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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]

The conventional rice production system of Pakistan is escalating due to the higher level of labor involved, shortage of water and higher cost of production due to the rapidly increasing cost of energy resources. Dry direct seeded aerobic rice (DDSAR) is a valuable option to ease the problem of labor, water, and energy resources. In this study, screening of four rice varieties of conventional transplanted rice was evaluated under DDSAR in terms of yield, milling recoveries, grain and cooking quality. Four rice cultivars, viz; Super Basmati; Basmati 2000; Basmati 515 and PS-2 were sown at the Research Station of the Engro Fertilizers, Sheikhupura, Pakistan during three consecutive summer seasons (2016 to 2018). The sowing was accomplished in well prepared dry fields. Each variety performed well in terms of yield and quality traits in DDSAR but in terms of yield, Basmati-515 outperformed the other varieties and showed consistency in yield for three consecutive years of cultivation. PS-2 also gave yield statistically similar to Basmati-515 but maximum cooked grain length (17.1-17.5 mm) and grain elongation ratio (1.69-1.7) was recorded for PS-2. In contrast to other varieties, the minimum head rice percentage (40.5-43.5%) was recorded in PS-2 cultivar besides having the second-highest total milled rice percentage (50.5-73.4%) after Basmati-515 (81.0-82.8%). DDSAR did not affect the cooking quality of rice except bursting. In crux, the cultivation of low land rice cultivars under DDSAR not only maintained or increased the grain yield but also the grain and cooking quality of rice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A considerable amount of rice stubbles (7-10 ton ha-1) are produced yearly in rice-wheat cropping system. Suitable management of these crop stubbles maintains soil health and natural balance of the cropping systems. Rice stubbles management requires number of tillage operations to prepare the seedbed which ultimately delayed the wheat sowing process. Consecutive two-year trail was conducted at Agriculture Extension and Adaptive Research Farm, Gujranwala, Pakistan i.e. 2012-13 and 2013-14, with the objectives to determine the most profitable economical rice residues management technique for this system. Trail was comprised of seven tillage methods; turbo seeder (TS), happy seeder (HS), zone disc tiller drill (ZDT), zero tillage drill (ZTD), ZTD after physical elimination of rice stubbles, ZTD after straw burning, conventional tillage and three nitrogen application timings; all N application at sowing time; 0.5 N at as basal dose + 0.5 N at first irrigation; 0.5 N at first irrigation + 0.5 N at second irrigation. Statistically, higher plant height was noted in turbo and happy seeded wheat as compare to other wheat sowing methods while nitrogen application timings gave maximum plant height where N fertilization was done, 0.5 N during seed bed preparation and 0.5 N at first irrigation. Turbo seeded treatment gave 265.33 fertile tillers m² that were 5%, 7%, 12%, 11%, 6% and 4 % more than HS, ZDT drill, ZTD, conventional ZTD after rice straw removal manually, conventional ZTD after rice straw burning and conventional wheat sowing, respectively. Turbo seeded wheat produced substantial higher spike length compared to other ZT methods. Statistically, maximum grains per spike were recorded in experimental units where wheat cultivation was done with turbo seeder followed by conventional tillage method of wheat sowing. Among nitrogen application timings higher grains per spike were calculated where N fertilizer was applied, 0.5 N during seedbed preparation and 0.5 N at primary watering. Uppermost thousand grain weight (TGW) was recorded in conventional sowing method and it was similar with TS, HS, ZTD, ZTD after physical elimination of rice stubbles and ZTD after straw blazing while, in case of N application timings, utmost TWG was obtained when N fertilization was done half N as basal dose and half at the time of primary irrigation. Turbo seeder treatment gave substantially highest total crop biomass as compared with other sowing methods. Wheat sown with turbo seeder gave 5.69%, 14.95%, 12.18%, 9.33%, 5.1% and 1.99% higher yield than HS, ZDT, zero tillage drill, ZTD after physical elimination of rice stubbles ZTD after straw blazing and conventional method of wheat sowing, respectively. Among nitrogen application timings, higher grain yield was obtained where N fertilization was done with 0.5 N at sowing and 0.5 N at time of primary irrigation. During both year of experimentation, LAI and crop growth rate (CGR) at 75 days after sowing (DAS) and total dry matter (TDM) and leaf area duration (LAD) at 120 DAS was maximum in turbo seeded wheat when N was added 0.5 N dose as a basal and 0.5 N at the time of primary irrigation. Net assimilation rate was higher in turbo seeded wheat when N was added 0.5 N during seedbed preparation and 0.5 N at primary watering. Moreover, highest grain protein contents (12.95%), fat contents (0.85%), and fiber contents (0.14%) were observed in TS experimental unit. Among different zero tillage sowing methods turbo seeder gave better returns and in case of nitrogen application timing the treatment gave better returns when half nitrogen was applied at sowing time and half nitrogen was applied at first irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]