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Nitrogen fixing capacity of leguminous plants can be increased by the supply of adequate amounts of nutrients, especially phosphorus and sulfur. Some nutrients have direct involvement in the process of nitrogen fixation while others affect by improving growth of host plant. Field experiments were conducted at two different locations in northern rainfed Punjab, Pakistan, to assess the amount of nitrogen fixation and nitrogen uptake by chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) during crop growing seasons 2006-2007 and 2007-2008. Treatments were: phosphorus levels (0, 40 and 80 kg P2O5 ha-1); sulfur sources (gypsum and ammonium sulfate) and levels (0, 15 and 30 kg S ha-1). The experimental design was randomized complete block with split-split plot arrangement: phosphorus levels in main plots, sulfur sources in sub-plots and sulfur levels in sub-sub-plots. Phosphorus (80 kg P2O5 ha-1) increased nitrogen fixed and uptake by 33 and 31 % over control. However, effect of phosphorus on nitrogen derived from atmosphere was not significant while that of sulfur was significant. Sulfur (30 kg S ha-1) increased nitrogen derived from atmosphere, amount of nitrogen fixed and nitrogen uptake by 6, 25 and 17 % over control. Ammonium sulfate treatments caused significantly higher amount of nitrogen fixed and higher nitrogen uptake as compared to gypsum treatments, although both sulfur sources were similar regarding percent nitrogen derived from atmosphere. A strong positive correlation (R= 0.98**) between amount of nitrogen fixed and nitrogen uptake at both locations was observed. There was a direct effect of sulfur on the process of nitrogen fixation, whereas phosphorus mainly affected growth of chickpea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods is very low in Pakistan with high discontinuation rates mainly attributed to method-related side effects. Mixed evidence is available on the effectiveness of different client follow-up approaches used to ensure method continuation. We compared the effectiveness of active and passive follow-up approaches in sustaining the use of LARC—and within ‘active’ follow-up, we further compared a telephone versus home-based approach in rural Punjab, Pakistan. Methods: This was a 12-month multicentre non-inferiority trial conducted in twenty-two (16 rural- and 6 urban-based) franchised reproductive healthcare facilities in district Chakwal of Punjab province, between November 2013 and December 2014. The study comprised of three groups of LARC clients: a) home-based follow-up, b) telephone-based follow-up, and c) passive or needs-based follow-up. Participants in the first two study groups received counselling on scheduled follow-up from the field workers at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 month post-insertion whereas participants in the third group were asked to contact the health facility if in need of medical assistance relating to LARC method use. Study participants were recruited with equal allocation to each study group, but participants were not randomized. The analyses are based on 1,246 LARC (intra-uterine contraceptive device and implant) users that completed approximately 12-months of follow-up. The non-inferiority margin was kept at five percentage points for the comparison of active and passive follow-up and six percentage points for telephone and home-based approach. The primary outcome was cumulative probability of method continuation at 12-month among LARC users. Results: Women recruited in home-based, telephone-based, and passive groups were 400, 419 and 427, respectively. The cumulative probability of LARC continuation at 12 month was 87.6% (95% CI 83.8 to 90.6) among women who received home-based follow-up; 89.1% (95% CI 85.7, 91.8) who received telephone-based follow-up; and 83.8% (95% CI 79.8 to 87.1) who were in the passive or needs-based follow-up group. The probability of continuation among women who were actively followed-up by field health educators—either through home-based visit or telephone-based follow-up was, 88.3% (95% CI 85.9 to 90.0). An adjusted risk difference of -4.1 (95% CI -7.8 to -0.28; p-value = 0.035) was estimated between active and passive follow-up. Whereas, within the active client follow-up, the telephone-based follow-up was found to be as effective as the home-based follow-up with an adjusted risk difference of 1.8 (95% CI -2.7 to 6.4; p-value = 0.431). Conclusion: A passive follow-up approach was 5% inferior to an active follow-up approach; whereas telephone-based follow-up was as effective as the home-based visits in sustaining the use of LARC, and was far more resource efficient. Therefore, active follow-up could improve method continuation especially in the critical post-insertion period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 2-year research experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with moldboard ploughing (MP, control) and minimum tillage (MT) as main plots and crop sequences as sub-plots. Summer-winter cropping sequences were fallow-wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) (FW, control), mungbean (Vigna radiataL.)-wheat (MW), sorghum (Sorghum bicolorL.)-wheat (SW), green manure-wheat (GW) and mungbean-chickpea (MC) (Cicer arietinumL.). During 2010–2011, in summer, mungbean crop produced the highest above ground biomass in mungbean-chickpea sequence under MP tillage (4.24 Mg ha–1mungbean) and in mungbean-wheat sequence under MT tillage (4.11 Mg ha–1mungbean). In winter, chickpea gave the highest biomass in mungbean-chickpea sequence under both tillage systems. During 2011–2012, mungbean produced the highest above ground biomass in mungbean-wheat sequence under MT tillage (4.43 Mg ha–1mungbean) and in both the mungbean-chickpea and mungbean-wheat sequences under MP tillage (4.24 and 4.17 Mg ha–1mungbean, respectively). In winter, fallow-wheat sequence gave the highest biomass in both tillage systems. The differences in grain yields were statistically non-significant in both the years. The gross marginal benefit ranged between −190 and 548$ ha–1in the first year and −165 and 1124$ ha–1in the second year. The net benefit values were the highest in mung-chickpea sequence under both tillage systems (1008 and 596$ ha–1under MP and MT, respectively), which gave cost–benefit ratios of 5.45 and 3.68, respectively. Use of legume-based cropping sequences is a sustainable and cost-effective practice in drylands of northern Punjab, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Field experiments were conducted at two locations in northern rainfed Punjab, Pakistan to assess the seed yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) in response to application of different levels of sulfur and phosphorus. The treatments comprised three levels (0, 40 & 80 kg P2O5 ha-1) of phosphorus and three levels (0, 15 & 30 kg S ha-1) of sulfur from two sulfur sources (gypsum & ammonium sulfate) in different combinations. Phosphorus was applied in the form of triple super phosphate. Crop was harvested at maturity and data were recorded for seed yield. Application of phosphorus and sulfur resulted in significant increase in seed yield up to 34 and 17 % over control, respectively. Effect of combined application of phosphorus and sulfur was synergistic at nutrient application rate of 40 kg phosphorus and 15 kg sulfur ha-1, while antagonistic at 80 kg phosphorus and 30 kg sulfur ha-1. Value cost ratio was higher for combined application of phosphorus and sulfur as compared to their sole application. Therefore either 80 kg phosphorus along with 15 kg sulfur ha-1 or 40 kg phosphorus in combination with 30 kg sulfur ha-1 should be applied in order to maximize profit from chickpea crop under rainfed conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]