Agricultural Sciences Journal

EFFICACY OF SALICYLIC ACID ON MORPHOLOGICAL AND QUALITY PARAMETERS OF STRAWBERRY CV. CHANDLER FRUIT UNDER SALINITY CONDITIONS IN GREENHOUSE

2025-11-20T04:52:04+00:00

Strawberries belong to the Rosaceae family and are mostly grown in subtropical and temperate regions. Salinity is a hindrance to the potential yield of strawberries in Pakistan. The current experiment was designed to evaluate the impact of salicylic acid (SA) on reducing salinity stress in the strawberry cv. "Chandler. In this experiment, four levels of salicylic acid (SA) concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.50, 1.0mM) as well as four levels of NaCl (0, 60, 90, 120mM) were applied before flowering. The morphological parameters, including vegetative, reproductive and quality aspects, were examined. The treatment combination with 1mM SA and 90mM NaCl showed the best performance. Experimental results show that the morphological parameters, including plant height, leaf area, crown size, canopy spread, and fresh and dry plant weight, as well as the average number of trusses, flowers, and fruit set proportion, fruit yield, and sugar content, increase with an increase in salicylic acid concentration. The experimental result showed that the application of 1mM SA combined with 90mM NaCl for strawberry plants can effectively reduce salinity stress and improve the vegetative growth, fruit yield, and quality.

EFFECT OF MORINGA LEAF EXTRACT AND POWDER APPLICATIONS ON GROWTH AND YIELD OF WHEAT UNDER SEMI-ARID CONDITIONS

2025-09-25T12:15:05+00:00

Ensuring global food security requires the adoption of sustainable, cost-effective bio-stimulant strategies to enhance the productivity of staple crops like wheat. This study aimed to systematically evaluate and compare the effects of foliar-applied Moringa Leaf Extract (MLE) and soil-applied Moringa Dry Leaf Powder (MDLp) on the growth and final yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in semi-arid environments. The experiment utilized a Randomized Complete Block Design to test various application timings, including seed treatment and foliar sprays. Results consistently demonstrated that treatments receiving foliar sprays of MLE at critical growth stages exhibited superior agronomic and yield traits. Specifically, three foliar applications of MLE (at 40, 75, and 100 days after sowing) proved most effective, increasing grain yield by over 26.82% and enhancing 1000-seed weight by 19.49% compared to the untreated control. This superior performance was driven by significant gains in key yield components, including increased tiller density, spikelets per spike, and grain number per spike. While seed treatment was beneficial for early crop growth rate, the MLE foliar application sustained higher growth rates throughout the mid-to-late season. These findings emphasize that MLE, particularly when administered through multiple foliar sprays, serves as a potent natural biostimulant that effectively enhances both the vegetative and reproductive capacity of wheat. This environmentally friendly practice offers a viable and sustainable approach to improve crop productivity in water-limited environments.

EFFICACY OF DIATOMACEOUS EARTH AND METARHIZIUM ANISOPLIAE (METSCHNIKOFF) SOROKIN AGAINST TRIBOLIUM CASTANEUM, RHYZOPERTHA DOMINICA AND SITOPHILLUS GRANARIUS

2025-11-02T19:42:34+00:00

The effectiveness of the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae and Diatomaceous earth on the adults of stored grain insect’s species i.e. Tribolium caustaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus granarius were tested at the laboratory of Regional agricultural research institute Bahawalpur. The tests were performed either alone or in conjunction with Grain guard (natural). A dosage rate of 1.7×104 was used for the fungal formulations, while 50 and 100 ppm of Grain Guard (Natural) were administered. The experiment was conducted at a temperature of 30 ± 1℃ and relative humidity of 65 ± 5%. In all treatments, mortality rate of insects was observed following exposure at intervals of 7, 14, and 21 days. After maximum exposure time, at a dosage rate of 100 ppm, T. castaneum, S. granarius, and R. dominica all reached maximum mortality rates of 70.49, 74.62, and 77.21, respectively, when treated with Grain Guard Natural. The corresponding mortality rates for T. castaneum, S. granarius, and R. dominica at lower doses of fungal spores were 26.35, 28.36, and 29.61, respectively. When the fungal formulations and Grain Guard Natural were used together at the maximum dosage rate of 100 ppm+1.7×104, 87.15 percent mortality was noted for T. castaneum, 92.35% for S. granarius, and 95.14% for R. dominica. For R. dominica, S. granarius, and T. castaneum, the proportion of mycotic insects was 81.86, 78.62, and 76.12 at a dosage rate of 1.7×104, respectively.

EFFECT OF HALOPRIMING AND HYDROPRIMING ON THE GERMINATION AND SEEDLING TRAIT OF SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX)

2025-08-08T11:07:15+00:00

Low germination rates and environmental stress frequently effect the crucial stages of soybean (Glycine max) germination and early seedling development which have a substantial impact on crop output. The effectiveness of various priming techniques like hydropriming and halopriming on ten soybean genotypes was assessed. Germination characteristics including germination percentage (GP), germination index (GI), germination energy (GE) and germination rate index (GRI) were examined using a completely randomized design. The results showed that KNO₃ 50 mM was the most efficient priming concentration increasing germination by up to 63.33% in high performing genotypes such as UAM-SB-162 and 1-S. Treatment effects on GP, GI, and GE were significant while higher salt concentrations (100–150 mM). On the other hands, significantly reduced germination in all types. AUST-94-2 and 2-S were among the genotypes that responded substantially to halopriming while PKN-38-2-1 and other genotypes fared better with hydropriming or untreated controls. The study shows how significant it is to modify hydropriming and halopriming techniques based on genetic backgrounds in order to maximize stand establishment especially in settings that are prone to stress. To create useful priming standards for future should investigate the physiological processes behind genotypic variations and confirm these findings in field environment.

POPULATION DYNAMICS OF PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODES IN DISTRICT BAHAWALPUR

2026-01-12T07:55:33+00:00

Plant-parasitic nematodes are among the most destructive soil-borne pests worldwide, causing substantial yield and economic losses in agricultural crops. They have a more influential effect in those areas where intensive systems of cropping are practiced. The subtropical climate and constant practice of vegetable farming in Pakistan favor the fast accumulation of nematodes, consequently root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) have become a significant risk to vegetable production, particularly in Punjab. The aim of this study is the examination of the population, distribution, and pathogenicity of PPNs related to key vegetable plants in District Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. The systematic nematological survey was done in nine localities in which forty soil and root samples of eggplant, chilli, tomato, cucumber, and okra fields were carried out. Extraction and identification of nematodes were done under regular morphological and taxonomic methods such as permanent and temporary slide preparation. The host susceptibility was assessed using galling index and galling severity scales. Findings showed extensive nematode-infestation in all the localities surveyed with the levels of infection of between 50 and 86.67 with the highest prevalence occurring in Yazman. It was determined that there are six genera of invasive parasites of plants in this group of nematodes, but Meloidogyne incognita showed the most significant and destructive results, as it was found in 78 % of the samples M. javanica and Criconema spp. were also regularly occurring, whereas Xiphinema, Helicotylenchus and Pratylenchus spp. had irregular distribution patterns. The assessment of the pathogenicity showed that tomato and cucumber were the most affected, which severely rooted galled, and chilli was relatively less affected. The results suggest the serious menace of root-knot nematodes in the production of vegetables in Bahawalpur and the need to identify the species accurately and establish region-specific integrated approaches of managing the nematodes to minimize the loss of yield and assurance the production of the crop sustainably.