Date palm is an important fruit crop in the world as well as in Pakistan. It provides a rich and quick energy source to humans and also plays a significant role in the social and economic life of the people living in dry areas. Monsoon rains at the time of fruit harvesting or ripening are very harmful and heavy fruit losses occur resulting rotting, fruit drop and uneven fruit ripening. Unfortunately, in Pakistan serious losses occur due to these rains at the time of fruit harvesting/ripening. The research work reported in this manuscript was conducted in the Experimental Fruit Orchard Square Number 9 and Post Graduate Agricultural Research Station (PARS) (Latitude 31o-26´ N, Longitude 73o-06´ E and Altitude 184.4 m), Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Punjab Province, Pakistan. In the field studies, effectiveness of ethephon application (foliar and injection) and strands thinning practices on ripening acceleration and fruit quality of date palm were investigated and found that ethephon application with spray showed superiority over injection method to accelerate the maturity and ripening processes of date fruits in both Hillawi and Khadrawi cultivars. Fruit sprayed with ethephon (4 ml/L and 2 ml/L) at final kimri and early khalal stages reached at rutab stage 13 and 6 days earlier and showed uniform fruit ripening indexes of 60.46 and 44.85% and rutab fruit yield (6.29 and 4.37 kg ) per bunch with good fruit quality composition than the untreated fruits. Second field experiment was conducted to explore the role of strands thinning on maturity enhancement and fruit quality. Strands thinning practices were carried out with following intensities (no thinning, 20% RCS (removal of central strands), 30% RCS, 20% STT (shortening of terminal tips), 30% STT, 20% RCS + 20% STT and 30% RCS + 30% STT) at early kimri stage (4 weeks after pollination). It was observed that strands thinning practices improved quality characteristics than the fruit those were untreated (without thinning) in both cultivars. Strands thinning intensity @ 30% RCS alone resulted in 10 days earlier maturity and higher rutab yield of 5.22 kg per bunch and more uniformly ripe fruit (76.28%) at rutab stage. The total soluble solids, ascorbic acid, sugars (glucose, fructose and sucrose), total phenolic, total flavonoids and total antioxidants were significantly improved while titratable acidity and total tannin contents were decreased in thinned fruits. In post-harvest experiments, hot water exposures for 3 and 5 min at 65oC in Hillawi and Khadrawi cultivars reduce the fruit ripening period up to 6 days and produced uniformly ripened fruit (73.33 and 81.66%) with better quality and higher acceptability of organoleptic scores marked by the panellists as compared to 2 untreated fruit. Acetic acid @ 3% showed higher uniform ripening index of 64.24% with higher total soluble solids, sugars, total phenolic, total flavonoids, total antioxidants and organoleptic properties after incubation at 40±1oC for 72 h. In the last study different sun drying techniques were used for the curing of soft Hillawi dates. Among different sundrying techniques, SDT4 (DSE with removal in baskets and covered during night) proved good regarding the fruit quality composition such as TSS, acidity, total sugar, reducing sugar, total phenolics, total antioxidants, total flavonoids with lower amounts of total tannin contents. In conclusion, a spray application of ethephon @ 4 ml/L at final kimri stage, strands thinning @ 30% RCS alone at early kimri stage, hot water treatments at khalal stage (3 min for Hillawi and 5 min for Khadrawi) and acetic acid @ 3% at khalal stage showed better results to accelerate the fruit ripening period and produced higher index of uniformly ripe fruits with good fruit quality composition in both date palm cultivars. Among different sun-drying techniques in fruits harvested at rutab stage, SDT4 (DSE with removal in baskets and covered during night) proved good regarding the fruit quality composition in Hillawi date palm cultivar. Uniformity in ripening gave extra benefits and higher economic returns were achieved by adopting these technologies and it provided higher economic return.
ارداس توحید فلک کی تفہیم کرتے ہوئے! صحرا کے جلال کو تبسم تقسیم کرتے ہوئے! خزاں کے سینے سے بہار نکال کر! دشت بیاباں میں علی اصغرؑ مسکرا رہا ہے تو رات والانجیل کی مثالیں یاد دلا رہا ہے مدینہ و نجف کے زائروں میں! سبز موسم کے حسین دائروں میں! جنوں کی شرطوں میں باب وفا کی تفسیر کرتے ہوئے! مزاج شمال کے دائروں میں! انجیر کی گود میں زیتون کا چہرہ دکھا رہا ہے تورات والانجیل کی مثالیں یاد دلا رہا ہے تہذیب عشق کی بارگاہ میں! سرخ موجوں کی روانی میں۔۔۔پیاس کی کہانی میں! نصاب بیخودی کے یقینی زمانوں کی سبزہ گاہ میں! ساحلوں پر بکھرے اثاثے کی داستاں سنارہا ہے ابن حیدر۔۔۔ابن حیدر بن کے مسکرا رہا ہے تورات والانجیل کی مثالیں یاد دلا رہا ہے اے حسین ابن علی تجھ پر سلام اے بنتِ حسینؑ و علی تجھ پر سلام
Penelitian ini dimaksudkan untuk mengetahui pengaruh budaya organisasi dan kompetensi terhadap kinerja pegawai di Kantor Camat Telukdalam Kabupaten Nias. Penelitian ini menggunakan jenis penelitian kuantitatif yang bersifat asosiatif. Jenis data yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah data primer dan data sekunder. Subjek penelitian ini dilakukan di Kantor Camat Telukdalam Kabupaten Nias Selatan yang beralamat di jalan Fahuwusa Laia Baloho Indah Telukdalam. Populasi dalam penelitian ini adalah pegawai yang ada pada Kantor Camat Telukdalam Kabupaten Nias Selatan sebanyak 35 orang. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan teknik observasi, kuesioner dan studi kepustakaan.
Agriculture is vital for Pakistan''s economy. Whatever happens to agriculture is bound to affect not only the country’s growth performance but a large segment of the country’s population as well. The development of agriculture depends on many factors including agricultural extension as an institutional component. Since independence many extension approaches have been tried from time to time but met with partial success in increasing farm productivity. Recently, government of Punjab has introduced a new extension approach known as farmers field school (FFS) in 15 districts of province. But, how do farmers view its effectiveness in meeting their needs is the forehand question which needs to be answered. Keeping this in view, the present study was designed and conducted in the randomly selected three districts under FFS. A multi-stage sampling technique was used for the selection of sample from study districts. Three districts were selected randomly, and then one tehsil from each randomly selected district was taken randomly, the randomly selected tehsils were Sargodha, Sheikupura and mailsy, from fruit, vegetables and cotton areas respectively. A sample of 341 respondents from the population of 3000 registered FFS farmers were taken randomly. The sample size was determined by using table developed by Fitzgibbon et al (1987). Data were collected through an interview schedule, and data obtained were statistically analyzed by using computer software i.e. SPSS. According to the data, 36.4% respondents were of age 41 years and above. Only 14.67% respondents were illiterate, a simple majority (53.1%) of the respondents had less than 12.5 acres land holding and 88% respondents were owner. Majority (65.1%) of the respondents'' source of income was only farming and 37.5% respondents had annual income less than Rs.100000. All the respondents were acquainted with the FFS staff, and regarding acquaintance with qualities of FFS staff, dutifulness gained the weighted score 1168 and was ranked at top, similarly regarding acquaintance with the duties of FFS staff and responsibilities of FFS member farmers, the duty "to coordinate all FFS personnel" gained a weighted score 1174 and responsibility "To roll call in the end of FFS meeting" gained a weighted score 1131 and were ranked at top, respectively. Overwhelming a majority (82.40%) of respondents were of the view that FFS staff had weekly contact with them. Similarly 71.6, 79.8, 88.6, 61.6, and 64.8% respondents reported that the FFS was 1-square distance from their home, situated at a central place, established at Dera, selected with mutual consultation of farmers and conducted on a need based survey, respectively, whereas 79.18% respondent''s source of information was fellow farmers. Information provided about fertilizer requirement gained a weighted score 1086 and was ranked at the top, and regarding effectiveness, the information about hoeing was ranked at the top with a weighted score 1207 and majority(57.42%) of the respondents reported that "special topic/hot issue" was performed in the FFS to an average extent. Similarly, 63.58% and 58.6% respondents were of the view that the group discussion method was used and effective to an average extent and was ranked at the top with a weighted score 1107 and 1128, respectively. It was also concluded that during the use of different extension methods the pre-requisites of each extension method were used to below an average extent. Similarly FFS material was provided to below an average extent, whereas 41.31% of the respondents considered the lead pencil as effective to an average extent. An AESA/CESA activity like "farmers are properly briefed before field activity" was ranked at the top with weighted score 1081 and was performed to an average extent. There existed significant association of age with qualities of FFS staff, use of extension methods by FFS staff, responsibilities of FFS member farmers and effectiveness of information provided by FFS staff. Size of land holding had highly significant negative association with qualities of FFS staff and responsibilities of FFS member farmers. Annual income of respondents had also highly a significant positive association with qualities of FFS staff, whereas there existed highly significant positive association of education with qualities of FFS staff, use of extension methods by FFS staff, responsibilities of FFS member farmers and effectiveness of information provided by FFS staff.