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ALLELOPATHIC EFFECT OF SOME SUMMER LEGUMES ON SEED
GERMINATION, EMERGENCE AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF PEARL
MILLET (Pennisetum americanum L.
M. Ayub1, M. Shehzad2*, M.A. Nadeem1,
M. Tahir, M.H. Siddiqui2, M. Shoaib1
and I. Qadir1
1Department
of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-Pakistan
2Faculty
of Agriculture, Department of Agronomy, The University of
Poonch Rawalakot
*Corresponding author (e-mail:
m.shahzaduaf@gmail.com)
Abstract
In Pakistan, pearl millet
is being grown in mixture with forage legumes for improving
both yield and quality but information’s are lacking on
allelopathic effects of summer legumes germination and
seedling growth of pearl millet. Laboratory based
experiments were therefore conducted in Department of
Agronomy, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, to
investigate the allelopathic effects of aqueous extracts of
leaves and stems of leguminous crops i.e. cowpea, sesbania,
mung bean and cluster bean on seed germination, seedling
emergence and growth of millet seedlings. The cowpea,
sesbania, mung bean and cluster bean plants were separated
into leaves and stems and dried under shade. The
concentration of leaves and stem of each species at the rate
of 100 g l-1 was used and distilled water as
control was also included for comparison. All the extracts
either from leaves or stems significantly affected all
parameters i.e. germination, emergence of seedlings, MGT,
GI, T50, shoot length, root length and fresh and dry weight
of shoot and roots. Extract of leguminous crops showed
inhibitory effects on germination and emergence, shoot and
root length, fresh and dry weight of shoots and roots and
total fresh weight of seedlings. There have been a variation
in allelopathic effect of stems and leaves and even
differences were significant in some parameters between stem
and leaves of same legumes.
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EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PRIMING AGENTS ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF
HYBRID MAIZE (Zea mays L.)
Javid
Nawaz1, Riaz Ahmad1, Abdul Jabbar1,
Ghulam Abbas Nadeem1 and Muhammad Hussain*1
1Department
of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faislabad, Pakistan.
*Corresponding author (e-mail: mhussainuaf@gmail.com)
Abstract
A field study to evaluate the effect of seed priming on
productivity of hybrid corn was carried out at Agronomic
Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, during
spring 2013. Experiment was laid out in randomized complete
block design with eight treatments replicated three times.
Seeds of maize hybrid Pioneer-32B33 were subjected to
priming with various priming agents viz, hydro-priming,
priming with zinc sulphate (ZnSO4), priming with
potassium nitrate (KNO3) and priming with boric
acid (H3BO3). Two concentrations (0.5%
and 1%) were used for each osmo-priming agent and one
treatment was kept as control (no treatment) to compare with
the priming treatments. The results revealed that seed
priming showed significant effect on the performance of
maize. Priming treatments improved all the yield
contributing parameters of maize. Maximum grain yield (6.40
t ha-1) was obtained from the plots that were
treated with 1% solution of zinc sulphate followed by seed
priming with 1% KNO3 (5.70 t ha-1)
due to improvement in plant height, number of cobs per
plant, number of grains per row, number of grains per cob,
1000-grain weight and harvest index. It is therefore
suggested that osmo-priming of maize seeds with ZnSO4
should be practiced in order to obtain the higher
grain yield and net return, under the prevailing
agro-climatic conditions of Faisalabad.FULL TEXT
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EVALUATION OF GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF WHEAT TO FOLIAR
APPLICATION OF RICE WATER EXTRACT
Mashood Ul Subtain*1, Zahid Ata1,
Muhammad Hussain1, Javid Nawaz1,
Mubasher Ali2, Imran Shabbir1 and
Sajjad Raza3
1Department
of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
2Department
of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad,
Pakistan
3Intsitute
of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of
Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
*Corresponding author
(e-mail: mashood_uaf@yahoo.com)
Abstract
A field study was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield
response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to foliar
application of rice water extract at the Agronomic Research
Area, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, during the
growing season 2011-2012. Experiment was laid out in
randomized complete block design (RCBD) with eleven
treatments that were replicated four times. The gross plot
size was 7 m × 2.2 m. Foliar sprays of rice water extract
(2.5%, 5% and 7.5%) were applied at two critical growth
stages (tillering and earing) of wheat. Two treatments (No
spray and pure water spray) were kept for comparison with
rice water extract treatments. All other agronomic practices
were kept uniform and according to the recommendation. All
the treatments significantly increased the grain yield of
wheat as compared to control. Highest grain yield (27% more
than control) was recorded in plots treated with rice water
extract (5.0%) two sprays at tillering + earing and it was
statistically at par with rice water extract (2.5%) 2 sprays
at tillering + earing which produced 24% more grain yield as
compared to control. One spray of rice water extract (5.0%)
at tillering also significantly affected the wheat yield
over the control, but it was less effective as compared to
treatment in which two foliar sprays of rice water extract
was applied at tillering + earing. Two sprays of rice water
extract (5.0%) at tillering + earing significantly affected
the leaf area index, productive tillers, more plant and
spike length, more number of grains per spike, grain weight
which ultimately result in better grain yield of wheat.
These results were possibly due to promotive effect of rice
water extract which contain indole acetic acid and lower
concentration of allelochemicals. Thus it could be suggested
that foliar application of rice water extract at low
concentration can be used as growth promoter and yield
enhancer.
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ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN DETERMINATE TOMATO (SOLANUM
LYCOPERSICUM L.) ACCESSIONS
Muneeb
Munawar1*, Kashif Nadeem1, Ghazanfar
Hammad1, Mudassar Iqbal1, Muhammad
Muzaffar Raza1, Muhammad Iqbal1 and
Muhammad Saleem1
1Vegetable
Research Institute, AARI, Pakistan
*Corresponding author
(e-mail:
muneeb.pbg@hotmail.com)
Abstract
Present study was conducted to characterize 21 tomato
accessions based upon ten yield components and fruit quality
traits to select suitable parents for improving fresh fruit
yield and quality. Experiment was conducted in triplicated
randomized complete block design. Considerable genetic
variation was observed in available germplasm for improving
yield and quality of fresh fruit. First four principle
components explained 78.3% of total variation. PC-1 and PC-2
were attributed to fruit yield and fruit quality
respectively. PC-4 was defined by lycopene contents. Twenty
one genotypes were grouped into 4 clusters based upon ward
linkage and Euclidean distance. Genotypes of cluster 1 were
late maturing with prolonged shelf life. High fruit yield
characterized genotypes of cluster 4 with high mean value
for number of fruit clusters per plant, number of fruits per
plant and total soluble salts. Number of fruit clusters and
fruits per plant were more important for improving fresh
fruit yield than fresh fruit weight. Intercrossing between
genotypes of cluster 1 and cluster 4 would be suitable
breeding strategy for developing high yielding tomato
cultivars with improved quality and shelf life.FULL TEXT PDF
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