Azra Yasmeen

Performance of Late Sown Wheat in Response to Foliar Application of Moringa oleifera Lam. Leaf Extract

Aumento en temperatura durante inicios de primavera induciendo madurez temprana es un factor clave en la reduccion de rendimiento en siembra tardia de trigo (Triticum aestivum L.). Las hojas de Moringa oleifera Lam. son ricas en zeatina, una citoquinina que tiene rol en retraso de senescencia foliar, ademas de otros compuestos que mejoran crecimiento como ascorbatos, fenoles, y minerales. Este estudio se planeo para optimizar dosis y estado de crecimiento optimo para extracto foliar de moringa (MLE) aplicado foliarmente y su rol en retraso de senescencia foliar en siembra tardia de trigo. El cultivo de trigo se sembro el 16 de septiembre y MLE (diluido 30 veces) se aplico en diferentes estados de crecimiento desde macollamiento hasta espigadura y en espigadura, mientras se asperjo agua destilada como control. En resultados todos los tratamientos MLE fueron mejores que el control. Sin embargo, un aumento de 10,73; 6,00; 10,70 y 4,00% fue evidente en peso de 1000 granos, rendimiento biologico, produccion de grano e indice de cosecha, respectivamente, con aspersion de MLE en macollamiento + encanado + estado de bota + espigadura. Aspersion de MLE solo en espigadura dio 6,84; 3,17 y 3,51% mas de peso 1000 granos, rendimiento biologico, produccion de grano, e indice de cosecha respectivamente, comparado con control. MLE extendio la duracion del area foliar estacional (LAD estacional) en 9,22 y 6,45 d sobre el control cuando se aplico a todos los estados de crecimiento y aspersion a espigadura, respectivamente. Concluimos que posiblemente debido a la presencia de sustancias, la aspersion foliar de MLE puede retrasar la madurez de cultivo, extender LAD estacional y periodo de llenado de grano conduciendo, por lo tanto, a mayores producciones de semilla y biologica en trigo sembrado tardiamente.

Seed Priming Influence on Early Crop Growth, Phenological Development and Yield Performance of Linola (Linum usitatissimum L.)

Reduced early crop growth and limited branching are amongst yield limiting factors of linola. Field response of seed priming treatments viz. 50 mmol L−1 salicylic acid (SA), 2.2% CaCl2 and 3.3% moringa leaf extract (MLE) including untreated dry and hydropriming controls was evaluated on early crop growth and yield performance of linola. Osmopriming with CaCl2 reduced emergence time and produced the highest seedling fresh and dry weights including Chl. a contents. Osmopriming with CaCl2 reduced crop branching and flowering and maturity times and had the maximum plant height, number of branches, tillers, pods and seeds per pod followed by MLE. Increase in seed weight, biological and seed yields was 9.30, 34.16 and 39.49%, harvest index (4.12%) and oil contents (13.39%) for CaCl2 osmopriming. Positive relationship between emergence and seedling vigor traits, 100-seed weight, seed yield with maturity time, 100-seed weight and seed yield were found. The study concludes that seed osmopriming with CaCl2 or MLE can play significant role to improve early crop growth and seed yields of linola.

Exogenous Application of Growth Enhancers Mitigate Water Stress in Wheat by Antioxidant Elevation

The present study was conducted to investigate the response of two wheat cultivars (AARI-11 and Millat-11) to a foliar application of four growth enhancers which include: {H2O (water), MLE30 (moringa leaf extract), KCl (potassium chloride), and BAP (benzyl-amino purine)}, within the six irrigation water-regimes which are applied at the various critical growth stages such as crown root initiation (CRI), tillering (T), booting (B), and heading (H). Irrigation water-regimes include: CRI+T+B, CRI+T, CRI+B, T+B, T+H, and control (CRI+T+B+H). The growth enhancers i.e., H2O, MLE30 (1:30), KCl (2%), and BAP (50 mg L−1) were applied @ 500 L ha−1 at tillering and heading stages. The results demonstrated some increased quantities of both enzymatic (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase) and non-enzymatic (ascorbic acid, phenol) antioxidants in leaves of AARI-11 when MLE30 was applied under T+B and T+H irrigation water-regimes. Similar results were also observed in the case of leaf chlorophyll “a” and “b” and K+ contents in both cultivars under control, T+B and CRI+T+B irrigation water regimes. AARI-11 produced the highest biological and grain yield, due to the application of MLE30 and BAP under control, CRI+T+B, T+B, and T+H irrigation water-regimes. However, KCl lagged behind among the treatments set for both cultivars under all the irrigation water-regimes. Foliar spray of MLE30 remained prominent growth enhancer and stresses mitigating agent under water deficit conditions particularly under T+B and T+H irrigation water-regimes. Moreover, economic analysis indicated that the foliar application of MLE30 is a cost effective and environment friendly strategy for the maximum yield and income.

Mode of inheritance for biochemical traits in genetically engineered cotton under water stress.

The optimal level of Bt toxin in Bt cotton is imperative for sustainability and adoption of Bt cotton under water stressed and non-stressed environments. We investigated the mode of inheritance and association of various drought tolerance biochemicals traits with Bt toxin under normal and water stressed conditions. We observed non-additive gene action coupled with low heritability estimates for all studied biochemical traits. The different kinds of association between Bt toxin and biochemical traits proved to be a simple innovative strategy. Furthermore, it is concluded that different biochemical traits can serve as a potential biochemical markers in future for breeding drought tolerant Bt cotton.

FROM Qutn TO Bt COTTON: DEVELOPMENT, ADOPTION AND PROSPECTS. A REVIEW.

Cotton has unique history of domestication, diversification, and utilization. Globally it is an important cash crop that provides raw material for textile industry. The story of cotton started from human civilization and the climax arrived with the efforts of developing transgenic cotton for various traits. Though conventional breeding brought steady improvement in developing resistance against biotic stresses but recent success story of gene transfer from Bacillus thuringiensis into cotton showed game changing effects on cotton cultivation. Amongst various families of insecticidal proteins Bt Cry-toxins received more attention because of specificity against receptors on the cell membranes of insect midgut epithelial cells. Rapid Bt cotton adoption by farmers due to its economic and environmental benefits has changed the landscape of cotton cultivation in many countries. But the variable expression of Bt transgene in the newly developed Bt cotton genotypes in tropical environment is questionable. Variability of toxin level in different plant parts at various life stage of plant is an outcome of genotypic interaction with environmental factors. Temporal gene expression of Cry1Ac is also blamed for the epigenetic background in which transgene has been inserted. The presence of genotypes with sub-lethal level of Bt toxin might create resistance in Lepidopteron insects, limiting the use of Bt cotton in future, with the opportunity for other resistance development strategies to get more attention like gene stacking. Until the farmers get access to more recent technology, best option is to delay the development of resistance by applying Insect Resistance Management (IRM) strategies.

Morphological, Growth and Yield Response of Cotton to Exogenous Application of Natural Growth Promoter and Synthetic Growth Retardant

Azra Yasmeen, Muhammad Arif, Nazim Hussain, Waqas Malik and Ihsan Qadir Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, Pakistan Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan For correspondence: azra.yasmeen@bzu.edu.pk