Salinity is a serious threat to agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions of the world. The situation is also critical and alarming in the Sindh Province of Pakistan, where more than 35% of the irrigated area is salt-affected. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of soil salinity on growth, beet yield and juice quality of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.). Sugar beet is salt-tolerant, short duration and low delta crop as compared to other sugar crops including sugarcane. A series of four experiments was conducted by involving ten sugar beet genotypes, viz. California, Ernestina, Magnolia, Mirabella, Sandrina, SD-12970, SDPAK 03/06, SDPAK 01/07, SDPAK 07/07 and SD PAK 09/07. These genotypes were tested against a wide range of salinity. In first study, sugar beet plants were stressed with five salinity levels (control, 4, 8, 12, and 16 dS m-1). The effect of EC 4 and 8 (dS m-1) was found to be encouraging on almost all the measured growth, yield and juice quality traits. Thereafter, EC 8 (dS m-1) salinity showed declining effect on these parameters. Increasing salinity consistently increased the accumulation of osmo-protectant (proline), Na+ and Cl- ions in leaves. In contrast increasing salinity showed decreasing trend for K+ and K+/ Na+ ratio. The sugar beet genotypes California, SDPAK 09/07, SDPAK 03/06, SDPAK 01/07 showed better performance by acquiring less Na+, more K+, high K+/Na+ ratio and considerable amount of leaf proline under salt-stress environment. In second study the same ten genotypes were tested against similar salinity levels on silty clay loam and clay soils. Irrespective of soil texture as against control, like I in study 2, the salinity of EC 4 and 8 (dS m-1) did not show negative effect on growth, beet yield and juice quality. Generally, the difference between two soil textures was significant for these traits at almost all salinity levels. Compared to silty clay loam soil, the negative effect of salinity on sugar beet plants in clay soil was associated with higher Na+ and lower leaf K+/Na+ ratio. These genotypes were ranked on the basis of salt-tolerance traits index (STTI). In clayey soil, the ranking of sugar beet genotypes was: Ernestina > Magnolia > SD PAK 09/07 >Mirabella > California > Sandrina > SDPAK 03/06 > SD PAK 01/07 > SDPAK 07/07 > SD-12970 at EC 12 and 16 dS m-1. In silty clay loam soil, the ranking was SDPAK 03/06 > California > SDPAK 09/07 > SDPAK 01/07 > Mirabella > Ernestina > Sandrina > Magnolia > SD-12970 > SDPAK 07/07 at same salinity levels. The next set of pot and field trials (Study 3 and 4) was conducted involving a saline soil (EC 9 dS m-1) to determine the effect of two different planting techniques (direct and transplanting) on sugar beet growth, yield, quality and ions content. Transplanted beet plants performed better over directly planted dry seed under both pot and field studies in terms of some growth, development (number of leaves, fresh and dry leaf weight), ion content (Na+ K+, Cl- and K+/Na+ ratio) and juice quality traits (brix %, pol % and sugar recovery %).Transplantation under field condition did not show improvement in beet and sugar yields as it showed in pot conditions. The genotypes SDPAK 09/07, SDPAK 01/07, California, SDPAK 03/06 and SD-12970 performed better in both pot and field experiments. These studies concluded that salinity of EC 4 and 8 (dS m-1) did not reduce growth, beet yield and juice quality of sugar beet. In general, genotypes California, SDPAK 09/07, SDPAK 03/06, SDPAK 01/07 performed better in all four studies by displaying less Na+, more K+, higher K+/Na+ ratio and synthesis of considerable amount of proline in overall salinity levels as against their counterparts. Silty clay loam soil was superior over clay soil for obtaining more beet yield and better quality juice.
There is quite difference between ownership and right of use in other words usufruct, at present this term is widely used in Islamic financial institutions for beneficial ownership. But the use of this term is entirely changed from western law and Islamic law. Particularly in Islamic law, legality of a product or things depends on its objectives. In this article it has been discussed in detail in the light of different school of thoughts of Islamic jurisprudence.
Climate change is a change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns when that change lasts for an extended period. Climate change and agriculture are interrelated processes and effect in number of ways. Pakistan has long spells of drought which, experts believe, are a result of climate change. Citrus fruits are one of the largest fruit crops in the world. In Pakistan ample availability of natural resources provides the favorable regime for the development of citrus industry. Citrus problem faces several problems including biotic and abiotic stresses. Role of rootstocks in citrus is one of the most debatable and discussed issues and its selection is a major consideration under planning any citrus orchard. Present research was planned for genetic characterization and evaluation of modern rootstocks tolerant/resistant to selected abiotic stresses i.e., drought and high temperature. Experiments were conducted to screen out various modern citrus rootstocks including local commercial rootstocks (Rough lemon and Sour orange) against high temperature and water stress. Drought was induced based on field capacity of citrus rootstock relative to water requirement of citrus, high temperature stress was applied with relative to five years maximum temperature range. Four-month-old uniform seedlings were selected for the stress treatments. Gas exchange parameters were recorded at four different times. Horticultural parameters, plant water status and chlorophyll fluorescence at different wavelength was recorded of stresses. From overall results it was concluded that Brazilian sour orange and Keen sour orange showed tolerance against selected stresses and Savage citrange and Yuma citrange were susceptible against the stresses. For the confirmation of tolerance, expression of stress related genes was tested. Proper detailed bioinformatic analysis were performed for the selection of primer related to heat shock protein and major intrinsic proteins. One tolerant (Brazilian sour orange) and one susceptible (Savage citrange) was selected for the genetic expression analysis against the heat shock proteins (CsHsp70, CsHsp70.1 and CsHsp90) and major intrinsic proteins (CsPIP2, CsTIP2 and CsTIP1). Genetic expression of genes showed Brazilian sour orange with high expression level of Hsp70 and Hsp90 against the temperature stress. MIP such as P1P and T1P depicted high expression against the water stress and both Hsp and MIP expression under combined drought and temperature stress. It can be concluded from the study that Brazilian sour orange was tolerant against high temperature and water stress, but Savage orange was susceptible.