Growth and yield of rice as affected by transplanting dates and seedlings per hill under high temperature of Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan

Studies were initiated for two consecutive years to find out the effect of time of transplanting and seedlings hill?1 on the productivity of rice in Dera Ismail Khan district of North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Pakistan. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with split plot arrangements. Main plots consisted of four transplanting dates viz. 20th and 27th of June and 4th and 11th of July while sub-plots contained 1, 2, 3 or 4 seedlings hill?1. Among transplanting dates, June 20th planted crop gave highest paddy yield and net return with 1 seedling hill–1. It explains that the use of more seedlings hill?1 not only adds to cost but is also a mere wastage of natural resources. Based on research findings, we conclude that the use of 1 seedling hill?1 is most appropriate for timely sowing otherwise 4 seedlings hill–1 should be used to compensate for the yield gap in late transplanted rice.

Effects of Humic Acid and Crop Residues on Soil and Wheat Nitrogen Contents

This study was conducted with the aim of finding humic acid and crop residues effects on soil and wheat nitrogen at New Development Farm, University of Agriculture, Peshawar, Pakistan during winter 2009-2010. The experiment was laid out in RCB design having four replications. Different levels (1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 kg ha-1) of Humic acid were applied at sowing time. Mungbean (5 tons ha-1), wheat straw (10 tons ha-1) and mungbean (2.5 tons ha-1) + wheat straw (5 tons ha-1) were incorporated 30 days before sowing. Our results showed higher mineral and total nitrogen (7.32 and 0.43, respectively) mg kg-1 in soil and also higher nitrogen in stem, leaves and grains (2.3, 4.6 and 21.1, respectively) mg kg-1 at maturity in those plots in which 2.5 kg ha-1 of humic acid was applied. Higher mineral and total nitrogen (7.04 and 0.5, respectively) mg kg-1 in soil and also higher nitrogen in leaves (5.5) mg kg-1 at pre-anthesis, while at maturity stage in stem, leaves and grain (5.5, 2.1, 4.2 and 20.8) g kg-1 was recorded in those plots in which 5 tons ha-1 mung bean was incorporated. Our experimental results suggest the use of 5 tons ha-1 of mungbean residues with 2.5 kg ha-1 of humic acid to improve soil fertility availability of more nitrogen in wheat plants to increase the crop yield and grains quality.

Effect of Foliar Application of Micronutrients on Fruit Quality of Peach

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar spray of micronutrients on quality of peach fruits at Horticulture Farm, University of Agriculture Peshawar during 2010. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete design with six treatments and four replications on peach orchards (early grand). Our pre-treatment soil analysis showed silt loam soil class, alkaline and calcareous in nature and adequate in organic matter. The soil was deficient in P, Zn, Fe and B, whereas adequate in Mn and Cu. The fruit quality was evaluated and maximum fruit length, diameter and yield were noted in T6 (Zn + Cu + Fe + Mn + B). The juice pH decreased and the juice acidity increased in a linear fashion after foliar spray of micronutrients. The total soluble solids of fresh fruit juice ranged 7.01%-8.88% and vitamin C ranged from 4.80%-7.90% after foliar spray. So the foliar spray of micronutrients significantly (P ≤ 0.05) affected the quality of peach fruit.

Ethyl Methane Sulphonate (EMS) Induced Mutagenesis in Malaysian Rice (cv. MR219) for Lethal Dose Determination

Chemical and physical mutagenesis has been used to increase genetic variability in crop plants. More than 430 new varieties have been derived as mutants of rice (Oryza sativa L.) via the application of different mutagenic agents. Chemical mutagens such as ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS), diepoxybutane-derived (DEB), sodium azide and irradiation (Gamma rays, X-rays and fast neutrons) have been widely used to induce a large number of functional variations in rice and others crops. Among chemical mutagens, the alkylating agent, ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) is the most commonly used in plants as it causes a high frequency of nucleotide substitutions, as detected in different genomes. In this study, seeds of potential genotype of the popular variety, (Oryza sativa L. spp. Indica cv. MR219) were treated with EMS at concentrations of 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1%, 1.25%, 1.5% and 2%. Sensitivity to EMS was determined by various measurements on the M1 generation. As concentration of applied EMS increased, will decrease in germination, seedling height, root length and emergence under field conditions was observed in M1 generation as compared to the non-treatment control. Plant height and root length also decreased with increases in EMS mutagenesis in an approximately linear fashion. The LD25 and LD50 values were observed based on growth reduction of seedlings after EMS treatment with 0.25% and 0.50% on the rice variety (Oryza sativa L. spp. Indica cv. MR219).