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Yellow rust is one of the major production constraints of wheat in Pakistan. To accelerate development of rust resistant cultivars, field testing may be accompanied with molecular genotyping. In the present studies, 56 F1 wheat hybrids were developed through 8×8 full diallel crosses during 2014-15. All the 56 F1 wheat hybrids along with parental genotypes were evaluated during 2015-16 under rainfed and irrigated conditions to identify yellow rust resistant genotypes. Pooled analysis of variance revealed highly significant (P < 0.01) differences among the genotypes for final rust severity, relative area under disease progress curve and average co-efficient of infection. Under both environments, 41 genotypes showed high, 7 moderate while remaining genotypes showed low level of partial resistance. Under rainfed condition, genotypes PS-05×AH, PS-05 and PS-13×PS-05 while under irrigated condition, Lal-13×JB, PS-05×Lal-13, PS-05×Tat-96 and JB×PS-05 were partially resistant in the field. The presence of yellow rust resistance genes, Yr5, Yr17 and Yr18, were confirmed in 76%, 78% and 37% genotypes respectively, using molecular markers, which were present either individually or in combinations of two or three genes. Among the parents, PS-13, JB and PS-05 performed well under both conditions. Under irrigated condition, cross combinations, Lal-13×JB, KW×PS-05 and JB×AH while under rainfed condition, genotypes PS-05×PJ-11, Tat-96×AH and JB×AH, showed best performance in terms of yield and rust resistance. Cluster analysis grouped majority of partial resistance genotypes into sub cluster G1. Field testing and molecular markers analysis, revealed the presence of variability in resistance among the studied genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out at the Weed Science Research Laboratory, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar Pakistan (June-July 2013 and Sep-Oct 2013). To evaluate the most effective and economical treatment for weed management in maize (Zea mays L.), the pot experiment was performed using completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Allelopathic effects of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Conard Moench., Helianthus annuus L., Parthenium hysterophorus L, and the commercial herbicide (atrazine @ 18 g L-1) was used for comparison. The data were recorded on germination and seedling growth of test species (Zea mays, Trianthema portulacastrum and Lolium rigidum). The data showed that S. bicolor + H. annuus + P. hysterophorus water extract (WE) @ 33.33 + 33.33 + 33.33 (g L-1) reduced dry biomass of T. portulacastrum and L. rigidum by 35 and 41% respectively, whereas the commercial herbicide by 45-47%. Maize seeds were found more tolerant than the weed species tested. Hence, it is concluded that extracts applied in mutual combination had more inhibitory effect than their sole applications, however, the efficacy of atrazine was more effective in suppressing germination and seedling growth of the tested species. The degree of toxicity for the various treatments can be placed in the following array of inhibition: Herbicide > combined extracts > isolated extracts. The current study showed that all the tested allelopathic plants contain water soluble allelochemicals which could inhibit/retard the germination percentage and seedling growth of the tested species. Hence, the findings of the current study suggest that it is possible to use these extracts as an alternative to synthetic herbicide (s) for sustainable weed management in maize. However, further studies are suggested to confirm our findings under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, is parasitic to the plants and greatly damages the root of many vegetables. The current in-Planta study was designed to explore the nematicidal properties of several botanicals (neem oil, garlic oil, castor oil, extracts of Tagetes patula and Datura inoxia at a standard dose of 2.0%) at District Peshawar, Pakistan. Tomato (cv. Riogrande) was grown in earthen pots for the growing seasons of 2014 to 2016. Pure culture of the root-knot nematodes were grown in laboratory and were applied at the rate of 50 infective juvenile and 200 eggs per root system through soil drench method. Neem oil and Datura inoxia gave the best results by having lower number (2.8 and 5.8, respectively) of galls. Adult females and egg masses were also reduced to 0.9 and 4.8, respectively, per root system. All the treatments differences were statistically significant (P= 0.05). Plant growth parameters were also upraised with application of medicinal herbs. This study highlights the nematicidal properties of botanicals for the safe and cheap management of the prevalent root knot nematode. Hence, it is recommended to the farmers for the use of these naturally occurring organic nematicides instead of commercial petro-chemicals that have ill effect on our environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic variability, heritability and correlation studies were carried out among F4 populations of upland cotton during 2014 at the University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan. Eight upland cotton genotypes i.e. SLH-284, CIM-446, CIM- 473, CIM-496, CIM-499, CIM-506, CIM-554 and CIM-707 and their 59 F4 populations were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Genotype means revealed highly significant differences for all the traits. On average, the F4 populations showed best performance than parental cultivars for yield attributing traits and eventually increased the seed cotton yield. Heritabilities (broad sense) were moderate to high in magnitude for all the traits. Major yield components i.e., plant height, bolls per sympodia, boll weight and seeds per boll revealed significant (p≤0.01) positive correlation with seed cotton yield. However, monopodia showed non-significant positive correlation. Overall, the F4 populations CIM-707 × CIM-506 S1, CIM-446 × CIM-284 S2, SLH-284 × CIM-499 S2 and CIM-554 × CIM-473 S2 exhibited maximum boll weight and bolls per sympodia and eventually the seed cotton yield. Results further revealed that F4 populations with larger genetic potential, positive association between yield and yield contributing traits and moderate to high heritability could guide intensive selection for improvement in segregating populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat is a globally dominant staple food and one of the highest-consumed products because of its taste, texture, and bread quality. Genetic variability, heritability, and genetic advancement are essential to learning about the yield potential of crops. Finding out wheat's heritability and genetic advance led to this study's design at the research area of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, the University of Agriculture, Peshawar, in 2021-2022. The experiment began using 27 wheat genotypes comprising nine parents and 18 F3 populations evaluated in a random complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Highly significant variations observed came from analysis of variance among parents and F3 populations for days to heading, plant height, tillers plant-1, flag leaf area, spikelet's spike-1, the number of grains spike-1, a thousand-grain weight, and biomass yield. The highest heritability estimates of 0.82, 0.87, 0.88, 0.89, 0.86, 0.76, 0.88, 0.86, 0.89, 0.87, 0.86, and 0.84 emerged from Watan x Janbaz, Fakhr-e-Sarhad x AUP-5008, Pirsabak-2005 x AUP-5008, Barsat x Tatara, Fakhr-e- Sarhad x Tatara, Pirsabak-2005 x Tatara, Watan x Tatara, Watan x AUP-5008, AUP-4008 x Janbaz, Barsat x Tatara, Watan x AUP-5008, and Barsat x Janbaz, respectively, for productive traits. The highest values of genetic advance were 32.71, 20.33, 35.08, and 34.24 for Fakhr-e-Sarhad x AUP-5008, Fakhr-e-Sarhad x Janbaz, Pirsabak-2005 x Tatara, and Watan x Tatara, respectively. The parental genotypes Janbaz and AUP-5008 were the most promising genotypes recommended for further evaluation in upcoming breeding schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Food crops irrigated with wastewater are mostly contaminated with heavy metals and considered as a main pathway for human exposure. In this study, soil and food crops samples were collected from wastewater irrigated soils, background and relatively less polluted areas. Results of the sequential extraction and total metals concentrations in soils indicated that wastewater irrigation has significantly increased (p ≥0.001) the bioavailable and total metal contents in wastewater irrigated soil as compared to background and control soils. Heavy metal concentrations in the food crops grown on wastewater irrigated soil were higher than those grown on background and control soils but were found within WHO/FAO permissible limits except for Zn. Health risk index values were less than 1 for both control and wastewater irrigated soils (except Mn). However, the food crops such as Brassica rapa, Spinacia oleracae L., Lycopersicum esculantum, Mentha viridis, Coriandum sativum and Lactuca sativa grown on wastewater irrigated soil can pose health risks because of the high concentration of Mn. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]