricultural productivity through yields and gaps of five major crops; wheat, cotton, rice, maize and sugarcane. The review discusses major constraints, identifies future prospects and makes policy recommendations for enhanced agricultural productivity in Pakistan. The review revealed that in Pakistan, on average current yield of wheat, cotton, rice, maize and sugarcane is 2.26, 1.87, 2.88, 1.77 and 48.06 tons per hectare, respectively against 6.80, 4.30, 5.20, 9.20 and 300 tons per hectare potential yield of wheat, cotton, rice, maize and sugarcane, respectively, obtained through research. This reflects a yield gap of 67, 57, 45, 81 and 84 % between average and potential yield of wheat, cotton, rice, maize and sugarcane, respectively. The review also informed that current Pakistan's average yield of wheat, cotton, rice, maize and sugarcane is 70, 53, 61, 82 and 60%, respectively lower than the average yields obtained internationally. Major constraints include agronomic, irrigation management, environmental, technological, institutional and socio-economic constraints. Future prospects include upscaling of modern technology, enhanced seed production, improved inputs availability and use, improved irrigation, improved agriculture-education-training-research-extension-nexus, reclamation of salinized lands, improved agricultural credit and support price policies. Recommendations include improving agricultural research and extension systems, accelerating diffusion and adoption of latest agriculture technologies and inputs, enhancing good quality seed production, improving irrigation water management and improving reclamation and drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically quantifies vegetable production (off-season and on-season) in terms of economic returns. The data on bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) is considered for analysis. The primary data was collected from a sample of 110 farmers in the district of Faisal Abad, Punjab Pakistan. The data was analysed using Ordinary Least Square (OLS) technique. The results show that there is a significant difference between the on-season and off-season application of pesticides to bitter guard crop. The results clearly reveal that bitter guards' yield is significantly higher in the off-season than on-season. It was also found that off-season bitter guard fetches 66% higher price in the market than on-season bitter guard. The analysis also revealed that the cost of pesticides is 43% higher for on-season bitter gourd production than the off-season. The findings also indicate that the cost of fertilisers for the on-season crop was 14% less than the cost of the off-season. On the contrary, the cost of irrigation was 71% higher during on-season than the cost of irrigation in the off-season. Similarly, the cost of seed for on-season bitter guard production is 10% higher than the cost of seed for the off-season. It is concluded that off-season vegetable production is more profitable than on-season vegetable production in Punjab, Pakistan. It is recommended that farmers may be facilitated by the relevant authorities for growing the off-season vegetable production. The farmers should be provided with the necessary requirements for off-season vegetable production to enhance farmer income and improve their socioeconomic status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to estimate the expenditure, own and cross price elasticities of meat in Pakistan. Working-lesser model is used to estimate elasticities using cross-sectional data from Household Integrated Economic Survey of Pakistan for the year 2013-14. Economic factors such as food commodities prices, households' income and their socioeconomic characteristics are included in the model. The results reveal that on the average, households in rural region spend more on the food items while, urban households spend more on non-food items. Expenditures on beef is noted highest for both urban and rural region followed by chicken, fish and other meat type (Eggs, Shrimps, Prawns). Empirical results show that for all the selected meat type expenditure elasticities are positive suggesting them as normal goods. The expenditure elasticities for mutton and beef are greater than one and are expenditure elastic while chicken, fish and other meat type are expenditure-inelastic. Own-price elasticities for the beef, chicken, fish and mutton are less than unity suggesting them as price-inelastic except other meat type which is highly price-elastic. Cross price elasticities show that most of the meat types are complementary. Others meat category, chicken and fish in both the rural and urban regions are price inelastic confirms that they are having important role in the balanced diet and sustenance of Pakistani household therefore this study recommends promoting of chicken and fish production in both the rural and urban regions of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper analyses the impact of Karakoram Highway (KKH) on land use and agricultural development of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. Pakistan is gifted with a lot of natural resources in the shape of fertile agricultural lands, water resources and minerals. Agriculture is the backbone of Pakistan's economy. About 70% of its population is directly or indirectly associated with this sector. Gilgit-Baltistan is a vast mountainous and remote area in the extreme north of Pakistan. The inhabitants of this area are mostly engaged in the agricultural sector. Before the construction of KKH, their mode of agriculture system was subsistence and crude techniques were applied due to non-availability of modern machines and techniques. This was because of the remoteness and communication gap with the rest of the country. Therefore, this study is an effort to compare and analyze the impacts of KKH on the land use and Agricultural development of Gilgit-Baltistan before and after the construction of KKH. Results show a significant change in land use and development in the agriculture sector after the construction of KKH. However, still, the land use and agriculture sectors need Government attention in land use planning, regulations, improvement of water channels, the introduction of high yielding seeds and farmer awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the technical efficiency of broiler farms in district Mansehra, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Primary data were collected from 134 respondents using multi-stage sampling technique through well-structure interview schedule. For the estimation of Stochastic frontier tans-log production function, maximum likelihood estimation technique was used. To ensure the abnormality of data set Chow test and Dummy variable test was employed for any possible structure break across the broiler farms. Results indicated that there were significant structural breaks across the sampled farms. Based on these findings three different model was estimated for small, medium and large farms, respectively. The mean calculated technical efficiencies for small, medium and large farms were respectively 0.76, 0.96 and 0.92. This implies that the medium size farms in the study area were the most efficient in resource utilization as compared to small and large size farms whereas the small size farms were the most inefficient in resource allocation. Education has a positive and significant effect on the technical efficiency of small and medium farms. Therefore government should encourage educated people in broiler farming. Broilers farmers also need to be provided with loan facility on easy installments, for a smooth running of broiler farms in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human existence is primarily attributed to access to quality and nutritious food. Food Security is essential for wide ranging positive economic outcomes like economic growth, poverty reduction, trade opportunities, increased global security and stability, and improved health and health care. The current study is an attempt to analyze food security situation in Pakistan. Food security, being a multi-dimensional phenomenon comprises of Food Availability, Food Accessibility, Food Utilization and Food Stability is calculated through linear scaling technique. The study has developed two thresholds each one for overall developing countries and regional countries (South Asia). The food security situation of Pakistan is compared to both thresholds. The results show that Pakistan is comparatively a food insecure country. It lags behind in terms of food availability and utilization that makes the overall food security scores lower. The study suggests that food security situation in Pakistan could be enhanced by emphasizing on improvements in food availability and utilization, followed by food accessibility and stability. The study further recommends that food security needs the inclusive improvements in its all individual dimensions. In case of Pakistan, however, the food availability and food utilization are important to be addressed initially and then to focus on the other two dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims an investigating the impact of the agricultural sector on the economic growth of Pakistan. Johansen co-integration was used to show the long-run relation between livestock, fisheries, major crops, minor crops, gross capital formation, and economic growth in Pakistan. The data were taken from the Pakistan Economic Surveys for the period 1987-2017. The Vector-Correction Model results show that in the short run livestock and fisheries have a negative and insignificant effect on growth. The significant negative value of the Vector Error Correction Model coefficients shows that the parameters will do adjustment and return to equilibrium in the long run. The co-integration results showed a positive link between sub-sectors of agriculture and economic growth. The study is crucial for policy makers regarding the promotion of agricultural sector. The agriculture sector is very important for the growth of Pakistan’s economy, but it has not been given due importance. The study recommends the formulation of suitable policies to promote the livestock and fisheries sector in Pakistan to raise the sources of foreign revenue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to examine the food consumption decisions of the urban and rural household in order to understand the demand for different food commodities and to determine the effects of important economic factors such as prices and income. Flexible Linear Approximate Almost Ideal Demand System model is used to estimate food demand patterns using the Household Integrated Economic Survey of Pakistan for the year 2011-12. Food products are categorized into fourteen groups including milk, meat, fruits, vegetables, sugar, beverages, wheat and wheat flour, rice, other cereals, pulses, oil and fats, tea and coffee, backed products and other food. Economic factors such as food commodities price and household's income and their socio-economic and demographic characteristics are included in the model. Results indicate that with an increase in the age, household consume more of meat, fruit, wheat and wheat flour, pulses, tea and coffee, backed products and other food in urban region and milk, meat, fruits, vegetables, rice, other cereals, pulses, oil and fats, tea and coffee, backed products and other food in rural region. A significant increase in the consumption of meat, fruits, vegetables, rice, beverages, other cereals and backed products is found for married rural household, while fruits, vegetables, sugar, beverages, wheat and wheat flour, rice, other cereals, oil and fats, backed products and other food consumption increases as urban household is married. Results show a significant increase in the consumption of vegetables, sugar, wheat and wheat flour, rice, oil and fats, pulses, tea and coffee and other food with the addition of individuals in the family in both regions. Prices of basic food items such as milk, meat, rice, other cereals, backed products and other food should be kept constant. Imposition of any sale tax could create huge loss in consumption for these commodities. The demand for most of food groups are own price inelastic in both regions except milk, rice, tea and coffee and backed products which are more than unit elastic to own price. Similarly the demand for most of food groups in both regions are less than unit elastic to total expenditures and have positive sign, while the demand for milk, meat, rice, other cereals and other food products are more elastic to total food expenditures (income) both in rural and urban regions. Imposition of income tax in rural and urban low and middle income household could result in huge decrease in the expenditures on these commodities in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluates the behaviour of Pakistani cotton producer due to exchange rate volatility using the Cobb Douglas production function. The data (1973 to 2018) of different variables collected from various sources. Moving Average Standard Deviation is used to measure the Exchange rate volatility and results confirm the long-run effect of exchange rate volatility on cotton production in Pakistan. For checking the stability of the parameters, cusum and cusumq tests are used and found structural break-through intercept at 1985. The variables, exchange rate volatility, and cotton production have a significant and negative relationship. It shows that the cotton producer in Pakistan has risk-averse behaviour. Another variable, capital-labour ratio has a positive and significant impact on cotton production in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates consumers' preferences and estimate willingness to pay for different quality attributes of apple in Peshawar district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A sample 150 apple consumers were interviewed at different fruits retail shops to collect data on apple varieties, prices and quality attributes, such as color, size, shape, freshness and external defect. The data were analyzed using hedonic pricing model. Results show that Consumers have strong preferences for apple freshness, size, color and juiciness and their willingness to pay for these attributes are significantly greater than zero. On the basis of these findings the study recommends that apple growers should focus on best quality apple varieties and should maintain post harvest quality of their product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high input feeding system has been found most efficient in fodder-scarce areas of Pakistan. However, the economic worth of the system is questionable due to the high feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the goats. The current study was planned to improve the Beetal male kid's performance using a compensatory growth tool. A total of twelve male Beetal kids with an average weight of 20±2 kg and approximately 6 months old were randomly selected and kept for 85 days including 15 days of an adjustment period. There were two phases of the experiment. During the restriction phase; the animals were divided into three groups i.e. T1=feeding @2% of body weight (BW), T2=feeding @3% of BW, and T3=feeding @4% of BW. In the re-alimentation phase; all the animals were fed ad-libitum. The animals were kept in individual pens and were offered total mixed pelleted ration by following NRC recommended feeding standards. All the animals had free access to fresh and clean water. They were kept under the same husbandry practices. The results showed that ADG was highest (P<0.001) in T3 (887 g/d) followed by T2 and T2 due to higher intake during restriction phase. However, this was reversed in re-alimentation phase where the ADG was highest (P<0.001) in T1 (153 g/d) followed by T2 (112.10 g/d) and T3 (100.08 g/d) mainly due to compensatory growth phenomena. The ADFI data also support the ADG trend as it was higher in the groups showing higher gains. This trend was also followed by body measurements. The FCR was significantly (P=0.014) lower (6.83) in the T1 group during the re-alimentation period followed by T2 and T3. Total feed cost was also significantly (P<0.05) lower in T1 (Rs. 1938). Serum glucose was also higher (P=0.04) in group T1 (63.11 mg/dl) and least in T3 (55.97 mg/dl). This is also confirming the physiological modification in feed restricted animals that are responsible for compensatory growth. It is concluded that the growth performance of Beetal male kids can be improved by giving them restricted feeding @2% BW followed by re-alimentation which also improves the feed efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture in Pakistan is extremely vulnerable to climate change. Adaptation of the agriculture sector is imperative as it contributes 20 percent to the GDP and supports directly or indirectly about 68 percent of the population for their sustenance. Farmers' perception about climate change, current adaptation measures, and decision-making process is important for farmers' successful adaptation strategies. Using data of 205 conventional farmers from three district of Punjab province, this study provides insights into farmers' perceptions about climate change, on-going adaptation practices, and constraints to various adaption strategies. We found that majority of the farmers do not consider climate change as a potential threat to agriculture; therefore, they do not make any intentional efforts to change their farming practices. However, a few adaptation measures like use of different crop varieties, tree planting, and drip irrigation methods are prevalent in the research area. The major hurdles that farmers perceived in adaptation are limited access to credit, lack of access to information, and institutional support. As expected, no significant variations were found across districts in the characteristics of respondents (age and income) that can affect their perceptions, their adaptation strategies, and obstacles faced in adaptation. The results of the study need to be interpreted with caution, as we did not focus on other determinants like education, role of media, and government policies that can affect farmers' choices to adopt climate resilient farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marasmiellus agrianum N. Jabeen and M. Lodhi was added as a new science species in the genus Marasmiellus (Omphalotaceae), collected from the lawn and grassy soil of Hazara University, Mansehra. The comparative studies revealed that Marasmiellus agrianum N. Jabeen and M. Lodhi was grown on lawn soil and is a flattened convex whereas Marasmiellus scandens being pathogenic was found mostly on the trunk of trees and is a semicircle convex-shaped basidiocarp. The species were studied for morphological characteristics. For molecular characterization, DNA extraction was performed from the samples using a kit, and PCR amplification was done using ITS4 and ITS1F primers designed from the conserved regions as described in the previous studies. The amplified PCR products were sequenced from Macrogen Korea, via worldwide scientific Pakistan. Phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences was done based on the maximum similarity method using Mega 6.0. The spore was smaller as compared to Marasmiellus scandens (6.2-8.7 µm). The newly described species i.e., Marasmiellus agrianum N. Jabeen and M. Lodhi differs from other species based on the molecular study as well with few morphological characteristics; size, color, shape, and texture of pileus, and stipe, and the molecular characterization reveals that the species was placed at a new place in the phylogenetic tree, compared with the NCBI Blast sequences. The species were preserved by sun and oven drying methods. The area of District Mansehra is enriched with natural vegetation and can be explored for new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Imposex is a well-known phenomena that has been documented over more than fifty years (50) in several marine gastropod species world around. The Phenomenon of imposex is directly connected with toxicity of tributyl (TBT) contamination and the source of this contamination is shipping traffic due to the use of TBT-based paints on ship hulls and the leaching of content into the water column. So, during the present study specimens of Tibia curta (Sowerby II, 1842), collected and investigated for the planned study from Gadani ship breaking yards (25.0361° N, 66.7136° E) which is the third largest ship dismantling site across the globe. Specimens were procured for a period of February 2019 to October 2021 in different intervals from the four selected sites along the Pakistan coast. Imposex was recorded only in the specimens of Gadani. The intensity of Imposex determination was based on the presence of and psudopenis and VDS (vas deferens sequence) in imposex female individuals. Imposex remained promising onlyat Gadani where imposex intensity was found 100% in females as when compared to other three sites. Whereas 1 to 4+ Vas deferens sequence (VDS) stages were observed in imposex females. Therefore, studies revealed the presence of imposex phenomena in targeted species at Gadani due to high concentration of leached out organometalic compound Tributyltin Tin (TBT) from the ship breaking scrap which is responsible to change hormonal levels and subsequent physiological change related to sexuality in animals as well as also responsible to bring morphological changes in other body parts like antenna and eye spot of affected individual. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on farmers' perceptions regarding climate and non-climate risk, their coping strategies and association to socioeconomic attributes. The study was carried out in two districts Nowshera and Charsadda of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan using principal component analysis approach and regression analysis. The data were collected randomly from 130 sampled vegetable growers comprised of 65 respondents each from Nowshera and Charsadda districts through pre-tested interview schedule during financial year 2020-21. Principal Component Analysis was used for determining the risk and coping strategies of the farmers. Moreover, Ordinary Least Square regression model was applied for determining the relationship among perceived risk source elements obtained from factor analysis and farmers' socioeconomic characteristics. Land use for other than agriculture, lack of new knowledge according to climate, supplying inappropriate seed, fear to adopt improved practices that are not applied in village and land price changes had loading in production risk factors. Government programs and inadequate extension services had loadings in institutional risk factors while financial risk factors were no financial support by input dealers and no capacity to provide inputs. Fluctuation in input prices and market competition in-or sells-off had loadings in market risk factor while factors of human risk had loadings on facing difficulties in finding labor and migration of family members. Production strategies factor were weather forecast for adjusting production practices, adopt new technology and production diversity. Leasing inputs, market monitoring and switching to other markets had loadings in market strategy while maintaining good relationship with friends/relatives and maintaining good relationship with market actors in institutional strategy. Human strategy was related to engaging on off-farm employment for income generation and reducing hiring of labor for farm activities while financial strategy was related to sale of perennial crops and sale of livestock. The study suggested for sustainable smallholder agricultural development programs along with farmers' facilitation by giving interest free loan and digitalization to update timely information regarding weather and markets for improving rural livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research study was carried out with the aims to find tomato insects/pests responsible for yield losses in Pakkhal valley of district Mansehra. Data were collected from tomato growers by using an interview schedule in the union council Baffa of the study area. The results of the study focused that maximum land under tomato cultivation was found 8.75 and minimum 0.25 acres with a major group (35.4%) of tomato growers cultivating on 2.5 acre and below size of land. Chemical fertilizers were applied by all the respondents while one-third applied natural fertilizer along with chemical fertilizers. Regarding irrigation majority (89.2%) was blessed with canals while 10.8% were rain water dependent. Two-third of the total cases relied on chemical method for insects/pests control while one-third on chemical and physical both. The highest yield recorded was above 16000 Kg/acre achieved by only less than a quarter (23.1%), while collectively above fifty percent (53.9%), tomato growers were incompetent to achieve per acre yield of 12000 Kg. Majority (81.5%) tomato growers faced aphids attack while more than 50% reported whitefly, Cutworm, mites and Armyworm. Leaf miner, thrips and fruit fly were reported by less than 50% of the total respondents. The result of regression analysis revealed that attack of insects/pests i.e. aphids, armyworm, mites, thrips and fruit fly were found non-significant while cutworm, whitefly and leaf miner have significant negative effects on per acre yield of tomato. Inappropriate and cultural practices, high dependency on agrovet dealers and fellow farmers were the key factors of yield losses. It is recommended to spray on the proper time along with follow-ups and physical control techniques. Selection of right time, control methods, appropriate insecticides/pesticides along-with recommended dose and treatments must be defined by the recommendations of agriculture experts instead of fellow farmers and agrovet sellers. Trainings, workshops and field activities should be organized regarding improved farm management practices especially on the aspect of insects/pests management to minimize the yield losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fish species (African catfish, Clarias gariepinus) with high growth and production potential was imported from Thailand and acclimatized in the local environment of Pakistan. For the successful culture of any fish species, the knowledge about the proper feeding regime especially the appropriate amount feed offered, is very important. To determine the optimum feeding level for African catfish culture, an experiment was conducted in earthen ponds of size 0.02 hectare each, for the period of four months at a stocking rate of 10,000 fingerlings per hectare (500 fish/acre). The experiment design was CRD with four treatments (2%, 4%, 6% and 8% feeding level of wet fish body weight daily) having 3 replications. The feeding the fish at higher levels showed higher final weight and weight gain, percent weight gain and specific growth rate. The values of Feed Efficiency (FE) and Food Conversion Ratio (FCR) were best at the lower feeding levels. Although maximum weight gain is 8% feeding level, yet based upon cost benefit analysis, feeding at 4% rate was considered best. The economic profitability for the culture of African catfish in earthen ponds showed that net profit is increased on increasing feeding level from 2 to 4% of wet fish body weight, however, upon further increase in feeding level from 6 and 8%, the feed cost was increased that decreased the net profit. So, it was concluded that the feeding level of 4% wet fish body weight was optimum for economical production of African catfish in earthen pond culture system of Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used log-log-inverse specification of Engel curve for cereals' quantity and quality response to households' income in Pakistan. The elasticities of interest (quantity, expenditure and quality) were inelastic with reasonable difference in magnitude across urban and rural households. Overall, the quality elasticity turned out to be positive with an estimated value of 0.0061 and 0.2375 for wheat & wheat flour and rice & rice flour, respectively. The estimation of quality elasticity based upon income quintiles revealed that the magnitude of quality elasticity increases for rice & rice flour (0.2019 to 0.2639) while decreases for wheat & wheat flour (0.0160 to -0.0012) as household move from poorest to richest quintile indicating an increased responsiveness of the high-income households to rice quality compared to wheat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important food legume. In Pakistan, yield potential of chickpea is low due to the prevalence of Fusarium wilt. Present investigations were conducted at Arid Zone Research Institute, Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan during winter 2021. Experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) following three replications. Thirty chickpea genotypes were examined for their resistant levels against Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum ciceris (FOC). Six exhibited resistant response with <10% disease incidence and seven genotypes were moderately resistant (11-20% DI) against wilt pathogen. However, five genotypes recorded moderately susceptible response (21-29% DI) and five genotypes showed susceptible response (30-50% DI) moreover; the remaining seven genotypes expressed highly susceptible response with maximum percent disease index (PDI) (>50%). Maximum and minimum disease incidence was recorded on CH-32/10 (7.26%) and D-15024 (69.61%) genotypes, respectively. It is concluded that chickpea resistant genotypes including CH-32/10, TG-1410 identified in present study might be helpful in different breeding programs against wilting pathogen. Among six fungicides (Fosetyle aluminium, Derosal, Shinkar, Ridomil gold, Cabrio Top, Acrobate) Fosetyle aluminium caused maximum disease reduction (75.16%) at the concentration of 3 g/liter of water followed by Derosal carbendazim) (65.76), Shinkar (59.44), Ridomil gold (52.41), Cabrio Top (44.17) and acrobat (41.86) respectively on comparison to control. Results are also helpful for the farmers for timely management of fusarium wilt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJandK) is a state territory of Pakistan; it is located at the foot hills of the Himalayas, North East of Pakistan, between longitude 70o-75o and latitude 33o-35o. The AJandK large population around 80% lives in rural areas and they are dependents on agriculture directly or indirectly. The government of AJandK has started agricultural education program for the students at the school level. The current study was carried out to examine and evaluate agriculture teachers' competencies levels that are teaching agriculture subject at school level in different parts of the state. For this purpose, 250 agriculture teachers were selected from ten districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir by using sampling technique and wellstructured interview schedule of 5-point likert scale was prepared in light of the study objectives. In addition, SPSS software V. 20.0 was used to analyze the research data. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) test was conducted to overcome the multidimensionality and multicollinearity issues in the data to produce valuable components. Results showed that among teaching competencies, 15 variables were analyzed through PCA and five components were extracted. In these components "job management" explained 19.48% variance; four variables of teaching methodological competency were loaded on "job management" component which means that agriculture school teachers possessed high level of competency in job management. Likewise, Technical skill explained 18.05% variance has the second position in possessed competencies and job evaluation explained 11.44% variance, it has third position in possessed teaching methodological competencies. Similarly, all these five components explained 67% of variance in data set of teaching methodological competencies. PCA analysis also showed that high age, more service length and diploma holder category of agriculture school teachers has negative significant correlation with teaching methodological competencies. It is concluded that the AJandK education department may positively be considered Refresher courses and new teaching staff in the agriculture education system of education department. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic valuation of irrigation water is one of most critical water governance issues in Pakistan. In the agriculture-dominant province of Punjab, low irrigation water charging rates lead to its inefficient use by farmers. Under the rapidly increasing water scarcity and climate change issues, it is inevitable to assess the actual economic value of canal irrigation water in Punjab. This study applied the Residual Valuation Method to assess the real economic value of canal irrigation water of four major crops (wheat, rice, cotton and sugarcane) in Punjab. The study found that the average economic values of wheat, rice, cotton, and sugarcane crops are PKR 2.6/m³, PKR 2.4/m³, PKR 2.4/m³, and PKR 3.0/m³, respectively. These values are substantially higher than the current flat-rate canal irrigation water charging rates in Punjab. The research further indicated the need to enhance canal water charging rates to ensure its efficient use and sustainable management. The study also observed that any increase in irrigation water charge rate by the government has to be linked with farmers' overall economic returns from crop production along with ensured irrigation supply and reliable service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main theme behind this research work is to describe the food consumption patterns of households and estimate the related poverty line based on daily calories intake in district Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. The average total household size is 5.75 that consist of 1.89 children (32.95%), 3.72 adults (64.69%) and 0.125 (2.17%) aged person (≥60 years). Based on calorie requirement at various stages of age of a person, an adult equivalent has been calculated as 5.271of actual household size 5.75. The results reveal that on average an adult equivalent consumed 243.48 gm flour, 142.86 gm meat, 249.19 gm vegetables, 74.04 gm of rice, 81.99 gm of pulses, 42.24 gm fats, 77.02 ml milk, 54.66 gm of sugar, 29.81 gm tea and 149.07 gm total fruits daily. In the study area an adult takes 2647.66 calories from the daily food consumption representing a positive figure which is more than the recommended calories of 2350. The estimated poverty line (1.13) based on daily food consumption patterns shows that the people in the study area, on the average, are above the poverty line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study emphasizes the spatio-temporal expansion of built-up areas and its impact on farmland and primary crop production of Peshawar valley, Pakistan. The build-up needs to be with more significant planning to avoid any inconvenience among agricultural land and infrastructure. Built-up is necessary; however, it is worth mentioning to feed 11.23 million people in the district. The region's land is the most fertile and productive in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Data were taken from the Agricultural Bureau of Statistics from 1990 to 2020, and the satellite imageries of the region were acquired from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). ARIMA technique is employed to get the forecasted values regarding Acreage, Yield, and Production of crops till 2050 in Peshawar valley. Remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) were used to analyze the satellite imageries. The analysis showed a persistent increase in built-up areas from 1990 to 2020 as the built-up area increased by 57090 hectares. However, the barren land indicates a decreasing pattern of growth, decreasing by 102452 hectares in Peshawar valley. The analysis disclosed a consistent increase in the Production of crops. On the other hand, the per capita share of inhabitants in crop production showed a decreasing trend from 1990 to 2020, attributed to the rapid increase in population. The prediction showed that the per capita share of inhabitants in major crop production would decrease further. In 2050, the study area will be unable to feed its inhabitants due to the rapid increase in population and the built-up environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of the study was to determine the suitable selection method for genetic improvement in chickpea. The current investigation was conducted at the research area of the Arid Zone Research Institute, Bhakkar, Punjab, Pakistan. Twelve chickpea genotypes were sown in RCBD following three replicates. Data regarding primary & secondary per plant, days for maturity, plant height as well as potential yield were recorded. The measured data were analyzed to principal component analysis (PCA), correlation, and path coefficient analysis. Analysis of variants revealed good variation among the accessions for the data recorded traits. Principal coefficient analysis differentiates all the traits into six PCs. Two components expressed more than one Eigenvalue which collectively contributed 80.12% towards the genetic variation. High positive loadings were expressed by the secondary branches per plant and pods per plant in all components. Path analysis revealed that secondary branches/plants expressed the highest direct positive effect (0.872) grain yield followed by the pods per plant (0.623). Analysis of correlation coefficient also confirmed the highest significant contribution of secondary branches per plant (91.57%) followed by pods (78.12%) and each plant's primary branches (64%). It was proved from the current experiment that Plants with secondary branches as well as pods may be focused on while assessing meaningful selection criteria for genetic improvement in chickpea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetables are perishable in nature, and it requires a well-established market to facilitate the farmers for selling their produce at a reasonable price and make it accessible for ultimate consumers in preferred shape and location in the required duration. This research is carried out to analyze the existing marketing channels, marketing costs and margins of different market functionaries of potato crop in the selected villages of district Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan in 2019. For this purpose, a total of seventy producers, twenty wholesalers and twenty retailers are randomly selected and interviewed for data collection. From the current research it can be revealed that majority of potato growers followed the same marketing channel i.e. Producer Wholesaler Retailer Consumer. The analysis shows that marketing-margins of potato growers, wholesalers and retailers is estimated as 31.8 percent, 24.1 percent, and 42 percent respectively. Similarly, the share of producer in consumer rupee is obtained as 31.3 percent, respectively. Marketing margin and cost indicated that by reducing the huge margin of retailers the share of growers and wholesalers can be raised in the prevailing marketing channels. The research findings recommended that government must focus on establishing markets at village level, by minimizing the role of intermediaries which will help farmers to generate more profit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sesame is ranked among the top ten traditional oil seed crops of Pakistan. The present study is aimed to compare the effectiveness of native honey bees and solitary bees for better seed production of sesame and future conservation of effective insect pollinators. The sesame crop was grown during two years (2019 & 2020) at the research farm of MNS-University of Agriculture Multan, Pakistan. Abundance and diversity of native insect pollinators, their foraging behavior in terms of visit duration and visitation rate (number of flowers visited per minute) along with their pollination effectiveness in terms of single visit seed set efficacy were assessed. Pollinator community was composed of seven solitary bees species (Nomia oxybeloides, Amegilla sp., Lasioglossum sp., Megachile sp., Xylocopa sp.), two honeybee species (Apis dorsata, A. florea) and two syrphid fly species (Eristalinus aeneus, Ischiodon scutellaris). In both the years, honey bees were more abundant than the solitary bees while the syrphid flies were least abundant. However, visitation rate of solitary bee, Amegilla sp. was the highest (6.4 ± 0.41) followed by N. oxybeloides (3.4 ± 0.32) and A. dorsata (3.1 ± 0.90). Based on single visit seed set parameters i.e., capsule length (cm), capsule weight (gm), number of seed per capsule and seed weight per capsule (gm), solitary bee Amegilla sp. was the most efficient followed by A. dorsata and N. oxybeloides. Conserving the most efficient native solitary bee (Amegilla sp.) and honey bee (A. dorsata) can lead to higher seed production. Moreover, the effectiveness of Amegilla sp. should also be evaluated for other oil seed crops in Punjab, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic erosion is a major pitfall in man directed evolution faced by cotton crop in Pakistan during recent years. Present study was carried out at Cotton Research Station, Vehari during 2019-20. The main purpose was to explore the genetic diversity in the strains under study. Principal component analysis, along with agglomerative hierarchical clustering tools were employed. Twenty-four recently bred upland cotton strains bearing diversified origin were configured in triplicate following Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The data for novel attributes were recorded. Analysis of variance results indicated that a significant level of variation was existing among the strains for disease index, plant population and micronaire value at (p<0.05), while means for all other study traits were found highly significant at (p<0.01). Descriptive statistics illustrated presence of sufficient range in the studied traits. Out of 11 principal components (PC), first 5 PC indicated Eigen value >1 and contributed 75.826% towards cumulative variability. Yield related traits plus lint quality attributes depicted positive loading behavior, while disease index (-0.215) and plant population (-0.054) showed negative loading attitude in PC-1. Similarly, boll counts plant-1 (0.778) and fiber length (0.480) indicated strong positive loading trend, whereas fiber fineness (-0.742) and ginning out turn (-0.709) showed negative loading attitude towards PC-2. The correlation analysis indicated presence of significant (0.632) association at (p<0.01) between fiber fineness and ginning out turn. Whereas disease index showed negative association with all studied traits except monopodial branches. All strains were categorized in two clusters. The strains included in clusters 1 inclusive of check cultivar CIM-602 were distinguished by 44% higher within class variance than strains in cluster 2 respectively. The cotton strains S-1918 and S-1923 were found most diverse and can be utilized in future gene pyramiding schemes to breed cotton cultivars with broad genetic base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently in Pakistan, Poultry meat consumption is the foremost source of protein and nutrients for the general masses. The prime impact of the poultry industry is to provide an inexpensive and economical source of meat with high nutrients value to the masses. Keeping in view, the significance and need of dietary protein and it is easy availability, the study has underlined the key determinants of adoption of improved poultry practices and technology in the poultry industry of district Lasbela, Balochistan; Pakistan. A multistage random sampling method was adopted to select the samples of 75 farmers from five tehsils of Lasbela namely Hub, Gadani, Uthal, Dureji, and Bela. Around 15 farmers were randomly selected and questioned in each of the tehsil. To achieve the objectives of study nonparametric correlation coefficient test and regression analysis are carried out. The study accentuated various factors which are responsible for the adaptation of poultry technologies and their standard practices. The study found that the lack of education, training, availability of credit and information, managerial skills, low income, and market accessibility are the key impediments to the adoption of advanced technologies and standard practices in the poultry business in the district. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy to mention that once the farmer applies improved practices and technologies, then these factors may no longer be crucial to the farmer's decision of adaptability of improved poultry practice and technologies. This study also revealed that the availability of credit, information, proper training, and accessibility to market to non-adopted farmers turn as a great incentive to adopt improved practices and technology to augment their production and income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a destructive insect pest of various economic crops. This species was first reported in Pakistan during 2019, and is now an emerging threat to Pakistan's Agriculture. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of a synthetic insecticide Chlorantraniliprole in comparison to different concentrations of single botanical, i.e., neem leaf extract @ (50 ppm and 100 ppm) against FAW larvae in maize. Our findings showed a significant effect (P < 0.001) of these chemicals on the mortality and consumption rate of FAW larvae. Results show that mortality increased in all treatments with time. Recommended dose of chlorantraniliprole (50 ml/100 litre water) insecticide showed 71.0% mortality of FAW on 5th day, which increased up to 82.0% on the 7th day after application of treatments. No significant (P > 0.05) difference in larval mortality was observed for chlorantraniliprole (recommended dose) and neem at 100ppm on the 5th and 7th day after application. Higher concentration (100ppm) of neem showed 59.0% mortality of FAW larvae on 5th and 72.0% on the seventh day of application. Chlorantraniliprole reduced 62.9% food consumption on the 5th day and 71.9% on the 7th day, while 43.5% on the 5th day and 51.6% on the 7th day reduction in food consumption occurred at 100 ppm when compared to the control group. While using 50ppm concentration of neem extract, 20.90% and 27.35% consumption rate was reduced at 5th and 7th day respectively. Our findings suggest chlorantraniliprole as an effective insecticide to control FAW larvae in maize crop; however, neem extract at 100 ppm concentration also performed well against this pest. As botanicals have less harmful to humans and the environment than synthetic insecticides, neem leaf extract can be used in integrated pest management programs of FAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is one of the economic pests of horticultural crops. This invasive species causes substantial economic loss to citrus produce each year in Pakistan. Farmers rely on persistent synthetic insecticides for fruit fly control. Insecticidal phytoextracts are biorational alternates to hazardous synthetic insecticides. This study evaluated the efficacy of aqueous extracts of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), garlic (Allium sativum L.), ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) and lime citrus (Citrus aurantifolia (Christm.) Swingle) on the fruits of five citrus cultivars (i.e. bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L.), grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfad), lime (Citrus aurantifolia Christm), mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) and sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) against B. dorsalis using choice and no-choice fruit-dip bioassays. Results revealed a significant reduction of pupal weight and adult emergence of B. dorsalis by 4% extracts of A. indica, A. sativum and C. aurantifolia. Moreover, a significantly higher male to female adult sex ratio was observed in case of A. indica treatment. It is concluded from overall study results that the extracts of A. indica and C. aurantifolia exhibited significant anti-insect effects on the pupal recovery, pupal weight, adult emergence and male to female ratio of B. dorsalis on all five citrus host fruits under laboratory conditions, and hence are recommended to be further evaluated under field conditions and to consider their potential incorporation in IPM programs against fruit fly infestations on citrus crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated the technical efficiency of tomato production in the Mohamand district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Data was collected from a sample of 119 tomato growers through a well-designed questionnaires and structured interviews. The research employed a multistage sampling technique to acquire primary research data, and the Cobb-Douglas type Stochastic Frontier Production model was utilized with maximum likelihood estimation. The outcomes unveiled a technical efficiency range of 0.73 to 0.76, with an average of 0.75. Notably, variables such as seedling, ploughing, labor, FYM, and pesticide demonstrated statistically significant, while urea, DAP, and irrigation were statistically insignificant. Moreover, the study identified experience as a significant contributor to inefficiency factors affecting farmers' technical efficiency. The research also shed light on the cost disparities between vertical and linear staking methods, with former incurring a production cost of Rs. 6,99,125/-compared to Rs. 1,84,000/-for the latter. Correspondingly, structured vertical staking led to higher profits, with Rs. 4,25,875/-compared to Rs. 1,92,000/-for linear staking, demonstrating the increased profitability of vertical staking practices. Based on the analysis, the study offers recommendations to foster the growth, promotion, and enhancement of vertically structured tomato production. Notably, labor costs constitute a substantial portion, approximately 50%, of tomato production expenses in the study area. To mitigate these costs, the adaptation of mechanized methods and the utilization of small machinery could hold the potential to reduce the production expenses. Furthermore, the application of a Cobb-Douglas production function regression unveiled a significant negative relationship between age and experience with inefficiency, suggesting the importance of both formal and informal education, such as Farmer Field School (FFS), and providing incentives to retain experience tomato growers in the production process. These measures have the potentials to further augment tomato production in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in the region of Ghizer, Gilgit Baltistan, and the Malir region of Karachi in Pakistan. The aim was to determine the prevalence and density of growing unwanted weeds in the seasonal crops of regions. For this purpose, 50 quadrats of 1m by 1m were randomly plotted and analyzed. Polygonaceae, Poaceae, and Chenopodiaceae were the most common families observed. A total of 14 different weed species belonging to 10 distinct families were identified. Goose grass (Elusine indica), Lambsquarters (Chenopodium album), and Black nightshade (Solanum nigram) accounted for 87% of the weeds and had densities of 1.82%, 1.82%, and 1.71%, respectively. Species of Amaranthus viridis were found to be 37% prevalent, with the highest density of 10.40%. and was only determined in the Karachi region while Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) was found to be less common with a 0.07% density and a 60% prevalence. The highest diversity of weeds was found in the crops of tomato, maize, and alfalfa. Another aim of the study was to have the insights of farmers about the causes and effects of weed growth. The study also revealed the farmers' opinion that climatic conditions had not much impact on the growth of these weeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An empirical study was conducted to investigate the role of tube well irrigation on overall agriculture production in District D.I. Khan during 2018. In this respect, only 100 sampled farmers were interviewed with the assistance of a well-designed structured questionnaire using simple random sampling procedure. Regression analysis as a statistical method was used to assess the impact of tube well irrigation on agriculture production, household annual income, poverty line, kinds of land, sources of irrigation and inputs used on land. The significant (P<0.05) impact of household annual income of farmers was observed on agriculture production. The significant (P<0.01) impact of household annual income of farmers had kept farming community above poverty line and the significant (P<0.05) relationships noticed between kinds of land and sources of irrigation, which in turn inducing farmers to become regular user of tube well irrigation. The significant (P<0.01) impact of inputs used on the adaptation of efficient networks of tube well irrigation in Dera Ismail Khan District. The results of the study concluded that those farmers who had used tube well irrigation as a source of irrigation in the area, benefited a great deal, and as a results their per household annual income were found sufficient enough to keep them above poverty line. Most of the farmers were of opinion that after the introduction of tube well irrigation, farmers found it profitable to bring uncultivated land under cultivation, enhancing the overall agricultural production in District Dera Ismail Khan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Telenor-Pakistan (mobile operator company) to provide agricultural advisory services to the farming community in district Mardan. This study was conducted with the objective to find out the impact of mobile phones on knowledge level of farmers about improved agricultural management techniques. Out of 203 subscribers (beneficiary farmers), sixty farmers were interviewed through interview schedule. Knowledge index was used for measuring farmers' knowledge level. The study revealed that application of mobile phones decreased the communication gap (88%) between the farmers and agricultural extension department. The agricultural advisory services provided through mobile phones have improved the knowledge level of farmers in crop varieties selection (84%), sowing time (79%), land preparation (82%), fertilizer application (83%), pesticides/insecticides application (79%), irrigation (76%) and weedicide (71%). Moreover, the knowledge level of beneficiary farmers also enhanced regarding post-harvest losses (57%), weather information (78%) and market information (79%) in the research area. Overall knowledge level of beneficiary farmers increased 77 percent in the study area. The study suggested that agricultural advisory services through mobile phones should be restarted and extended to other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]