Home > The Application of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria As Biofertilizer for Cereal Crops Wheat, Rice and Maize of District Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
The Application of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria As Biofertilizer for Cereal Crops Wheat, Rice and Maize of District Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
The present study was conducted to isolate and characterize Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) from the rhizosphere of cereal crops at Swat and to assess their impact on plant growth when used as inoculants. A total of 18 bacterial strains were isolated from roots and rhizosphere of cereal crops. On the basis of colony and cell morphology, 4 strains were identified as Azospirillum, 11 as Pseudomonas strains and three strains remained un-identified. With the exception of 3 strains, all isolates showed IAA production in pure culture. Three bacterial strains (Azospirillum brasilense strain R1, Azospirillum lipoferum strain RSWT1 and Pseudomonas strain Ky1) were used to inoculate two varieties of wheat (Inqilab 91 and Fakhre Sarhad), two varieties of rice (Fakhre Malakand and JP 5) and one variety of maize (Pahari) at two experimental sites in Swat (ARIN Mingora and Udigram). Among the bacterial strains tested in the present study, Azospirillum brasilense strain R1 was more effective in plant growth promotion than other strains for both wheat and rice varieties. Azospirillum lipoferum strain RSWT1 showed more positive response than other strains on the yield and growth of maize variety Pahari. The plant height of wheat variety Inqilab 91 was significantly increase up to 18.5 % with Azospirillum brasilense strain R1 as compared to non-inoculated control ones. The increase in plant height with Azospirillum lipoferum strain RSWT1 was 14.7 % and with Pseudomonas Ky1 9.6 %. The number of grains/spike, root and shoot weight and biological yield of the plants inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense strain R1, Azospirillum lipoferum strain RSWT1 and Pseudomonas Ky1 were significantly greater as compared to control treatment. In case of wheat variety Fakhre Sarhad, the inoculation strains also showed positive effects on the growth and yield. At ARIN Mingora, Swat, inoculation of rice variety Fakre Malakand with Azospirillum brasilense strain R1 increased the straw weight by 16.6 %, grain weight by 22.7 % over control. Inoculation of rice variety JP 5 with Azospirillum brasilense strain R1 showed 19 % increase in the straw weight and 39.5 % increase in the grain weight. At this experimental site, inoculation with Azospirillum lipoferum strain RSWT1 and Pseudomonas strain Ky1 increased grain weight by 4.8 – 13.5 % and 17.3 –18.5 % respectively of the rice varieties Fakre Malakand and JP5. At Udigram, Swat, inoculation of rice variety Fakre Malakand with Azospirillum brasilense strain R1 increased the straw weight by 14.2 % and grain weight by 22 % over control. In the rice variety JP 5, any significant beneficial effect of inoculation with Azospirillum lipoferum strain RSWT1 and Pseudomonas strain Ky1 was not observed whereas inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense strain R1 showed positive results of 15.5 % and 27.4 % increase over control in straw weight and grain weight respectively. The rice variety JP 5 was more responsive to the inoculated strains than rice variety Fakre Malakand. In case Of maize variety Pahari, plant height was significantly increase up to 8.82 % with Azospirillum lipoferum strain RSWT1 and with Azospirillum brasilense strain R1 up to 6.52% as compared to non-inoculated control ones. The number of ears/plant, number of grains/ear, number of leaves/plant and stem thickness and 1000 grain weight were significantly affected by bacterial inoculation.
The people of Sindh throughout history remain always very tolerate with one another personal belief. In this context the first person who write down the biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Sindhi language was a Hindu namely Lal chand amr dino mal jugtiani, his book “Muhammad Rasoolullah P.B.U.H.” published in 1911 A.D. He not only written biography but also condemn those prejudice orientalist as well as native masses against their extremes behavior on pious character and caliber of noble Prophet of Islam. He along with other few notable writers namely Jath mal pursaram guljarani “Paighmbar-i- Islam”. Amar lal vasan mal hingorani “Mir Muhammad Arabi” 1947 A.D and an English book translated by Hout chand dial mal jughtyani “Isalm jo Paighabar” 1931 A.D. In this article researcher highlights their work along with their brief life sketch.
This study was designed to determine the role of educational institutions in developing political awareness among the secondary level students in Pakistan. In developing political awareness, the curriculum, faculty, school environment and home environment play a significant role. Keeping in view these independent variables of political awareness, and the study was delimited to the public high and higher secondary schools in the Punjab, province of Pakistan. Six thousand four hundred and eighty seven (6487) High and Higher secondary schools from all over the Punjab were taken in this study. All the Head Teachers, 33561 Secondary School Teachers and 524336 students of tenth class of session 2012-14 were the population of this study. 414 Head Teachers, 828 Secondary School Teachers and 1242 students of tenth class were taken as study sample by using the Cochran‟s formula for taking sufficient sample size from the population. To seek the extent of content regarding political awareness, the content analysis of the text books being taught at secondary level out of the compulsory subjects was undertaken. Three five point rating scales were developed for the head teachers, teachers and the students under the direction of the supervisor keeping in view the different factors responsible for political awareness like “Curriculum, “School Environment” and “Home Environment”. In order to determine the level of political awareness among the students, a Test comprising the basic and key concepts of political education was also developed.The collected data were analyzed by applying descriptive (Mean, Average, Standard Deviation) as well as inferential (Z-Test, Chi Squire Test) statistics. The level of political awareness was determined by the content analyses of the texts, statement Wise and questionnaire Wise analysis of the questionnaires of the study sample and the results of the Test administered on the students‟ sample. The results of the study showed that a very little amount of content was found on political awareness in the text books at secondary level. The statement and questionnaire Wise analyses of the questionnaires of the study sample showed the unsatisfactory condition about the political awareness. The results of the Test also showed the lower level of achievement of students. Inculcation of basic and key concepts of political education in compulsory subjects at secondary level, political awareness drive in the form of seminars, debates and workshops at schools, appointment of expert subject specialists, provision of different societies and organizations like school councils and literary societies, continuous parent-teacher meetings and sufficient budget allocation were recommended in this study.