Naqib Ullah Khan

Cottonseed oil and yield assessment via economic heterosis and heritability in intraspecific cotton populations

Due to the difficulty in producing cotton F 1 hybrid seed through hand emasculation and pollination, the capture of heterosis in cotton production is limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of 6 × 6 F 1 and F 2 intra-hirsutum diallel hybrids relative to heterosis, inbreeding depression, heritability and correlation. Average F 1 hybrids mean values were higher than those of F 2 s, while F 2 s exceeded the parents. However, in F 1 s and F 2 s, the average mean values were 22.30 and 19.48 for seeds boll -1 , 8.87 and 8.56 g for seed index, 112.36 and 87.51 g for seedcotton yield and 30.07 and 28.30% for cottonseed oil. Heterosis over better parents was more pronounced in F 1 s as compared to F 2 s. However, in F 1 s and F 2 s, the average positive heterosis was 11.54 and 4.50%; 3.40 and 2.41%; 46.30 and 28.96% and 6.04 and 1.52%, respectively, for the above traits. Even after segregation and inbreeding depression, the F 2 s expressed about 50% of F 1 s heterosis. The inbreeding depression in F 2 s was -6.51 to -16.92 with low to high heritability, and significant positive correlation of cottonseed oil with other traits. The cultivar CIM-1100 derivatives performed better and exceeded all other hybrids in both generations. Key words: Hybrid vigor, inbreeding depression, cottonseed traits, cottonseed oil, Gossypium hirsutum .

Populations of Exotic × Locally Adapted Germplasm - A Potent

Experimental indigenous maize hybrids were evaluated in a series of three maize experiments during 2011, 2012 and 2013 to identify superior hybrids for commercial cultivation. Parental inbred lines of these hybrids were obtained from various indigenous populations, including a new improved maize population PSEV-3 which developed by the crossing of a locally adapted variety to an exotic hybrid obtained from CIMMYT and improved through S1 progeny recurrent selection. Two popular commercial hybrids namely, Babar (Public sector hybrid) and one Pioneer hybrid i.e., P-3025 were included as check genotypes. Results revealed that experimental PESV-3 derived hybrids revealed better performance by comparing with three check hybrids for grain yield (11.35 vs. 8.13 t ha-1, 10.67 vs. 9.60 t ha-1, and 11.69 vs. 11.20 t ha-1), thousand grain weight (372 vs. 338 g, 370 vs. 322 g, and 416 vs. 396 g), shelling % (87 vs. 86.2%, 86 vs. 85%, and 87 vs. 90%) and days to flowering (66.3 vs. 73.6 days, 64 vs. 67 days, and 69 vs. 68 days), respectively in three experiments. Three most superior hybrid combinations developed through exotic × locally adapted germplasm were found too much responsive and suggested their further testing through on-farm trials before releasing as commercial hybrids.

Effect of Amendments on Bioavailability of Heavy Metals to Alfalfa and Biomass Yield Irrigated with Wastewater

AbstractA field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of wastewater irrigation and various amendments on the bioavailability of metals to crops and its yield. Alfalfa was sown in 2×1-m plots receiving different amendments in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Five different amendments, farmyard manure (FYM; 10  t/ha), poultry manure (PM; 10  t/ha), humic acid (HA; 2.5  kg/ha), di-ammonium phosphate (DAP; 120  kgP/ha), and triple superphosphate (TSP; 120  kgP/ha) were applied to the soil prior to sowing crop along with a control receiving either wastewater or tubewell without amendments. The plants’ biomass results indicated that wastewater irrigation, when supplied with or without amendment, produced significantly higher yield (56% increase due to HA and wastewater application) than tubewell irrigation, indicating its nutritive value. Concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, and Fe accumulated by crop from wastewater were higher (84%, 94%, 112%, and 45%, respectively) and may cause p...