Jammu Kashmir Journal of Agriculture

Comparative Analysis of Herbal Treatments of Aeromonas hydrophila: A Fish Pathogen

Aqeela Ashraf — 2023-12-30

One of the main obstacles to sustainable animal production, particularly in aquaculture, is disease, which can result in severe financial damage. A common, free-living, gram-negative bacterium known as Aeromonas hydrophila causes a variety of illnesses, including epizootic ulcerative syndrome and aeromonad septicemia, in aquatic settings with a widespread occurrence. Several farmed fish have been killed as a result of this parasitic disease. Various chemotherapeutic treatments have historically been employed to cure it, but due to their lingering effects and other adverse impacts, such as antibiotic resistance and destruction of the environment, they cannot be advised. For millions of years, people have employed plants and other natural resources to treat a wide range of human issues. As a result, there has been a lot of interest in using these plants in aquaculture as an alternative to chemotherapies and antibiotics. Since they are inexpensive, easy to prepare, and don't have a lot of harmful effects on the environment or animals, these plants are gaining more and more attention around the world. Any part of the plant, including the roots, leaves, seeds, flowers, or extract chemicals, may be employed. Plants primarily function as immune system boosters and growth regulators, acting as an antimicrobial to the host immune response. This review is largely concerned with a variety of plants, such as herbs, seeds, and spices, in a variety of forms, such as crude, extracts, blended components, and bioactive elements. These plants are used as immunomodulators to prevent and control Aeromonas hydrophila in fish by significantly boosting their immune systems. The in vivo effects of several herbs and their constituents on the immune systems of various fish species as well as defense against a dangerous microbe Aeromonas hydrophila are addressed in this review

Spatial Variability of Micronutrients Around the Rain Fed Areas of Chakwal District Punjab, Pakistan

Mudassar Hussain — 2023-12-30

Micronutrients such as Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn and B are key factors without which plant does not complete his life cycle. The spatial patterns of five micronutrients were examined in order to implementation of site specific fertilizer management. The soil samples were collected from koont farm at Chakwal district which located at 33° 6' 42.54" to 33° 7' 16.98" North and 73° 0' 24.3" to 73° 1' 15.54" East. For this purpose, statistical and geostatistical analysis were performed on the basis of semi-variogram. The nugget to sill ratio is used to evaluate the spatial variability of micronutrients. The nugget/sill ratio indicates that the micronutrients were strongly spatial dependent except the Fe which was moderately spatial variable. The co-efficient of variance (CV) percentage was used to describe the spatial variability micronutrients. The CV percentage indicates that all the nutrients are spatial variable. The krging maps were prepared for each micronutrient which describes the spatial distribution of micronutrients. The spherical model was best fit for each micronutrient. This patchy distribution of soil micronutrients needs spatial management for precision agriculture.

Dragonflies Fauna (Odonata: Anisoptera) of Kech Balochistan, Pakistan

Bejjar Ahmed — 2023-12-30

District Kech of the Balochistan province of Pakistan is explored in present study for exploring Odonata fauna. It is the baseline work conducted in this area for Odonata diversity. Baluchistan occupies an important geographic as well as geo political positioning being bordered with Iran and representing palearctic as well as traces of Afrotropical fauna. Current study revealed 11 species (Pantala flavescens, Diplacodes lefebvrii, Trithemis kirbyi kirbyi, T.aurora, T. festiva, Brachydiplax sobrina, Crocothemis servilia, Sympetrum fonscolombii, Onychogomphus bistrigatus, Orthetrum sabina and Anax parthenope) under 03 families (Aeshnidae, Gomphidae and Libellulidae). Among recorded fauna five species viz, Onychogomphus bistrigatus, Brachydiplax sobrina, Trithemis festiva, T. aurora, and Diplacodes lefebvrii are first time reported from Balochistan province of Pakistan. The results indicate a high potential to bring forward more important records from Baluchistan province, if explored thoroughly and on broader scale.

Nutrient Ratio of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Effect on Seed Production and Attributes of Chinese Wheat Lines

Salman Abas — 2023-12-30

Application of major nutrients such as Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) at right time and right dose is inevitable to optimize wheat yield. Therefore, this study was laid out at Agriculture Research Farm University of Agriculture Peshawar during season of 2020-21 to evaluate the effect of different NP ratios on wheat yield. The details of the treatments were used Factor A (0, 45, 60, 75 kg P ha^-1) and Factor B (0, 90, 120, 150 N kg ha^-1). Four replications of a randomized complete block design were used to conduct the experiment. Nitrogen was applied three times, while phosphorus was applied during the sowing stage. Urea was employed as a source of nitrogen, and DAP was used as a source of phosphorus. Research data revealed that all the growth and yield attributes, apart from days to emergence and emergence m^-2, were strongly impacted by both the N and P treatments. Nitrogen fertilization @150 kg N ha^-1 and phosphorus @75 kg ha^-1 resulted in the increment of growth and yield attributes of wheat over control. According to the research, the application of 150 kg N and 75 kg P per hectare considerably increased the yield and yield-related characteristics of Chinese wheat lines in the Peshawar valley.

Study on Morphological Characteristics of Various Breeds of Aseel Chicken Inhabiting Taluka Chambar of District Tando Allahyar, Sindh

Rameez Raja Kaleri — 2023-12-30

This study was conducted to examine the phenotypic characteristics of backyard Aseel poultry birds in rural areas of Taluka Chambar, district Tando Allahyar during the year 2022. The aim was to determine the importance of backyard Aseel chicken and their phenotypic characteristics in various varieties of Aseel chickens. For this study, a total of 74 Aseel chickens were collected for phenotypic observation of their physical appearance from various villages of Taluka Chambar. A total of 8 Aseel chicken varieties, including Aseel Mottled, Aseel Wilaete Clation, Aseel Lakha, Aseel Behangam, Aseel Java, Aseel Black, Aseel Sindhi, and Aseel Beard Kulang, were included in the study. The findings of the present study showed that the highest percentage was observed in Sindhi Aseel (24.21%), followed by Black Aseel (17.51%), Aseel Mottled (15.33%), Aseel Lakha (10.63%), Aseel Java (9.11%), Aseel Behangam (7.13%). However, the lowest percentage was recorded in Aseel Beard Kulang (4.1%) and Aseel Wilaete Clation (6.01%). It is concluded that a wide range of Aseel chicken breeds were found in Taluka Chambar, district Tando Allahyar. This study provides basic information about various Aseel chicken breeds and their appearance, which will be an effective tool for planning breeding strategies and breed improvement programs for meat, egg, and cockfighting in the future.

Evaluation of Pea (Pisum sativum) Cultivars for Morphological Traits under the Agro-Climate of Upland Balochistan

Faiz Ullah Niazi — 2023-12-30

Pea is being a leguminous crop, contains high amount of protein and have all essential amino acids particularly lysine. In Pakistan the cultivation and production of peas are very low as compared to other developed countries of the world. The present study was conducted at Directorate of Agriculture Research Vegetable Seed Farm ARI Sariab for assessing the performance of locally grown pea varieties. The experimental trial was laid in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) consisting of five cultivars namely Classic, Climax, Meteor Faisalabad, Aleena Pak and Sarsabz, replicated in thrice and 15 selected and tagged plants from each experimental unit were used for data collection. The mean square variances of measured morphological traits showed highly significant (P < 0.01) differences among pea cultivars for all most all characters expect for plant height. This indicated that studied materials have sufficient genetic variability. The correlation analysis indicated that all traits were positively and significantly interlinked with each other, while the relation of seed emergence showed negative association with all yielding traits. Overall, two varieties viz., Classic and Climax performance superior over Meteor Faisalabad, Aleena Pak, and Sarsabz. Thus, identified suitable varieties should be used for general cultivation or may be utilized in breeding programs as a parents for developing new high yielding pea varieties for upland adjoining areas of Balochistan.

An Immune-Based Screening of Toll Like Receptor Pathways at Different Stages of Thiram Induced Tibial Lesion in Chicken Erythrocytes

Raza Ali Mangi — 2023-12-30

Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) is incredibly inclusive avian skeleton limb deformities which effect worldwide with unknown natural aetiology. Erythrocytes are the most abundant type of cells in the blood have direct role in immunity in many ways like It sequesters immune interferons, interleukins or chemokines and by binding nucleic acid but their role in TD genesis remains still mysterious. The present studies was designed to investigate innovative visions for TD remediation targets in poultry. We use tetramethyl thiram disulfide (thiram) for inducing TD at 1, 6, and 10 days then conclusive immune-related gene (IRG) expression Toll-like Receptors (TLRs) which are utmost important group of IRG, play a major role in evaluating immune system.Thiram 100 mg/kg and recombinant glutathione-S-transferase A3 (rGSTA3) proteins used about a dose of 20 & 50 μg/kg in avians. Current result revealed, erythrocytes express transcription of P38, Cysteine-aspartic acid protease (CASP8) which is regulated and activated by erythrocytes, moreover; normally T cell showed expression and secretion of (RANTES),Chemotactic cytokine legend-5 (CCL5),AP-1 complex subunit sigma-2(AP1S2), AP-1 complex subunit sigma-3 (AP1S3), adaptor protein-1(AP-2), Inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B kinase subunit epsilon (IKBKE), Nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor, epsilon (NFKBIE), Nuclear Factor of Kappa Chain gene strengthen in B Cells Inhibitor, alpha (NFKBIA), Mitogen-activated protein kinase-11 (MAPK11) and Mitogen-activated protein kinase-12 (MAPK12) with stimulation of 50μg/kg rGSTA3 protein significantly upgrades expression of CASP8, AP-1(AP1S3) NFKBIA at 1, 6 and 10 day. CCL5 became upgraded at 6 days, and MAPK11 and MAPK12 genes were dose-dependent expressed based on thiram feeding group's response to rGSTA3 protein at 10 days, while, control group (P<0.05) and CASP8 showed highest fold change expression 62.3 at 10 days. Therefore, these findings provide strong evidence that IRG expression is extensive and rGSTA3 protein supports the immune power of avian red blood cells by upregulating expression. The future prospective study provided the basis for further elucidating strategy of erythrocyte b/w expression of immune genes and development of TD.

The Impact of Nitrogen Potassium and Zinc Concentrations on the Development and Productivity of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

Asif Ali Kaleri — 2023-12-30

The Rabi season experiments conducted at SAU Tando Jam Agronomy Students Farm in 2020 and 2021 used a factorial randomized block design to investigate the impact of varying nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and zinc (Z) levels. Sixteen treatment combinations, with T₂=N=30%, T₃=N=15%, T₄=K=10%, T₅=N=45%+K=25%+Z=15%, T₆=N=60%+K=35%+Z=20, and T₇=N=90%+K=45%+Z=25%, were tested in triplicate. Optimal results were observed with the application of T₇= N = 90% + K = 45% + 25%. Yielding the highest values for key parameters. Notably, plant height reached 83.85 cm and 79.91 cm, branches per plant were 27.70 and 21.88, capitula per plant totaled 18.62 and 17.71, and seed capitula per plant were 21.20 and 20.71. Additionally, test weight, seed yield, and stover yield peaked at 51.23 g, 17.89 qha^-1, and 52.21 q ha^-1, respectively. Conversely, the control group exhibited consistently lower values across all measured aspects, affirming the positive impact of the optimized N, K, and Z levels on safflower growth and yield. The results of this study contribute valuable information to agronomic practices, emphasizing the significance of carefully calibrated nutrient levels to maximize crop performance in the Rabi season.

Study on the Correlation Estimates Between Various Internal and External Egg Quality Traits of Backyard Chicken

Rameez Raja Kaleri — 2023-12-30

The present study was carried out to analyze the correlation estimates between various quality traits of backyard chicken eggs in Chmabar taluka of Tando Allahyar district. For this purpose, a total of one hundred fifty fresh eggs of indigenous backyard chickens were collected from various places. The birds were kept under an intensive type management system and were twenty-eight weeks of age. The results of our study observed for eggshell thickness (cm), egg yolk index (%), egg shape index (%), egg albumen index (%), egg length (cm), egg width (cm), egg albumen height (mm), egg albumen width (mm), egg yolk height (mm), egg yolk width (mm), egg haugh unit, and egg weight (g) were 0.381±0.003, 47.254±0.113, 77.003±0.176, 11.915±0.243, 6.001±0.017, 3.791±0.032, 7.001±0.013, 58.321±0.71, 15.647±0.981, 35.498±0.215, 79.657±0.764, 42.033±0.535, respectively. The results for correlation estimates among various egg quality traits ranged from highest positive to lowest negative for different traits under the study. It is concluded that indigenous chickens produce good quality eggs with better egg weight and shell thickness. It is suggested that if indigenous chickens are raised under better management conditions, they can produce better quality eggs in size and egg content compared with exotic breeds raised on expensive feed under controlled environment sheds

Empowering Food Security: The Role of Education in Alleviating Poverty in Developing Countries – A Case Study of Pakistan

Mariam Abbas Soharwardi — 2023-12-30

The current research study explores the connection between food security, poverty status, and education in Pakistan. It also highlights the role of education in mitigating the impact of poverty on food security. Additionally, the study examines how factors such as livestock ownership, foreign remittances, the age of respondents, and having a female head of household influence food security. The research utilizes data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standard Measurement (PSLM) survey conducted in 2019-20. Utilizing PSLM survey data offers several advantages. This survey is conducted by a team of experts and covers all regions of Pakistan, encompassing a wide range of indicators related to food security, education, poverty, and more. The study reveals that livestock ownership, education, receipt of foreign remittances, and having a female head of household all have a significant positive impact on food security, while poverty has a notable negative impact, indicating that individuals facing poverty are particularly vulnerable to food security threats in Pakistan. Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of education to serve as a protective factor, allowing individuals experiencing poverty to offset its negative effects on food security, both in urban and rural areas. Importantly, disparities between urban and rural areas in Pakistan and differences in educational attainment are also brought to light by this research. Finally, the study offers policy recommendations aimed at assisting the government in resource management and poverty reduction efforts

Population Abundance of Aphid on Fenugreek: (Family, Fabaceae) Sown in Different Dates within a Season

Aakash Sario — 2023-12-30

Aphids are notorious agricultural pests known to inflict damage by feeding on plant sap and transmitting plant diseases. Understanding the dynamics of aphid populations on fenugreek can provide valuable insights for optimizing cultivation practices and pest management strategies. Trigonella foenum-graecum L. is a vegetable as well as used for its medicinal value in the globe. The winter sowing is severely damaged by aphid infestation. The experiment involved sowing fenugreek seeds at multiple dates during the growing season, and regular monitoring was conducted to assess the aphid population abundance on the plants. Results showed that aphid infestation can be less on crop sowing in the February. The minimum numbers of aphids were recorded in last observation with mean number 6.17 ± 0.33. The peak populations of aphids were recorded 23.83 ± 0.33 in the fourth observation. The minimum numbers of aphids were recorded in the second treatment. Result showed that the appearance of aphid population from first week with mean number 1.50 ± 0.22 in the treatment three and the peak aphid population were recorded 8.33 ± 0.21 in the three observation. Preliminary findings indicate that the timing of fenugreek sowing significantly influences the aphid population dynamics. Early sown crops may experience a different pattern of aphid infestation compared to those sown later in the season. The study contributes to the broader understanding of the ecological interactions between aphids and fenugreek within a seasonal context, aiding in the development of sustainable agricultural practices

Assessment of Soil Fertility by Application of Farmyard Manure in Sunflower (Helianthus annus L.) Crop in Turbat Balochistan

Abdul Rehman — 2023-12-30

Sunflower is an important crop being grown worldwide. The experiment was carried out in the field in 2023 at the Research Farm Turbat Balochistan using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replicates to assess the effects of various quantities of Farmyard manure (FYM) on sunflower. T1 = FYM = 0 kg/plot^-1 (control), T2 = FYM = 20 kg/ plot^-1, T3 = FYM = 40 kg/ plot^-1 and T4 = FYM = 60 kg/ plot^-1 were the different treatments. It was observed that varied quantities of farmyard manure (FYM) significantly (_P 0.05) affected sunflower growth and seed yield. Using T4 = FYM = 60 kg/ plot^-1 to fertilize sunflowers produced plants measuring 18.54 m², 172.66 cm in height, 65.45 days to flowering, 56.33 centimeter in head diameter, 893.67 seeds per head, 54.55 g in seed weight, 85.05 g in seed index 1000 seed weight and 2212.3 kg in seed output per plot. The same is true for sunflower which was fertilized with T3 = FYM = 40 kg/ plot^-1, (16.87 m²) plant population, 165.34 centimeter height of plant, 70.67 days to flower maturity, 53.66 centimeter head size, 840.38 seeds per head, 51.77 g seed weight per head, 81.45 g seed index per 1000 seeds and 200 kg seed yield per plot. T2 = FYM = 20 kg/ plot^-1, (15.67 m² plant population, 160.23 cm plant height, 75.87 days of flowering maturity, 49.34 centimeter head diameter, 780.66 seeds per head, 46.45 g seed weight per head, 72.27 g seed index per 1000 seeds and 1830.8 kg seed yield per plot are the parameters for the sunflower. T1 = FYM = 0 kg/ plot^-1 resulted in (13.45 m²) plants, (152.56 cm) plant height (80.67) days until flowering (45.15 cm) head diameter, (650.33) seeds per head, (40.66 g) seeds per head, (68.55 g) seeds per 1000 seeds, and (1650.5 kg) seed yield per plot. After reviewing the research data it was determined that rising amounts of farmyard manure (FYM) correlated with an increase in sunflower growth and production. The Sunflower fertilized with T₄= FYM = 60 kg/ plot^-1 resulted in highest. n conclusion, the assessment of soil fertility through the application of farmyard manure (FYM) in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) cultivation presents a holistic approach to sustainable agriculture

Alteration in Ionic Contents due to Bacterial Leaf Spot of Spinach Disease

Shahbaz Hussain — 2023-12-31

Current study was aimed to analyze the consumption of nutrients against Bacterial leaf spot of spinach caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. spinaciae through leaf analysis. It was performed after the application of treatments (Streptomycin sulphate and Acacia nilotica extract) according to CRD under greenhouse conditions. The leaf analysis revealed the maximum concentration of nutrients was recorded in healthy plants (positive control) followed by Streptomycin sulphate and Acacia nilotica extract as compared to diseased plants (negative control). This showed the Pseudomonas syringae pv. spinaciae depleted more plant nutrients in diseased plants as compared to healthy plants and treatments. This was also revealed by the application of treatments (Streptomycin sulphate and A. nilotica) that there was less consumption of nutrients as compared to negative control. The increased ionic contents in healthy and treated plants showed the strengthened biochemical and physiological processes of the host plants which helped to avoid the spread of pathogen.

Screening of Advanced Germplasm against Ascochyta rabiei and its Management

Azhar Javed — 2023-12-31

Ascochyta blight is caused by Ascochyta rabiei, one of the most prevalent chickpea diseases worldwide. Losses could reach as high as 100%, and this damage could significantly affect both seed quality and production. The most effective way for the management of this disease is genetic resistance. Seventeen chickpea varieties/lines were screened against a virulent isolate of Ascochyta rabiei in controlled environmental conditions. Advance Line-2, Bittle-2016, and Noor-2009 within the germplasm exhibit a moderately resistant reaction. TG-1415 and Advance Line-1 demonstrate a moderately susceptible response. On the other hand, Noor-2013, Star-Channa, and Rohi display a highly susceptible response. In the poisoned food technique among applied treatments at 50 ppm, Diphenoconazole proved be best, with a 46% reduction in the growth of the pathogen, followed by propiconazole and Azoxystrobine+Diphenoconazole with 45.5 % and 45%, respectively. In the mean while in glasshouse evaluation at 50ppm, Diphenoconazol proved best with a minimum disease severity of 24%, followed by propiconazole and Metalaxyl with a 25.9% and 27% reduction in disease severity, respectively.