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The study was conducted at Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan to monitor the impact assessment of tillage systems on soil health indicators by integrating organic and inorganic resources to sustain wheat production in arid and semi-arid conditions i.e. high temperature and low rainfall. The field experiment was conducted in 2019-20 and carried out in alkaline soil (pH 8.2) with low organic matter (0.45%) to grow wheat after rice and treatments were arranged in randomized complete block design. Farmyard manure (FYM 20.5 Mg/ha), rice crop residues application (CRA 100%) and chemical fertilizers (CF) N-P-K 100-80-60 kg/ha, respectively were used under conventional and conservation tillage systems. During this research different growth and yield parameters were noted and evaluated the level of N, P, K and organic matter contents from soil and plant at the harvest. The results indicated that the combined application of FYM and CRA with CF improved the chlorophyll contents (20% in conventional tillage and 39% in conservation tillage) which helped in nutrient translocation (N, P, K) and increased growth, biological and grain yield by improving soil organic carbon (SOC) and organic matter contents in soil. Growth parameter i.e. germination percentage upto 64%, plant height 27% and spike length upto 35% were increased by T7. The conservation tillage method was the best where we used T7 i.e. CF + 25% FYM + 50% CRA, and CF + 50% FYM + 25% CRA by conserving moisture and built OM (0.90%), soil organic carbon (0.49%) and mineral nutrition in soil as well as in wheat leaves. It is concluded that the integrated use of organic and inorganic resources are helpful for sustainable wheat production by enhancing fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) to improve soil health especially in arid to semi-arid climate conditions in alkaline soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on antioxidant potential of cheddar cheese utilizing milk from cow and buffalo sources during ripening was conducted in 2019-20 at Institute of Food science and Nutrition, University of Sargodha, Pakistan. The cheese samples were placed at the controlled atmosphere (4°C) for ripening and were ripened for 3, 6 and 9 months. This research was conducted to evaluate antioxidant ability of cheddar cheese during ripening. Freeze dried water (WSE) and ethanol soluble fractions (ESE) of cheddar (cow and buffalo) were prepared and monitored for their antioxidant activities during ripening. Total antioxidant activity (TAA) of soluble fractions (WSE and ESE) was determined. Higher TAA was found in WSE (59.900 ± 1.59 μg/g trolox equivalent) and higher reducing power was observed in ESE (27.734 ± 5.76 μg/g) of buffalo milk cheddar cheese after 9 months of ripening. Increased values were found for total phenolic content (TPC) in freeze dried WSE (69.572 ± 5.88 μg/g gallic acid equivalent) and for DPPH in freeze-dried ESE (1436.1 ± 4.95 μmol/ml trolox equivalent) of cow milk cheddar cheese after 9 months of ripening. In short, it (cheddar cheese) can be utilized in manufacturing of functional foods due to its increased antioxidant potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased edible oil demand due to increasing world population diverts the attention to explore the new agro-ecology zones for soybean cultivation where traditional oilseed crops have low yield potential. Present study was conducted to determine the optimal agronomic yield environment for soybean cultivars in semi-arid irrigated conditions. The randomized complete block design (RCBD) was used with split-plot arrangement with four replications. Three soybean varieties viz., NARC-2, RAWAL-1 and AJMERI were sown on 11th August, 26th August and 10th September 2018-19 at Agronomic Research Area, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, Pakistan by keeping varieties in sub-plots and sowing dates in main plots. Data was statistically analyzed by using Fisher's analysis of variance technique and treatment means were compared at 5% probability level. Maximum and statistically similar germination count was recorded in plots where crop was sown on 11th August and 10th September as compared to 26th August planting. Flower initiation, 50% flowering, complete flowering and pod formation took place earlier in cultivar AJMERI when it was sown on 10th September. Maximum number of branches per plant (10.66) and number of pods per plant (40.96) was produced in cultivar RAWAL-1 when it was sown on 10th September. The maximum number of seeds per pod (2.63) was recorded in all tested cultivars sown at 10th September. Cultivar RAWAL-1 produced maximum biological yield (3175.9 kg/ha) and final seed yield (785.03 kg/ha) that was sown on 10th September. It was concluded that before recommending a soybean cultivar in new agro-ecological region its compatibility must be verified for active and sustained adaptation by growers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]