Quantitative response of wheat to sowing dates and irrigation regimes using CERES-Wheat model.

An experiment was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during 2014-15 and 2015-16, keeping four sowing dates {25th Oct (D), 10th Nov (D), 25th Nov (D) and 10th Dec (D)} in main plots and five irrigation schedules {irrigation at 15 (FC), 25 (FC), 35 (FC) and 45 (FC) % depletion of soil moisture from field capacity (FC) and a conventional practice} in sub plots. The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of CERES-Wheat model for simulating yield and water use under varying planting and soil moisture regimes. The simulated and observed grain yield was higher in D, with irrigation applied at FC as compared to all other sowing date and irrigation regime combinations.

Prevalence and management of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in different wheat genotypes and their impact on yield and related traits.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production is significantly altered by the infestation of sucking insects, particularly aphids. Chemical sprays are not recommended for the management of aphids as wheat grains are consumed soon after crop harvests.

Combined application of zinc and silicon alleviates terminal drought stress in wheat by triggering morpho-physiological and antioxidants defense mechanisms.

Wheat is an important global staple food crop; however, its productivity is severely hampered by changing climate. Erratic rain patterns cause terminal drought stress, which affect reproductive development and crop yield. This study investigates the potential and zinc (Zn) and silicon (Si) to ameliorate terminal drought stress in wheat and associated mechanisms.

Growth attributes, biochemical modulations, antioxidant enzymatic metabolism and yield in varieties for salinity tolerance.

Improvement in salinity tolerance of plants is of immense significance as salt stress particularly threatens the productivity of agricultural crops. This study was designed to assess the tolerance level of six varieties (Super, Sandal, Faisal, CON-111, AC Excel and Punjab) under different levels of salinity (0, 50, 100, 150 & 200 mM) with three replications under CRD. Salt induced osmotic stress curtailed the plant growth attributes, photosynthetic pigments and disturbed ionic homeostasis (K, Na, Ca Cl) but least disturbance as compared to control was found in Super and Sandal cultivars.

Potassium fertilization improves growth, yield and seed quality of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) under drought stress at different growth stages.

Water scarcity is a major concern for sunflower production in the semi-arid and arid regions of the world. Potassium (K) application has been found effective to alleviate the influence of drought stress; however, the impact of drought stress on seed quality of sunflower has not been reported frequently. Therefore, a field experiment was performed to determine the optimum K requirement for mitigating the adverse effects of water stress and improving growth and seed quality of spring-planted sunflower.

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the physiological functioning of maize under zinc-deficient soils.

Zinc (Zn) deficiency can severely inhibit plant growth, yield, and enzymatic activities. Zn plays a vital role in various enzymatic activities in plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a crucial role in improving the plant's Zn nutrition and mitigating Zn stress effects on plants.

The impact of insecticides and plant extracts on the suppression of insect vector (Bemisia tabaci) of Mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV).

Mungbean yellow mosaic virus (MYMV) is an important constraint in successful production of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.) in many countries, including Pakistan. The MYMV spreads by insect vector whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius).

and management of (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) using rhizosphere bacteria, spp. and spp. compared with oxamyl.

Biological control using rhizosphere bacteria, spp. and spp. is a prospective alternative technique to overcome plant parasitic nematodes infection.

Biochar and urease inhibitor mitigate NH and NO emissions and improve wheat yield in a urea fertilized alkaline soil.

In this study, we explored the role of biochar (BC) and/or urease inhibitor (UI) in mitigating ammonia (NH) and nitrous oxide (NO) discharge from urea fertilized wheat cultivated fields in Pakistan (34.01°N, 71.71°E).

Identification for surrogate drought tolerance in maize inbred lines utilizing high-throughput phenomics approach.

Screening for drought tolerance requires precise techniques like phonemics, which is an emerging science aimed at non-destructive methods allowing large-scale screening of genotypes. Large-scale screening complements genomic efforts to identify genes relevant for crop improvement. Thirty maize inbred lines from various sources (exotic and indigenous) maintained at Dryland Agriculture Research Station were used in the current study.

Optimizing sowing date for peanut genotypes in arid and semi-arid subtropical regions.

Peanut (Arachis hypogea L.) is an important nut crop extensively grown in rainfed regions of Pakistan. The crop requires low inputs; thus, could grow successfully under diverse environmental conditions.

Molecular characterization of leaf spot caused by Alternaria alternata on buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus L.) and determination of pathogenicity by a novel disease rating scale.

The buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus L.) is a mangrove shrub belonging to Combretaceae family. It mostly grows on the shorelines of tropical and subtropical regions in the world.

Antimicrobial activity of camphor tree silver nano-particles against foulbrood diseases and finding out new strain of as a secondary infection on honeybee larvae.

American foulbrood (AFB) and European foulbrood (EFB) are the two major bacterial diseases affecting honeybees, leading to a decrease in viability of the hive, decreasing honey production, and resulting in significant economic losses to beekeepers. Due to the inefficiency and/or low efficacy of some antibiotics, researches with nanotechnology represent, possibly, new therapeutic strategies. Nanostructure drugs have presented some advantagesover the conventional medicines, such as slow, gradual and controlled release, increased bioavailability, and reduced side-effects.

Identification and characterization of genes related to salt stress tolerance within segregation distortion regions of genetic map in F2 population of upland cotton.

Segregation distortion (SD) is a genetic mechanism commonly found in segregating or stable populations. The principle behind this puzzles many researchers. The F2 generation developed from wild Gossypium darwinii and G.

Reproductive success in : A role of post-insemination association of male and female.

Reproductive success is attained by various mechanisms in insects. Prolonged post insemination association is one such mechanism to increase the reproductive success. The present study was conducted to assess the role of post insemination association of mating partners on reproductive performance in Chrysomelidae beetle, Pallister.

Fighting against the second wave of COVID-19: Can honeybee products help protect against the pandemic?

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) has infected people in 210 nations and has been declared a pandemic on March 12, 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO). In the absence of effective treatment and/or vaccines for COVID-19, natural products of known therapeutic and antiviral activity could offer an inexpensive, effective option for managing the disease. Benefits of products of honey bees such as honey, propolis, and bee venom, against various types of diseases have been observed.