Hakoomat Ali

Influence of Nursery Management and Seedling Age on Growth and Economic Performance of Fine Rice

Seedling vigor is the basic component of the transplanted rice, which depends on its growing environment and proper age. Thus the influence of nursery management and seedling age was evaluated after transplanting 10, 20, 30, and 40-days older seedlings raised by using seed rate (high and low) and nitrogen (N) (with and without) in rice growing season 2008 and 2009. Study revealed that 10-days older nursery seedlings, irrespective to nursery-bed treatments, showed accelerated growth start after transplanting in main field while at later stages significant interaction was observed. Transplanting of 20-days older fertilized seedlings grown at low seeding density at nursery-bed resulted in similar growth performance as in younger. Maximum net-benefit (45111, 44402 Rs. ha−1) was recorded with transplanting 10-days older nursery seedlings while the fertilized seedlings grown at lower seeding density recorded highest net-benefit (37908, 36780 Rs. ha−1) in both the years.

BACTERIA IN COMBINATION WITH FERTILIZERS IMPROVE GROWTH, PRODUCTIVITY AND NET RETURNS OF WHEAT (Triticum aestivum L.)

Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) associate with roots of plants and improve plant growth by utilizing diverse mechanisms like nitrogen fixation, phosphorus solubilization and phytohormone production. Current study was conducted to isolate, characterize, and identify the wheat associated PGPR and investigate the inoculation effect of selected strains for growth promotion of wheat in combination with different levels of chemical fertilizer at two different ecological locations (Multan and Layyah, Pakistan). Among the total 22 bacterial isolates, 11 were positive for acetylene reduction assay (ARA), 9 isolates exhibited P solubilization activity and 19 bacterial isolates produced growth hormone indole -3-acetic acid (IAA) in culture medium. From these, two bacterial isolates with maximu m potential to fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphorous and to produce IAA were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as Pseudomonas sp. LYT-1 (accession no. KT933231) and Bacillus sp. MWT-14 (accession no. KT933232). Their performance as PGPR along with different levels of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) chemical fertilizers (0-0, 105-75 and 150-100 NP kg ha -1 ) was evaluated under field conditions at two different locations (Multan and Layyah) in 2014-15. The experiments were laid out in Randomize Complete Block Design (RCBD). Results indicated that bacterial strain Pseudomonas sp. LYT-1 (with maximu m in vitro nitrogenase activity), increased the growth parameters like plant height, chlorophyll contents, product ive tillers, spike length and straw yield of wheat at both the locations. The inoculation of Bacillus strain MWT-14 (with highest in vitro phosphate solubilization and IAA production) in combination with 0-0, 105-75 and 150-100 kg ha -1 N-P fertilizer improved the 1000-grain weight by 9.8%, 5.4%, 4.6% and 2.1%, 6.6%, 4%, respectively at Multan and Layyah, and grain yield by 16.3%, 12.3%, 4.7% and 17.1%, 14.2%, 8.5%, respectively at Multan and Layyah over their respective non -inoculated control treatments. These results concluded that plant growth promoting strains Pseudomonas sp. LYT-1 and Bacillus sp. MWT-14 enhance the growth, productivity and net returns of wheat when used as bio -inoculant along with 30% reduced of the recommended NP fertilizer dose.

Seed priming improves irrigation water use efficiency, yield, and yield components of late-sown wheat under limited water conditions

* Correspondence: anaeems@gmail.com

Kernel quality and morphological traits of scented rice (cv. Super Basmati) in relation to irrigation and zinc application

.Accepted 4 August, 2013 Two year field study was conducted at Adaptive Research Farms Sheikhupura and Sargodha with the objective to investigate the impact of irrigation water and zinc application on kernel quality and morphological traits of scented rice, and genotype Super Basmati was selected for this study. Results indicated that increasing applications of irrigation and zinc has positive influence on kernel quality and morphological characters of super basmati, and from two sites data of two growing seasons it was concluded that 14 irrigations and application of zinc at 14 kg ha -1 seems best to obtain optimum