Anjum Munir

Baseline water quality of municipal ponds and metal removal ability of Typha latifolia L. from sewage and industrial wastewaters

ABSTRACT Municipal effluent of three rural settings of Islamabad was assessed for physicochemical and microbiological parameters by collecting wastewater from inlet and center of ponds. Results showed that water quality was comparatively better at the center as Typha latifolia plants were growing toward the center of ponds. In another study, the wastewater treatment ability of T. latifolia was investigated by growing them in industrial and municipal effluent under greenhouse conditions. Water and plant samples were collected periodically (3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, and 31st day after transplanting) for the measurement of Pb, Cu, and Cd concentrations. A decrease in heavy metal concentration of both effluents was observed as the experiment progressed and metal removal percentages ranged between 81% and 96%. Complementary the increase in metal concentration in plant tissues was observed over experimental period. Among plant tissues, metal concentration of Pb was highest i.e. 362 mg kg−1 in roots and 313 mg kg−1 in shoots at end of experiment. Pb, Cu, and Cd concentrations were higher in roots than shoots and hence translocation factors were less than 1.0. Metal removal efficiency was better from industrial wastewater and was in order of Pb > Cu > Cd. T. latifolia can be used for remediation of heavy metal-polluted wastewater.

Management of Bipolaris Sorokiniana the Causal Pathogen of Spot Blotchof Wheat by Eucalyptus Extracts

The inhibitory effect of essential oil of flowering buds and potential extracts of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn (leaf, Bark and Flowering Buds) were evaluated on the most aggressive isolate of Bipolaris sorokiniana from wheat crop by agar well diffusion, food poison technique and macro-dilution assay. The mycelial growth was evaluated over four periods (3; 6; 9 and 30 days from incubation) with nine concentrations of essential oils (0.5%; 01%; 2.5%; 05%; 7.5%; 10%; 15%; 50%; 100%) and 3 concentrations (01%; 05% and 10%) of effective extracts. E.oil showed a maximum zone of inhibition of 90 mm diameter and mycelia growth 0.00 ± 0.00 compares to control 40.00 ± 0.00 after 9 days of incubation at 50% and 100% concentration. The extracts of F. buds showed the strongest active values (P<0.05) with a 29.10 ± 0.92 ZOI compared to water extract (19.80 ± 0.33). The ethanol and methanol fruit extracts showed highest minimum inhibitory concentration (08 mg/mL) than water extracts (200 mg/ml) against B. sorokiniana, while minimum fungicidal concentration values for ethanol and methanol fruit extract 40 mg/mL and water extract 300 mg/mL. Extract treated hyphae were collapsed, damaged or thinner when compared with the control. This Study reveals that, F. buds were the potential part of plant. The E.oil and ethanol extract of F. buds were consider most effective that shows considerable potency (up to 97% in-vitro inhibition) than the bark and leaves solvents extracts, while no inhibitory effect was noticed for the aqueous extract of leaves and bark in combating the pathogen.

Occurrence of Colletotrichum graminicola on wheat in Pakistan

Abstract During a survey of foliar spot of wheat in different agro-ecological wheat production zones, conducted in 2005, Collectotrichum graminicola was found to cause anthracnose in wheat with other foliar diseases like leaf blotch. Pathogenicity has been carried out to fulfill Kochs postulates.