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Foliar application of Atonik (sodium nitrophenolate) at crop critical growth stages is expected to improve crop physiology, morphology, and productivity. The present field study was conducted at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in autumn season of 2018 and 2019. Water deficit conditions were imposed by skip irrigation method. Plants were treated with foliar application of Atonik 10 (mg L−1) to evaluate the physiological, morphological, yield, and yield causative attributes of maize grown under deficit irrigation treatments. Randomized complete block design (RCBD) with split plots arrangement was used to layout the experiment having three replications. It was revealed that application of Atonik improved the crop's physiological attributes: relative leaf water contents (RLWC by 10%), chlorophyll contents (14%), and carotenoids content (15%) under water deficit conditions. Similarly, Atonik application augmented the leaf length at maturity, the number of green leaves at harvesting, and the number of grains row−1 of maize by 7%, 20% and 12%, respectively. Moreover, the application of Atonik amended the 100-grains weight, grain yield, and biological yield by 8%, 9% and 20%, respectively. In crux, application of Atonik is an excellent strategy to alleviate the detrimental influence of water deficit on physiological, morphological, and yield causative attributes of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton leaf curl disease (CLCuD) is a significant constraint to the economies of Pakistan and India. The disease is caused by different begomoviruses (genus Begomovirus, family Geminiviridae) in association with a disease-specific betasatellite. However, another satellite-like molecule, alphasatellite, is occasionally found associated with this disease complex. A quantitative real-time PCR assay for the virus/satellite components causing CLCuD was used to investigate the performance of selected cotton varieties in the 2014–2015 National Coordinated Varietal Trials (NCVT) in Pakistan. The DNA levels of virus and satellites in cotton plants were determined for five cotton varieties across three geographic locations and compared with seed cotton yield (SCY) as a measure of the plant performance. The highest virus titer was detected in B-10 (0.972 ng·µg−1) from Vehari and the lowest in B-3 (0.006 ng·µg−1) from Faisalabad. Likewise, the highest alphasatellite titer was found in B-1 (0.055 ng·µg−1) from Vehari and the lowest in B-1 and B-2 (0.001 ng·µg−1) from Faisalabad. The highest betasatellite titer was found in B-23 (1.156 ng·µg−1) from Faisalabad and the lowest in B-12 (0.072 ng·µg−1) from Multan. Virus/satellite DNA levels, symptoms, and SCY were found to be highly variable between the varieties and between the locations. Nevertheless, statistical analysis of the results suggested that betasatellite DNA levels, rather than virus or alphasatellite DNA levels, were the important variable in plant performance, having an inverse relationship with SCY (−0.447). This quantitative assay will be useful in breeding programs for development of virus resistant plants and varietal trials, such as the NCVT, to select suitable varieties of cotton with mild (preferably no) symptoms and low (preferably no) virus/satellite. At present, no such molecular techniques are used in resistance breeding programs or varietal trials in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In present study fifteen varieties of cotton (FH-114, Bt-121, SLH-336, Kirn, SLH Bt-6, Bt-666, CIM-595, FH-113, Bt- MK2, Bt-222, Bt-457, Bt-7, SLH-317 and Bt-986) were cultivated in research area of the Department of Plant Pathology University of Agriculture Faisalabad during 2012 to determine their genetic response against bacterial blight under randomized complete block design (RCBD). Results showed that none of variety showed immune response against disease while FH-114, Bt-121 and SLH-336 showed moderately resistance to bacterial blight with 15, 17 and 20% disease incidence respectively. While Kirn, SLH Bt-6, Bt-666, CIM-595, FH-113 and Bt-MK2 showed moderately susceptible behavior with (29-38%) disease incidence. The varieties SG-1, Bt-222, Bt-457, Bt-7, SLH-317 and Bt-986 showed highly susceptible response with (41-56%) disease incidence against the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punjab-2008 is a bold seeded, wilt resistant and high yielding variety of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). It was developed from a cross between two genotypes (90065 × ICC 12231). The hybridization work was started at Pulses Research Institute, AARI, Faisalabad, Pakistan during the year 1993-94 using pedigree method of selection. The segregating population was evaluated for desirable traits and advanced to F5 generation. The pure line was selected from F5 generation during 1997-98 and tested in yield nursery during 1998-99. It was tested for two consecutive years in station yield trials from 1999-00 to 2000-01 before moving forward to micro yield trials in 2001-02 to 2002-03. It was then tested simultaneously in adaptation yield trials and national uniform yield trials during 2003-07. The variety produced 10-45 percent more seed yield in different yield trials over respective checks with a yield potential of 4516 kg per hectare. It stood first in 2005-06 and 2006-07 in national uniform yield trials. Its plant is semi-erect with 65-70 cm plant height. Number of primary branches varies from 4-5 whereas secondary branches range from 7-10 depending upon abiotic and biotic factors. It takes 100-105 days to 50 percent flowering after sowing while flowering duration is 40-45 days. Number of pods varies from 60-70 with 2-3 seeds per pod while pod shattering is absent. Its seed is bold in size having higher 1000-seed weight (300 g). It performs better at seed rate of 60 kg per hectare with 15 cm plant spacing and 24-60-0 kg NPK per hectare. Tolerance against wilt, bold seededness, high yield potential and suitability for both irrigated and rainfed conditions are major attributes of new chickpea variety Punjab-2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted on a sandy clay loam soil to monitor the response of rice crop to model based applied B fertilizer. For this purpose, B adsorption isotherm of the soil was constructed at the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during 2006-07. Adsorption process was executed by equilibrating 2.5g soil in 0.01M CaCl2 solution containing different B concentrations (0, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10 and 15 mg). Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models were applied to the data to check the sorption of B on sandy clay loam soil. Freundlich model showed better fit of the sorption (r2=0.99) data than Langmuir model (r2= 0.88). Ten B treatments (0, 0.28, 0.79, 1.27, 1.74, 2.21, 2.64, 3.10, 3.32, 3.54 kg/ha) were applied with recommended N, P and K doses. Boron was applied at rice transplanting time as basal dose. The data indicated that grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight and paddy yield responded positively to fertilizer B but vegetative growth i.e. plant height, tillering and total biomass did not respond significantly to B application. B rate of 1.74 kg per hectare (T4) proved better for numbelr of grains (164.7/panicle), 1000-grain weight (21.07 g) and paddy yield (3.2 Mg/ha). Concentration of boron in both rice straw and paddy increased with B application but there was no effect of B on NPK concentration of straw and paddy. These results are very encouraging suggesting that for a particular soil, B adsorption isotherm need to be constructed for site specific fertilizer B application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]