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To determine the effect of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) pollination on sunflower yield using the most appropriate number of beehives per unit area of crops is very important. By comparing the number of hives and yield components, we can satisfy optimal pollination needs and improve economic yields. For this purpose, a series of experiments were conducted at thatha Khalil farmer field Taxila Rawalpindi, under the supervision of Beekeeping and Hill Fruit Pests Research, Station Rawalpindi, Pakistan, with four treatments for comparison: 1 hive acre−1, 2 hives acre−1, 3 hives acre−1, and 0 hives acre−1 as a control. The hives were kept inside the experimental area and pollination density, pollinator’s diversity, agronomic yield, and economic yield were determined. Two acres of sunflower field were sown and four bee colonies were introduced at 5% to 10% flowering. The maximum visitation frequency of A. mellifera was recorded at the weekly interval from 24 to 09-2019 to 24–10-2019, according to which maximum visitation was observed (44.8, 38.4, and 16.5 plant−1 5 min−1) at 10:00, 12:00, and 14:00 hrs, respectively. Data regarding foraging pollinators revealed that A. mellifera was the most dominant pollinator of the sunflower crop with the highest abundance 17.11% followed by A. cerana (3.46%) and the population of A. dorsata was minimum (2.12%). Furthermore, agronomic parameters (number of seeds plant−1, 100 seed weight (g), and economic yield were significantly higher in those fields which were pollinated by more beehives in comparison to fewer beehives.

A study was conducted to assess the allelopathic effects of aqueous extract of sun-dried neem (Azadirachta indica A) leaves on wheat yield and its components in the agronomic research area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. Grain yield and different yield components of wheat, such as number of fertile tillers, grain/spike and 1000-grain weight, and spike length showed no significant either promotive or suppressive effect with the application of 0, 50 and 100% aqueous leaf extract of neem. However, the aqueous leaf extract of neem did not inhibit the wheat yield and yield components. Natural weedicide (aqueous leaf extract of neem) certainly had no polluting effect of chemicals on the wheat quality. Keywords: Allelopathy, aqueous extract of leaves, wheat quality improvement, bio -weed eradication.

The efficacy of naloxone and morphine on acute toxicity of T-2 toxin, a potent cytotoxic trichothecene mycotoxin, was investigated. In this study, mice received naloxone (4 or 8 mg/kg, sc) or morphine (5 or 15 mg/kg, sc) 24, 18, 1 hr before and 6 hr after ip injection of 2 or 1.8 mg/kg of T-2 toxin, respectively. In addition, naloxone (8 mg/kg, sc) were administered at 13, 7, 1 hr before, and 5 hr after T-2 toxin administration (1.8 mg/kg, ip). The acute lethal toxicity and change in body and organ weights (including liver, spleen, and kidneys) were evaluated. The acute lethal toxicity of T-2 toxin was reduced by administration of the first regimen of naloxone (8 mg/kg, sc). It also caused a protective effect against T-2 toxin-induced weight changes. On the other hand, morphine increased T-2 toxin-induced lethality (although not statistically significant). It could be concluded that opioid agonists may exacerbate the lethal toxicity of T-2 toxin-induced shock and opioid antagonists such as naloxone could antagonize this shock.

The efficacy of diphenhydramine, triazolam, diltiazem, and ketotifen on the acute toxicity of T-2 toxin, a potent cytotoxic trichothecene mycotoxin, was investigated. Mice were received triazolam (20 or 40 mg/kg, sc), diltiazem (5 mg/kg, sc), or diphenhydramine (50 mg/kg, sc) 24, 18, 1 hr before and 6 hr after injection of T-2 toxin (1.8 mg/kg, ip). In other experiments, mice were either administered ketotifen (70 mg/kg, sc) 13, 7, 1 hr before and 5 hr after T-2 toxin (1.8 mg/kg, ip) or ketotifen (40 or 70 mg/kg, ip) 4 hr before T-2 toxin (1.8 mg/kg, ip). The acute lethal toxicity and change in body and organ weights (including liver, spleen, and kidneys) were evaluated. Among these drugs, only diphenhydramine prolonged the survival times. When mice received ketotifen (70 mg/kg, sc) 13, 7, 1 hr before and 5 hr after T-2 toxin (1.8 mg/kg, ip), it caused a protective effect against T-2 toxin-induced splenomegally and weight change. Triazolam (20 or 40 mg/kg, sc) also produced a protective effect against T-2 toxin-induced weight change. It is concluded that antihistamines might have some protective effects against acute T-2 toxin toxicity..