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Current study was conducted to evaluate the phenotypic features and linear measurements of Pateri goat from different regions of Sindh. Seven hundred adult Pateri goats (630 female and 70 male) were randomly selected from seven habitats of Sindh and data for skin color pattern, skin color type, body shape, hair type, hair length, horn shape, horn orientation, facial profile, ear orientation, rump profile, wattles, hooves, tail, and udder profile were recorded by visual appraisal. Results revealed that among all the regions of Sindh majority of female and male Pateri goats possessed plain white body with dark brown color patches at head, neck and leg regions of body, compact body shape, smooth and straight long hairs, spiral upward horns, straight facial profile, pendulous drooping ears, sloppy rump, dark colored hooves and straight medium tail, while females having wattles and compact udder, exceptionally few cases of female and male Pateri goat showed distinct morphometric traits. The live body weight and linear body traits including chest girth, body length, withers height, height at rump, ear length, facial length, horn length, tail length, head width, hooves length of both sexes, udder and teats of female and scrotum circumference of male Pateri goat at Shaheed Benazirabad vicinity were noted comparatively (P=0.05) higher, followed by Matiari, Tando Muhammad Khan, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Sanghar districts of Sindh. Similarly, significant (P=0.05) variations were noted in the quantitative traits between both sexes (male and female) and among all the habitats of Pateri goat at Sindh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is a grave concern due to changing climate phenomenon which drastically affects wheat production throughout the world. Screening drought tolerant varieties of wheat are important for ameliorating productivity of water scarce areas. An experiment was conducted at physiology division Nuclear Institute of Agriculture Tandojam (Latitude: 25.433 Longitude: 68.533) Sindh, Pakistan during 2016-2017. Treatment included a factorial combination using a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Six wheat cultivars (cv. cultivars IBWSN-1010, IBWSN-1025, TD-1, ESW-9525, Khirman and Chakwal-86) were investigated for their response at seedling stage under different water stress treatments (T-1 0, T-2 -0.5, T-3 -0.75 and T-4 -1.0 MPa) in controlled conditions. The results of experiments with reference to cultivars revealed that cultivar Khirman & IBWSN-1010 showed maximum shoot length (17.33 and 16.68 cm), while the cultivar Khirman and TD-1showed maximum root length (10.02 and 8.67 cm), shoot fresh weight (34.46 g 10-1shoots), root fresh wt. (71.76 g 10-1shoots), shoot dry wt. (13.55 g 10-1shoots), root dry wt. (13.62 g 10-1roots),while the cultivar IBWSN-1010 observed more chlorophyll contents (0.27 mg g1 fresh wt) and ionic contents (K+ and Ca2+, and K+/Ca2+ratio)(1.05, 1.03 and 0.93 %). Among all the wheat cultivars tested Khirman and IBWSN-1010 are tolerant cultivar sand have the potential to perform better under drought conditions, whereas IBWSN-1025 and Chakwal-86 were moderately tolerant under water stress conditions. Moreover, the cultivars i.e. TD-1 and ESW-9525 are the sensitive cultivars under drought environment. It may be concluded from present in-vitro studies that osmotic stress significantly reduced the shoot/root length fresh and dry weight in all six wheat cultivars. The maximum reduction (P≤0.05) was found at higher osmotic stress induced by PEG-6000 (-1.0 MPa). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of in ovo supplementation of honey in fertile eggs on the post hatch growth performance of broiler chickens. In this regard, 120 fertile eggs were divided into 3 treatments and a control group. In ovo (20%) supplementation of honey at 0.5ml/egg was inoculated into yolk sac in each treatment group on day 15, 16 and 17 of incubation and the observations were made immediately after hatch, at the end of the brooding period and at the time of harvesting. The birds were observed for hatchability percentage and growth performance parameters. Our results showed no significant difference in the hatchability percentage (84 for non-injected control, 84, 90, 94% for honey injected on day 15,16 and 17 respectively) and hatchling weight (43.9,44.5,43.8 and 44.56g) among different groups. Similarly, heart weight (0.372, 0.362, 0.364 and 0.416g), intestinal weight (2, 2, 1.89 and 1.76g) and yolk weight (4.2,4.5, and 5.0g) were also non-significant among the groups. However, liver weight (1.31,1.34,1.06 and 1.13g; P< 0.0002) was significantly different among the different groups in day old chick. Day old chicken intestinal villi length (88.7, 83, 93 and 104 µm; P<0.0000) showed marked difference among the groups. Moreover, treated groups at the end of the 14th day, also demonstrated no significant difference in the body weight, carcass weight and liver weight, however, intestinal villi length (392, 414, 429 and 469 (µm); P<0.0000) was significantly different among the groups. But at marketing stage, significant difference was observed among treated and control groups, in the average weight gain (1761g, 1735g, 1918g, and 1939g; P<0.0014), carcass weight (928, 890, 1010, and 1023g; P<0.0033) and gizzard weight (49.9, 46.5, 54.6, and 55g; P< 0.0007). The feed efficiency values were significantly better in the honey inoculated groups than the non-treated group. It is concluded that in ovo supplementation of honey in fertile eggs can increase the size of visceral organs and improve post hatch growth performance of broiler chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood is the virulent pathogen of tomato plants. The artificial inoculation of M. incognita developed a large number of galls and suppressed the tomato plant growth significantly. Three different concentrations of neem extract, furadan and Trichoderma harzianum were evaluated to control the M. incognita. All concentrations proved effective in reducing the disease development in nematode inoculated tomato plants. However, high dose of furadan became phytotoxic and plant growth was checked together with a number of galls. While, higher doses of neem extract and T. harzianum improved the plant growth. The combined applications of neem extract, furadan and T. harzianum were more effective than alone. In combined application also, the higher dose of furadan caused negative effects on plant growth. Present studies showed that incorporation of biocontrol agent like T. harzianum and botanical products such as neem extract against root-knot nematode provided good results and can provide an alternate of chemical pesticides which will be ecofriendly as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]