[en] Abstract:- This study examined 10 elite genotypes of sesame across three locations for the estimation of genotypes environment(GE) interaction and to identify stable genotype(s) using stability parameters, and to determine inter-parameters correlation. Two locations (NARC and D.I. Khan) were suitable for high productivity. PR-19-9-S produced maximum (341 kgha ) at NARC and V-90005 produced 344 kgha and PARS-I produced 304 kgha at D.I Khan. The variance due to GE interaction was highly significant for all the traits showing heritable variation among the genotypes. The linear component of GE interaction was also significant for all traits except branches per plant. Pooled deviation was significant only for yield indicating the differential genotypic response across the locations. The significant variance due to environment (linear) indicated that the performance of genotypes was under genetic control. The b-values of V-90005, T-89 and PARS-I were larger than unit regression; hence were suitable for favourable environments for yield. Whereas, V-III and Sanghar- I were with b-values less than unity indicating their below average response. For branches per plant, Sanghar-1 and S-17 had regression coefficients less than one with negative sign making them suitable only for poor environment. Four genotypes namely, Sanghar-I, S-17, PR-19-9-S, and Rattodero-1 had greater than unity and non-significant regression coefficients with high response towards better agronomic conditions and were stable due to low deviation from regression. Correlations of mean with b-value and S d, for seed yield were highly significant and positive suggesting that average yield could be considered as a measure of response and stability. (author)

[en] Abstract:- A set of 55 linseed accessions including a check variety (Chandni) were evaluated under rainfed conditions during three crop seasons i.e. 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11. Data were recorded for days to flower initiation, flower completion, maturity, reproductive period, plant height, branches per plant, bolls per plant, plot biomass, harvest index and seed yield. Wide ranges between the mean values with high CV values were exhibited by plant height, bolls per plant, biomass and seed yield accompanied with maximum values of variances and standard deviation, revealed the existence of greater genetic diversity in the accessions for these traits. Dendrogram based on Euclidean distance coefficient using 10 quantitative traits, grouped all the linseed accessions into 13 clusters. Cluster II was the biggest and had 33 accessions followed by Cluster I having 11 accessions. For the development of high yielding varieties, best performing accessions of Clusters I and II could be used in hybridization programme by crossing with accessions of Clusters VII, VIII, IX and X followed by selection in segregating populations. (author)

[en] A study was conducted on a sandy clay loam soil at the National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan, during 2005 and 2006. The mustard (Brassica juncea) variety BARD-1 was treated with various levels of Zn and Fe, (0-0, 0-1.5, 0-3, 2.5-0, 2.5-1.5, 2.5-3, 5-0, 5-1.5 kgha/sup -1/ and 5-3 kgha/sup -1/, respectively. A basal dose of 90N and 60P kgha/sup -1/ was applied, in the form of Urea and triple super phosphate (TSP) with Zn and Fe. The increase in Zn and Fe fertility from 0-1.5 to 5-1.5 kg ha/sup -1/ increased yield of BARD-I. The maximum yield response was recorded when 5 kg ha/sup -1/ Zn and 1.5 kg ha/sup -1/ Fe were applied. Beyond this level, no further increase in yield was recorded in any mustard traits. A positive correlation was recorded between seed yield and 1000-seed weight with the application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 and 1.5 kg Fe ha/sup -1/ in combination at the time of sowing. It can therefore be concluded that 100 % seed yield of mustard variety BARD-l increased at 5 Zn: 1.5 Fc kg ha-1 as a result of increased pods plant/sup -l/, number of seeds pod-1 and 1000-seed weight. (author)

[en] A study was conducted during 2008 and 2009 to find out boron requirements and critical concentrations in diagnostic parts of three peanut genotypes, BARD-479, ICG-7326 and ICGV-92023. These genotypes were grown in boron deficient soil at National Agricultural Research -1 Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan. Five rates 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 kg B ha as boric acid (H BO) were applied. Boron fertilizer applications significantly increased dry pod yield of all the tested genotypes over control. Dry pod yields of BARD-479, ICG-7326, and ICGV-92023 increased by 14-20%, 21-26% and 27-34%, respectively. Genotype BARD-479 was the most boron efficient user, 83-88% followed by ICG-7326, 79-83% and ICGV-92023, 75-79%. Critical boron concentrations in plant shoot terminals recorded were 22-48, 23-50 and 25-54 mg kg during 2008 and 27-51, 30-55 and 31-58 mg kg during 2009 in BARD-479, ICG-7326 and ICGV-92023, respectively. Critical boron concentrations observed in pods of BARD-479, ICG-7326 and ICGV-92023 genotypes were 17-34, 20-38 and 22-40 mg kg during 2008 and 21-36, 23-39 and 24-44 mg kg during 2009, respectively. Total uptake of boron both in pods and haulm noted were 85-177, 88-188 and 89-189 g ha during 2008 and 89-174, 93-183 and 89-190 g ha during 2009, in BARD-479, ICG-7326 and ICGV-92023, respectively. Critical boron concentrations in different plant tissues were higher in all genotypes as compared to control treatments during the two years. The boron using efficiency of peanut genotypes declined in the order of BARD-479 > ICG-7326 >ICGV-92023. A boron fertilizer requirement observed for the highest dry pods yields was 1.0 kg B ha for all genotypes and yield decreases gradually after certain level by increasing boron fertilizer rates. (author)

[en] Textile wastewater contains organics and color dyes which need to be treated before discharging into receiving water bodies. Sequencing batch reactor (SBR) is proved promising against textile wastewater due to its high organic and nutrient removal efficiencies. In this study the influence of variable hydraulic retention time (HRT) on the performance of SBR in treating combined textile and domestic wastewater was evaluated. Six SBRs were operated in parallel at 12 and 8 hrs HRTs respectively, three for synthetic and three for real textile plus domestic wastewater. SBRs were operated at constant temperature 25 +- 1 degree C and pH 7 +- 1 to avoid seasonal effects. The biological oxygen demand (BOD) removal efficiency was consistent at 73% while, total suspended solids (TSS) removal efficiency increased from 52 to 63% in SBRs with decrease in HRT from 12 to 8 hrs. The organic loading rate (OLR) increased from 0.45 to 0.68 Kg/m3/d, SVI decreased from 94 to 84 mL/g and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency increased in real waste water (RWW) SBRs from 59 to 63% with decrease in HRT from 12 to 8 hrs. Low COD removal at 12 hr HRT can be attributed to poor settling characteristics of sludge due to possible filamentous growth at low F/M (0.03) and greater SRT (28 days) as compared to 8 hr HRT condition, where F/M was 0.05 and SRT of 20 days. (author)

[en] The highly porous power plant waste ashes have been utilized to treat toxic effluent of a dyes manufacturing plant. An attempt has been made for the first time in Pakistan, to generate an effective and economically sound treatment facility for the toxic effluent of a dyes manufacturing plant. This is an indigenous bed which could replace expensive treatment facilities, such as reverse osmosis (RO), granulated activated carbon (GAC) bed, etc. The treatment efficiency was improved by coupling coagulants with fly ash adsorbent bed. The ash was collected from coal fired boilers of power plant at Lakhra Power Generation Company, Jamshoro, Pakistan. The use of this ash resolved the disposal and environmental issues by treating wastewater of chemical, dyes and pigment industry. The treatment bed comprised of briquettes of coal fly ash coupled with commercial coagulant ferrous sulfate-lime reduced COD, color, turbidity and TSS of effluent remarkably. An adsorption capacity and chemical behavior of fly ash bed was also studied. In coagulation treatment, coagulant FeSO/sun 4/-lime influenced reduction of COD, color, turbidity and TSS by 32 percentage, 48 percentage, 50 percentage and 51 percentage, respectively. The CFAB coupled with coagulant, resulted an excessive removal of color, TSS, COD, and turbidity by 88 percentage, 92 percentage, 67 percentage and 89 percentage, respectively. (author)