Cultivation of organic cotton has increased in recent years due to the adverse impacts of synthetic chemical use. However, the main barrier to adoption of organic cotton farming in Pakistan, and especially in Sindh province, is its lower yield as compared to conventional cultivation. Therefore, this study was undertaken during 2014 and 2015 to compare the effect of various organic soil amendments relative to conventional integrated pest management (IPM) on the occurrence of cotton pests and their predators as well as influence on various plant growth parameters, yield and lint quality. The study was conducted at Latif Farm, Sindh Agriculture University, and Tandojam. The organic soil amendment treatments evaluated in this study included farmyard manure (FYM), poultry manure (PM), and the green manures Dhancha (Sesbania bispinosa Wight.) and Berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.). These treatments were compared to plots under conventional integrated pest management and a no treatment control. Results of the study indicated that among pests, only populations of thrips S. dorsalis (Hood), leafhoppers Amrassca biguttula biguttula (Ishida), whitefly Bemesia tabaci (Gennadus), and cotton mite Tetranchycus urticae (Koch) were observed in the various organic and conventional IPM treatments. During both years of the study, negligible populations of bollworms (Helicoverpa armigera) were recorded in all treatments. The predators recorded during this study included green lacewing Chrysoperla carnea, (Stephens), minute pirate bug Orius spp. (Fieber), big-eyed bug Geocoris punctipes (Say), and Menochilus sexmaculatus (F.), Coccinella semtempunctata (L.). In general, pest populations in the plots with organic soil amendment treatments during both years of the study were either lower or not significantly different from conventional IPM plots. Among the organic treatments, relatively low populations of S. dorsalis and A. bigutula bigutula were recorded in both of the green manure treatments, whereas poultry and farmyard manure plots harboured lower populations of B. tabaci. There was no difference in mite populations between the organic and IPM treatments. Among predators, the highest populations of Orius spp. and G. punctipes were recorded in poultry and farmyard manure treatments, whereas Dhancha plots supported the maximum population of C. carnea. The population of coccinellid predators was only recorded during 2015, with higher populations observed in green manure (Berseem clover) and farmyard manure treatments. Generally, higher pest and predator populations were recorded during 2015 in comparison to 2014, with the exception of Orius spp., which was highest in 2014. A significant correlation was recorded between the populations of various pests and their key predators. In both years of the study, temperature and relative humidity had an effect on populations of sucking pests and their predators as well. The application of various organic treatments also showed positive effect on various plant growth characteristics (i.e. plant height, total number of leaves, number of sympodial branches, total chlorophyll content, total number of bolls, boll weight and maturity percentage). In both years, the highest cotton yield was recorded in plots with poultry manure followed by farmyard manure and conventional IPM treatments. Comparatively higher lint quality was recorded in green manure treatments (Dhancha and Berseem clover). The economic analysis of different IPM treatments showed that the green manure had the most potential among the various organic treatments since the net profit obtained was higher due to the additional revenue generated by sale of green manure as fodder.
ولیم جب سے جلال آبادآیا تھاوہ اس معمے سے باہر نہیں نکل رہا تھا کہ ایسی کیا وجہ ہے کہ مسلمانو ں کے بچوں کی تعدادسکولوں میں بہت کم ہے۔پہلے پہل تو اس نے سمجھا کہ شاید سرکا رکی طرف سے کوئی رکاوٹ ہے۔جلال آباد کے تمام سکولوں میں مسلمان طلبا کی تعداد صرف ایک سو پینتیس تھی جن میں صرف اٹھارہ بچے اپر درجے کے تھے۔ولیم کو بہت سوچنے پر بھی اسے اس بات کا جواب نہ مل پایا تو تسیر داس سے پوچھا ،جس پر ایسی حقیقت کا انکشاف ہوا کہ خود ولیم بھی حیران ہو گیا۔تیچن داس کے مطابق خود مسلمان ہی اپنے بچوں کو سکول بھیجنے سے کتراتے ہیں۔اس نے بتایا کہ صرف جلال آباد میں ایسا نہیں ہوتا بلکہ ہر جگہ ہی ایسی کیفیت ہے۔مسلمان حکومت سے خائف رہتاہے۔عدم اعتمادی کی وجہ سے وہ کبھی بھی اپنی اس ناراضی کو ختم نہیں کرتا اور انتاکم کی آگ جو دل میں جلائے بیٹھا ہے اس میں اپنے بچوں کو بھی جلا کرراکھ کر دینا چاہتا ہے۔ سکھ مسلم فسادات میں ان حالات کا اکثر سامنا رہا۔اپنے بچوں کو بچانے کے لیے مسلمانوں نے ہمیشہ اپنا نقصان کیا ،یا صرف یہ ایک چال تھی جو کارآمد رہی کہ مسلمان کے کان میں بات ڈال دی جاتی اور پھر اس مسئلے کو اتنی ہوا دی جاتی کہ وہ بھڑک کر شعلہ بن جاتی اور آگ لگ جاتی۔ایسا صرف فسادات کی وجہ سے تھا ناول نگار نے یہ کیفیت ناول میں کچھ یوں بیان کی ہے :
’’مسلمانوں کے ملاؤں نے انہیں روک رکھا ہے کہ گورنمنٹ کے سکولوں میں نصاریٰ کی تعلیم دی جاتی ہے اور بچوں کو زبردستی عیسائی بنادیا جاتا ہے۔ اس لیے مسلمان اپنے بچوں کو گورنمنٹ سکولوں میں...
Dear Editor,
Swallowing is an essential requirement for life. Eating is not only a practical act (i.e., obtaining the nutrition necessary for survival) but also involves social interaction. Having meals with family and friends is almost universally necessary for personal interactions1. Dysphagia is derived from the Greek Language "Dys" which means “difficulty or dysfunction" and "Phagia" means "to eat". However, it is defined as difficulty in processing or swallowing food from mouth to stomach2.
Sixty maize accessions were evaluated under normal and drought stress treatments. Selected tolerant and sensitive accessions were crossed in Line ´ Tester fashion and resultant F1 along with their parents were evaluated for drought tolerance in green house and field conditions. Data were recorded on morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters to estimate genetic variability, general and specific combining ability effects, heterosis manifestation, gene action, correlation and path analyses.Genetic variation among the entries under normal and drought stress treatments, indicated that this breeding material may be used for the development of drought tolerant types. Combining ability analysis exhibited variable direction and magnitude of general combining ability (GCA) effects among lines and testers and specific combining ability effects (SCA) among crosses. Lines 19191, 15139 and 15280 and testers 15104, 15064 and 15268 were best general combiners under normal and drought stress treatments. Results of SCA indicated that crosses 15139 × 15066, 15188 × 15091, 19179 × 15104, 19203 × 24669, 15280 × 15064 and 15158 ×15064 were best specific combiners. Crosses 15139 × 15104, 15139 × 15066, 15188 × 15091, 19179 × 15268 and 19179 × 15104 had also mid parent and better parent heterosis for various traits under all the treatments. Non-additive type of gene action was observed for all the traits. Association of traits based on correlation analysis showed that plant height, cobs per plant, kernels per row and kernels per cob had significant and positive correlation with grain yield per plant under normal and water deficit conditions. Path analysis revealed that days to 50% tasseling had highest positive direct effect on grain yield per plant under normal and chlorophyll b contents under stress field condition.