Organic wastes are becoming severe threat to the environment. Organic wastes can be effectively utilized as a potential resource of nutrients through composting. Composts can be claimed as fortified compost after nutrient enrichment and blending with Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). This new technology can prove feasible in terms of lower application rates of compost (300-500 Kg ha-1 as compared to normal application of 1-2 tonnes ha-1) and can reduce upto 50 % of the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizers. Low organic matter is major limiting factor for agricultural productivity especially in semi arid and arid regions. Composted organic material can be applied on agricultural soils as an amendment to provide nutrients, to enhance their organic matter content and to improve the physio-chemical properties of soils. The presence of PGPR in rhizosphere significantly increase plant growth and yield under nitrogen limiting conditions. Cereal-legume intercropping have also been shown to increase productivity, improve soil fertility and control spread of pests, diseases and weeds. Intercropping reduces nitrate leaching from fields without loss of crop yields. Production of pulses is affected by many biotic and abiotic stresses, little use of bacterial inoculums which hamper the realization of actual yield potential. There is major decline in cultivated area of pulses in Pakistan due to displacement of traditional growing areas and low soil fertility. to address all these issues this study was carried out with the following objectives: (i) to assess the impact of fortified compost on soil fertility under cereal- legume intercropping (ii) to increase production of maize and pulses, especially mashbean through utilization of spring xxi season along with summer and (iii) to enhance farm profitability through enriched compost and appropriate cropping system. Two years field experiment for the proposed study was carried out at Farmers filed, Union Council Girja, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan during 2010-2012 in both spring and summer seasons. Maize (Zea mays L.), mashbean (Vigna mungo L.) and mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) sole as well cereal-legume intercrop which were tested against the given fertility treatments. Sandy clay loam soil with 30 % clay, 50% sand, and 20 % silt was exist at experimental site. The field experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design with strip plot arrangements keeping cropping system in main plot and fertility treatments in subplots replicated thrice. Maize variety “Agati 2002”, mashbean cultivar “Chakwal mash” and mungbean cultivar “Mung-06” was used in both years for both seasons. Spring crop was sown in mid of February and summer crop in mid July during both the years, using single row hand drill. Five cropping systems viz. sole maize, sole mungbean, sole mashbean, maize + mungbean intercropping and maize + mashbean intercropping and four fertility treatments; chemical fertilizer recommended (Maize NP@ 120:80 kg ha-1 & Legumes/Intercropping NP@ 40:60 kg ha-1), compost @ 1000 kg ha-1, compost@ 1000 kg ha-1 + ½ chemical fertilizer and compost @ 1000 kg ha-1 + PGPR + ½ chemical fertilizer were compared against control. In fortification process commercial compost was fortified (nutrient enrichment) with half recommended NP fertilizer @ 60:40 kg ha-1 and potential PGPR strains were tested under maize-mungbean/mashbean cropping systems. xxii On the basis of agronomic, competitive indices as well as economic performance of different cereal-legumes intercropping, it was well evident that Integrated Nutrient Management System, i.e., combination of organic, biological and chemical fertilizers {Compost @ 1000 kg ha-1 + PGPR + ½ Chemical fertilizer (60 & 40 kg ha-1 NP)} among fertility treatments performed best (better than full dose chemical fertilizer, PGPR and compost) in terms of net returns and soil fertility status improvement. As by above mentioned combination Rs. 274528 net returns ha-1 year-1 were recorded in maize + mashbean intercropping which was 40.43 % higher than the control and enhanced soil N and P. Among tested Cropping systems, cultivation of mashbean in the spring season proved to be successful like maize and mungbean, so cereal-legume intercrop proved to be beneficial in both summer and spring seasons. Maize + mashbean and maize + mungbean intercropping proved better than any of the sole crop in terms of total production and net returns for the area. Net returns (Rs. ha-1 Year-1) data also revealed that maximum net returns per year obtained from maize + mashbean intercropping. Combined application of compost @ 1000 kg ha-1 + PGPR + ½ chemical fertilizer attained highest net returns of Rs. 274528 ha-1 Year-1 (US $ 2745) (summer + spring). It was 40.43 % higher than the control under same cropping system. However maize + mashbean intercropping system yielded 37.97 % higher than sole maize and 68.67 % higher than sole mashbean. Under above mentioned fertility combination maize + mashbean intercropping attained 12.10 % higher net returns than maize + mungbean due to higher market price of mashbean as compared to mungbean.
عبدالرحمن خان نشترؔ جناب عبدالرحمن خان نشتر کی وفات نے پورے اترپردیش کو سوگوار بنادیا ہے، وہ اس صوبہ کے ایک مقبول اور ہر دلعزیز لیڈر تھے، ان پر دو بار دل کی بیماری کا حملہ ہوچکا تھا، ۷؍ اکتوبر کو بریلی کے ایک مشاعرہ میں نعتیہ کلام سماعت فرما رہے تھے کہ پھر حملہ ہوا اور جاں بحق ہوگئے، اِناﷲِ وَ اِنا اِلَیہ رَاجِعُون، انھوں نے پہلے کان پور میں تجارت شروع کی، پھر قوم و وطن کی خدمت کے لیے اپنی زندگی وقف کردی وہ کانگریس پارٹی کے سرگرم اور مخلص کارکن تھے، مختلف تنظیمی عہدوں پر فائز رہنے کے علاوہ وزیر بھی رہے، اقلیتوں کے مسائل اور قومی یکجہتی کے پروگرام سے دلچسپی کی بناء پر کانگریس کے اقلیتی سیل کے صدر اور ریاستی قومی یکجہتی کونسل کے نائب صدر مقرر کیے گئے، جو بھی عہدہ اور ذمہ داری انھیں سپرد کی جاتی، اسے محنت، قابلیت اور دیانت داری سے انجام دیتے اور نیک نامی حاصل کرتے۔ نشتر صاحب ایک خوش عقیدہ مسلمان اور بزرگان دین کے بڑے متعقد تھے، مزاروں پر بھی حاضری دیتے، صوم و صلوٰۃ کے پابند تھے، تلاوت قرآن میں ناغہ نہ کرتے، حج کا فریضہ بھی ادا کیا تھا، گزشتہ سال لکھنو کی تقدس حج کانفرنس کا افتتاح کرتے ہوئے انھوں نے جو پرمغز اور دلنشین تقریر کی اس سے لوگ بہت متاثر ہوئے، اس سے ان کی گہری مذہبیت کا بھی اندازہ ہوا، مسلمانوں کے مخصوص مسائل سے بھی دلچسپی لیتے اور اس کے لیے جرأت و بے باکی سے آواز بلند کرتے، وہ اپنی نیکی، شرافت، وضعداری اور انسانیت دوستی کی وجہ سے ہر طبقہ میں مقبول تھے، دوسروں کی مدد کرکے خوش ہوتے، بڑے عہدوں پر فائر ہونے کے باوجود عوام سے بھی برابر رابطہ قائم رکھتے، راقم سے ملاقات ہوتی تو بڑے تپاک سے ملتے...
Akbar’s Dream [1892] is among the last poems of Alfred, Lord Tennyson – Poet-Laureate of Britain. It was composed when the British Empire was at its apex of territorial expansion and Queen Victoria was the Empress of India. It is reflective of the position of Tennyson as PoetLaureate – whose ‘official’ task was to celebrate the achievements and other notable events of Britain. Tennyson was an ultra-conservative person who believed that Britain was doing a favour to the peoples they had conquered and subjugated. This was intended for their benefit so as to advance them in the scale of civilization.
Heavy metal toxicity is increasing due to increasing trends of urbanization and industrialization. Lead poisoning has been recognized as a major public health risk, particularly in developing countries. It is nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic for animals and human. Sewerage water, fertilizers, leaded-gasoline and lead based batteries are the sources of lead contamination in soil and forage. The lead particles are taken up by animals from contaminated forages and excreted in animal products like milk and meat. The presence of Pb in drinking water, waste water, plant products and animal products has been studied which is a serious risk for animal and public health. The legislations for the disposal of household wastes and industrial effluents are very poor in Pakistan. The calculation of safe Pb levels in different products is still to be needed. Pathological effects of higher Pb levels have not been studied in Pakistan. The present study was aimed to unveil the toxic effects at constant dose of Pb over a period of three months in a local sheep breed of Pakistan. The status of Pb toxicity was also investigated in a polluted area around sewage drain and mutton slaughter house at District Jhang, Pakistan. The Pb concentration in soil, forage and irrigating water was found to be below the permissible limits and was safe for agriculture but long-term ingestion of low Pb concentration may have cumulative effect. The serum Pb concentration was found to be above the recommended safe limits for producing Pb toxicity in animals. The different tissues like kidney, liver and skeletal muscles also contained higher Pb level from the permissible limits and found to be unsafe for public use. Kidney showed the highest Pb concentration and the muscle contained the least Pb level in the present study. The erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration and packed cell volume showed inverse correlation with Pb concentration and mean values were below the normal range in Pb treated sheep but anemia was not developed. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was also influenced by given dose of lead acetate during third month of treatment. The white blood cells also revealed no effect on given dose of lead acetate in Lohi sheep in this study. The biochemical parameters of field and treatment group showed higher concentration as compared to control group of Lohi sheep but their means were falling within the normal range of reference values. The disturbed biochemical parameters in apparently healthy sheep with higher serum Pb concentration were indicative for liver and kidney damage. Lohi sheep exhibited less effect on given dose of lead acetate during first two months but more pronounced changes of chronic Pb toxicity were observed during last month of trial. The histological changes were not observed on early period in lead acetated treated sheep. The characteristic histological changes were observed on last slaughtering at day 90 in kidney and liver including degeneration and focal areas of necrosis, dilatation of blood vessels with accumulation of red blood cells and fibrosis in some areas. The nuclear changes were more typical with intranuclear inclusion bodies in renal tubular epithelial cells but less distinguishable in hepatocytes. It was concluded that soil, forage and water contained low Pb levels in the study area. The ingestion of low Pb level for longer period had cumulative effect in animals. The animals might be resistant to low Pb level but their products are a severe risk for public health. So the necessary measures should be adopted to minimize the heavy metal contamination in animal products.