Search

Lemon (Citrus limon) cultivars (Desi and Chinese) were subjected to gamma radiations for mutation induction. The current investigation was performed with the objective of exploring the effect of gamma irradiation on morphological characteristics of lemon and for development of lemon mutants for the sake of crop improvement. Seeds and bud wood of two lemon cultivars were exposed to various gamma ray concentrations (i.e 20,50,80,110 and 140 Gy). The irradiated buds were then budded on a rootstock (rough lemon) at standard growth stage of the root stock and seeds were sown in sterilized growing media in order to get disease free plants with maximum germination. The experimentation was carried out according to Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The recorded observations were arranged and analyzed using statistical software Statistix 8.1 for employing statistical techniques. The research findings of the current investigation showed that there was significant variation in morphological variables among the irradiated and control plants of both cultivars. With the increase in radiation intensity, there was marked reduction in growth variables of both lemon varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low yield of chickpea in Pakistan is due to the existence of wilt and blight diseases. Screening of existing germplasm against diseases is pre requisite for crop improvement. Pathogens of wilt and blight diseases were isolated from diseased samples and inoculum was prepared. Forty one chickpea genotypes containing approved varieties, advance lines etc., were screened in blight and wilt inoculated nurseries under controlled conditions separately. The experiment was laid out under augmented design. The experiment was conducted at Arid Zone Research Institute, Bhakkar, Pakistan during 2019-2021. Data for each disease was collected according to respective disease scales. The scale (1-9) was used for recording the data. Out of total forty-one genotypes, only two varieties (Bittal-16 and Niab-16) were moderately resistant, sixteen genotypes were susceptible and the rest were highly susceptible to Ascochyta blight disease. The level of resistance in blight experiment was 3.27% while susceptibility level was 96.72%. In case of second experiment of chickpea wilt was sown in sick plot. For Fusarium wilt, four genotypes (TG 1708, TG 1710, TG 1712 & TG 1808) were found resistant, fifteen were moderately resistant, twelve were susceptible and the remaining were highly susceptible. The resistant level in this experiment was 6.5%, moderately resistant was 24.59% and remaining susceptible and highly susceptible was 73.77%. The genotypes showed resistance against Ascochyta blight and Fusarium wilt can be utilized in future breeding programs to develop high yielding disease resistant cultivars of chickpea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The narrow genetic base of modern cultivars is becoming a key bottleneck for crop improvement and the use of wild relatives is an appropriate approach to improve the genetic diversity of crops to manage the sustainable production under different abiotic and biotic constraints. In Pakistan, wild germplasm of grapevine viz Dakh, Toran, and Zarishk belong to Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris and Fatati belong to Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa is naturally present in humid and sub-humid areas of mountainous and sub-mountainous regions and showed varying level of tolerance against drought stress but have not been evaluated as rootstock. In this study, different tolerant behavior of wild grapevines as rootstock in grafted scion varieties were explored under different levels of PEG-6000 mediated drought stress i.e., -4.00, -6.00, and -8.00 bars. In response to drought stress, wild grapevines evoked several non-enzymatic and enzymatic activities. Among non-enzymatic activities, total chlorophyll contents of commercial varieties were sustained at higher level when grafted on wild grapevines Dakh and Fatati which subsequently reduced the damage of cell membrane via MDA. Whereas, to cope the membranous damage due to excessive cellular generation of ROS, wild grapevines triggered the enhanced activities of SOD to dismutase the free oxygen radicals into H2O2, then CAT enzyme convert the H2O2 into water molecules. Higher accumulation of ROS in commercial scion varieties were also coped by wild grapevines Dakh and Fatati through the upregulation of POD and APX enzymes activities. Based on these enzymatic and non-enzymatic indices, biplot and cluster analysis classified the wild grapevines as rootstock into three distinct categories comprises on relatively tolerant i.e., Dakh (Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris) and Fatati (Vitis vinifera subsp. sativa), moderate tolerant i.e., Toran (Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris) and relatively susceptible category i.e., Zarishk (Vitis vinifera subsp. sylvestris). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lentil is an important food legume throughout the world and Pakistan stands at 18th position with 8,610 tons production from 17,457 hectares. It is rich in protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, and minerals that can potentially meet food security and malnutrition issues, particularly in South Asia. Two hundred and twenty lentil genotypes representing Pakistan (178), Syria (14), and the USA (22) including 6 from unknown origins were studied for yield, yield contributing traits, and cooking time (CT). Genotype 6122 (Pakistan) performed the best during both years with seed yield per plant (SY) 68±1.7 g, biological yield per plant (BY) 264±2.8 g, pod size (PS) 0.61±0.01 cm, number of seeds per pod (NSP) 2, cooking time (CT) 11 minutes, with no hard seed (HS). The genotypes 6122 (Pakistan) and 6042 (Syria) produced the highest BY, hence these have the potential to be an efficient source of fodder, particularly during extreme winter months. The genotypes 5698 (Pakistan) and 6015 (USA) were late in maturity during 2018–19 while 24783 and 5561 matured early in 2019. A minimum CT of 10 minutes was taken by the genotypes 6074 and 5745 of Pakistani origin. The lowest CT saves energy, time, and resources, keeps flavor, texture, and improves protein digestibility, hence the genotypes with minimum CT are recommended for developing better lentil cultivars. Pearson correlation matrix revealed significant association among several traits, especially SY with BY, PS, and NSP which suggests their use for the future crop improvement program. The PCA revealed a considerable reduction in components for the selection of suitable genotypes with desired traits that could be utilized for future lentil breeding. Structural Equational Model (SEM) for SY based on covariance studies indicated the perfect relationship among variables. Further, hierarchical cluster analysis establishes four clusters for 2017–18, whereas seven clusters for 2018–19. Cluster 4 of 2017–18 and cluster 5 of 2018–19 exhibited the genotypes with the best performance for most of the traits (SY, BY, PS, NSP, CT, and HS). Based on heritability; HSW, SY, BY, NSP were highly heritable, hence these traits are expected for selecting genotypes with genes of interest and for future lentil cultivars. In conclusion, 10 genotypes (5664, 5687, 6084, 6062, 6122, 6058, 6087, 5689, 6042 and 6074) have been suggested to evaluate under multi-location environments for selection of the best one/s or could be utilized in hybridization in future lentil breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phaseolus vulgaris, an essential food and source of protein, is cultivated across the world. This study was carried out to investigate the diversity and population structure of 34 P. vulgaris landrace accessions collected from the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) regions of Pakistan. The samples were analyzed both morphologically and using genetic variation identified through RNA sequencing. Our results indicated that most genetic variation occurs among local accessions, with little genetic variation occurring between geographical regions. In addition, the accessions fell into two major genetic groups. Morphological analysis revealed that these two genetic groups differ in a number of quantitative traits, including seed length, seed width, and seed weight. One accession, DUD-11, appears to be a mixture of the two major groups genetically as well as morphologically. Among the other accessions, DUD-8, RWK-2, and NGD-1 depicted particularly high seed weight along with higher seed length, seed width, and seed yield per plant. We suggest focusing on these accessions in future breeding programs. More generally, our results provide baseline data that will be useful for crop improvement and effective cultivation practices in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sugarcane is very important industrial and cash crop in Pakistan and in many countries of the world. It is worldwide an essential source of commercial sugar accounting for nearly 75 per cent of the world sugar production. Biochemical screening is first step in breeding to select superior genotypes in further breeding program. Methods: The experimental investigations were carried out on 10 different genotypes of sugarcane during consecutive years i.e., 2010-2012 to determine their genetic diversity by biochemical approach and SDS-PAGE analysis. The data on biochemical parameters i.e. reducing and non-reducing sugar, protein content, vitamin C, iron content, phosphorus content, calcium content and magnesium content in juice samples of various genotypes was recorded to assess biochemical composition. Result: The genotypes SPF-213, LHO83-153, CP-72-2086 performed better than other ones for reducing and non-reducing sugar, protein content, vitamin C and minerals content. However, on the basis of overall biochemical constituents CP-72-2086 was most efficient genotype. Electrophoretic mobility through SDS-PAGE was revealed clear genetic diversity among genotypes. As genotype S-06-US-469 and S-06-US-312 which showed unique pattern from common ancestors. These diverse genotypes could be successfully utilized in hybridization for improvement of crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity can be investigated through different methods such as morphological traits, biochemical (SDS PAGE) and molecular markers. The present work was conducted on the basis of morphological and biochemical characterization in order to estimate the genetic diversity among the barley landraces; to explore significant variation which can be used in breeding programs. For this purpose, 40 barley landraces were collected from Dir Lower and Swat, districts of KP, Pakistan. A total of 18 traits were recorded, 10 qualitative characters including spike density, awn barbs, glume awn, lemma type and awn color, length of the rechilla hairs, lemma color, auricle pigmentation, photoperiod sensitivity and stem pigmentation. Variation was observed in these qualitative traits through frequency distribution. In quantitative traits maximum variation was found for plant height ranging from 36cm to 50cm, days to flowering range from 130 to 133 days), while 100 seed weight ranged from 36 to 86 g and plant biomass range from 50 to 199.5 g per plant. SDS-PAGE analyses of total seed storage protein resulted in a total of 18 polymorphic bands. Total genetic diversity on the basis of total seed storage protein analysis was 17.5%. In Band, the 14 total genetic diversity was (0.60%) followed by Band 16 (0.58%) and Band 17 (0.55%). Similarly, Band 3 showed diversity, while Band 8, 4 and 5 indicated 0.45, 0.38 and 0.35%, respectively. A cluster dendrogram tree was constructed which was divided into two linkage and further divided into seven clusters. The variation was found among the clusters. The information obtained from the study is useful in planning further crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetic diversity can be investigated through different methods such as morphological traits, biochemical (SDS PAGE) and molecular markers. The present work was conducted on the basis of morphological and biochemical characterization in order to estimate the genetic diversity among the barley landraces; to explore significant variation which can be used in breeding programs. For this purpose, 40 barley landraces were collected from Dir Lower and Swat, districts of KP, Pakistan. A total of 18 traits were recorded, 10 qualitative characters including spike density, awn barbs, glume awn, lemma type and awn color, length of the rechilla hairs, lemma color, auricle pigmentation, photoperiod sensitivity and stem pigmentation. Variation was observed in these qualitative traits through frequency distribution. In quantitative traits maximum variation was found for plant height ranging from 36cm to 50cm, days to flowering range from 130 to 133 days), while 100 seed weight ranged from 36 to 86 g and plant biomass range from 50 to 199.5 g per plant. SDS-PAGE analyses of total seed storage protein resulted in a total of 18 polymorphic bands. Total genetic diversity on the basis of total seed storage protein analysis was 17.5%. In Band, the 14 total genetic diversity was (0.60%) followed by Band 16 (0.58%) and Band 17 (0.55%). Similarly, Band 3 showed diversity, while Band 8, 4 and 5 indicated 0.45, 0.38 and 0.35%, respectively. A cluster dendrogram tree was constructed which was divided into two linkage and further divided into seven clusters. The variation was found among the clusters. The information obtained from the study is useful in planning further crop improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dependence among traits, gene and environmental interaction affects the Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae) crop improvement. The data from 100 cotton genotypes were collected for yield and fiber traits for this purpose. The results revealed notable differences for studied traits. Maximum value for cotton yield was showed by FH-313 (113.50 g/plant). FH-182 showed highest GOT (40.40%) as compared to S-3 which showed lowest (24.23%). MNH-554 (55.40) showed maximum value of mean for number of bolls per plant and lowest for LA-17801. Four PCs with Eigen value more than one were screened through scree plot analysis which contributed 70.1% in total variation. Biplot analysis revealed that total variation exhibited by PC1 was about 28.9%, 17.7% by PC2, 12.9% by PC3, 10.6% by PC4. It was concluded that differences among genotypes for quality and yield traits, higher heritability (97.93%) and genetic advance (33.049) for strength of fiber and height of plant and lower for lint index (54.26%) and boll size (0.67), would be beneficial for cotton breeding programs. Significant correlations among NSB, NB/P, GOT (%), SCY, FS, FL and FF along with greater heritability, genetic advance suggested that choice would be beneficial for enhancement of cotton yield and fiber quality traits among cotton genotypes in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information regarding the magnitude of variability as well as the correlation among agronomically important traits renders the basis for development of a successful crop improvement program. An experiment containing 16 wheat genotypes (8 durum and 8 spring wheat) was conducted in crop season of year 2015-2016, at The University of Agriculture, Peshawar. The experimental design used was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The parameters under study were days to heading, days to maturity, flag leaf area, plant height, tillers m-2, spikes m-2, spikelets spike-1, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and harvest index. Among the genotypes for various study traits, statistically significant differences were observed. Except for the flag leaf area and days to maturity, durum vs. spring wheat contrast was significant for all other studied parameters. The flag leaf area of durum wheat was more than that of spring wheat and it took fewer days to initiate heading as well. In contrast, spring wheat genotypes had more average plant height, tillers m-2, spikes m-2, 1000-grain weight, grain yield and harvest index than durum wheat genotypes. Correlation analysis revealed that tillers m-2 and spikes m-2 had significantly positive association with grain yield while grain yield had significantly strong positive association with harvest index in tested germplasm. Durum genotypes DWE3 and DWE7 performed best for yield contributing traits while spring wheat verities, Janbaz, Barsat and Shahkar outperformed others in terms of 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and harvest index, respectively. These genotypes are recommended to be further tested at multi-locations to check for wider adaptability and a possible use in future wheat breeding programs in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pea is the most important crop and vegetable in the world but it has low yield. There is a need to find the ways for the improvement of crop productivity. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are extensively used in many crops for enhancement of yield and quality. This study was designed to find the influence of PGRs on growth, yield and quality of pea cultivars grown in Pakistan. Methods: Pot experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of various plant growth regulators (IAA, NAA and GA3) on pea during 2018-19. Four cultivars of pea i.e. Meteor, Green cross, Sultan and Dollar were used in these experiments. There were 0, 100 and 200 mmolL-1 levels for each hormone that were applied as foliar spray after 14 days of germination. Experiment was laid down in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replicates. Result: Morphological, biochemical and yield attributes significantly increased in four cultivars of pea except variety Sultan for few parameters. Cultivar Meteor showed highly positive increasing effects on growth and yield attributes as compared to other treatments. Catalases (CAT) activities were increased and peroxidase dismutase (POD) activities were reduced. It can be concluded that reduction in POD activities helped to increase the defense mechanism of plants and high CAT activities caused better balance in plant metabolism as a result growth, yield and quality of pea were increased. All the variables including shoot length, shoot biomass, number of fruits, total seed yield, carbohydrates and protein had positive correlation with phytohormones. These outcomes might be good indicators to predict the best pea cultivars that can have positive promising response for growth, yield and quality traits under plant growth regulators (PGR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulses are smart crops both for humans and the cropping system as they provide protein, minerals, vitamins, and fiber for human diet and nitrogen to the soil and contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity. Pulses, also called grain legumes, contribute about 33% of the global dietary protein requirement of the human population. In Pakistan, the production of pulses is far less than the requirement and the balance is met through imports. The reasons for low production and yield of pulses, in Pakistan, include lack of innovative crop improvement programs and seed distribution system. Currently, about 80% of the pulses are cultivated from the farmers own saved seed. Other major factors responsible for low production and yield are abiotic (drought, heat, salinity) and biotic (weeds, diseases, and insect-pests) stresses, and factors related with soil (marginal lands, alkaline soils with low organic matter and erosion), climate change, lack of crop-specific farm machinery, post-harvest losses and marketing issues. This manuscript discusses the current status, constraints, and opportunities to improve the production of pulses to meet the national requirements. The major opportunities to improve the pulses production includes crop improvement (development of short duration, high yielding, disease resistant and climate resilient varieties), intercropping and growing of pulses as catch crop, adoption of conservation agriculture to conserve the resources, strengthening system of certified seed distribution, provision of crop-specific farm machinery, development and dissemination of site-specific production technologies and seed enhancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germplasm evaluation is of great importance in breeding and crop improvement. Common bean accessions grown by the farming community in Himalaya region are an important source of genetic diversity. A total of 96 indigenous accessions of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were collected from three different areas of Himalaya region of Pakistan. In all accessions, 78.1% were collected from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while 11.5% from Kashmir and 10.4% from Gilgit Baltistan. Primary evaluation of seed characteristics was done according to International Board of Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) descriptors. Significant variation was observed for seed color, seed shape and seed coat pattern. Twenty-nine different colours of common beans were observed in these 96 accessions with pre-dominance of red colour. Four different seed shapes were observed i.e., Cuboid, oval, truncate fastigiated and kidney shape. Cuboid seed shape was predominant with a frequency of 46.8%. Seed coat pattern was absent in 51% accessions. Five different seed coat patterns i.e., constant mottled, stripped, circular mottling, rhomboid spotted and speckled were recorded in remaining 49% accessions. Cluster analysis was performed and 96 accessions were grouped in four clusters (G1, G2, G3 and G4) based on primary seed characters. The G4 was further divided into two sub groups i.e., G4-A and G4-B. G4-A comprised 25 accessions whereas G4-B contained 30 accessions. The G3, G2 and G1 had 17, 16 and 8 accessions, respectively. Considerable variation was found among all the groups. Conservation and characterization of this diverse germplasm is recommended for future breeding programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic technologies have emerged as a powerful tool for crop improvement in terms of yield, quality, and quantity in many countries of the world. However, concerns also exist about the possible risks involved in transgenic crop cultivation. In this review, literature is analyzed to gauge the real intensity of the issues caused by environmental stresses in Pakistan. In addition, the research work on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) development and their performance is analyzed to serve as a guide for the scientists to help them select useful genes for crop transformation in Pakistan. The funding of GMOs research in Pakistan shows that it does not follow the global trend. We also present socio-economic impact of GM crops and political dimensions in the seed sector and the policies of the government. We envisage that this review provides guidelines for public and private sectors as well as the policy makers in Pakistan and in other countries that face similar environmental threats posed by the changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of oil from the conventional oilseed seed crops (viz. mustard, rapeseed) is not sufficient to meet the demands of Pakistani people. Due to this reason, a surplus quantity of oil is imported every year from different countries to fulfill the domestic demands of the cooking oil. This 2-year study was aimed to optimize the dose of NPK for profitable production of white mustard. Nitrogen (0, 60, 90 kg ha−1), phosphorous (0, 30, 60 kg ha−1) and potassium (0, 75, 100 kg ha−1) were applied in various combinations. The results indicated that highest seed yield and profitability was recorded with NPK at 90–60–100 kg ha−1, which was attributed to improvement in crop growth. In crux, application of NPK at pre-optimized rate might be a viable option to improve the growth, yield, oil quality, and economics of white mustard production under arid climates in Pakistan. According to the results, a balanced use of NPK fertilization is a key management strategy for white mustard growing farmers of arid region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan have an excellent environment for fruit production. Climatic conditions and different altitude level support production of excellent quality fruits in coastline, tropical, subtropical and temperate regions. Pakistan is one of the top fruits producing country globally. Pakistan ranks 4th in Mango (1.880M Tones), 6th in Guava (2.4 M Tones), Dates (0.72 M Tones) and Citrus (2.1 M Tones) production around the globe. Since the year of 1969 Pakistan builds the infrastructure for agricultural development due to that; significant increase in production were observed during second, third and fourth development plan. Small land holdings, poor quality/low quantity of inputs and lack of crop improvement programs with respect to the disease, lack of disease and problem oriented research in major fruits such as Guava, Grapes and Banana. Addressing these challenges of fruit production industry can further improve yield and quality of fruits local fruits. Secondly the nurseries stocks of fruit plants should be certified, the small land holders should be supported by the government incentives for specific fruit production. Research according to the modern steps regarding plant protection measures, introduction of exotic varieties and use of Biotechnological tools for crop improvement should be adopted for better yield and production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pomegranate adaptation to abiotic stress conditions has led to its wide dispersion in Pakistan and to the appearance of new, local genotypes. These genotypes are important to characterize for breeding programs aimed towards the production of new cultivars suitable to arid, semi-arid, and moderate weather regions. In this study, eleven pomegranate accessions were investigated for fruit morphological and biochemical traits, and root anatomic adaptation under diverse climates. The commercial accession (Sava) had the maximum fruit weight (373.97 g) compared to accessions KK-I (60.94 g) and KK-II (71.63 g), which were old plantations established since United India. Most of the accessions were juicy with a wood portion index (WPI) ranging from 0.93 to 1.06%; however, the non-commercial accession of Khushab Kanhatti (KK-I) showed the highest WPI (4.38%). A high variation occurred among all accessions for total soluble solids, total sugars, and total ascorbic acid contents with a maximum in accession Sava (16.46 °Brix), TK-II (53.16%), and QW-I (0.68%), respectively. Root anatomical studies in accessions depicted significantly high variation, and accession Sava of semi-arid climate produced maximum root epidermis (97.43 µm2), phloem (2730.78 µm2), and metaxylem (717.77 µm2) area. In contrast, high cortex thickness (104.74 µm), cortex area (462.74 µm2), and vascular area (114,382.10 µm2) was measured in accessions KK-II and KK-III of Khushab district with an arid climate. The germplasm of diverse regions showed a strong association and clustered into two main classes based on fruit morpho-chemical and root anatomical characteristics. These traits are likely to provide clues towards plants adaptation to various growing conditions and can be exploited successfully in crop improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]