Microbial single-cell proteins (SCPs) made from bacteria, yeast, and algae are gaining popularity due to the growing demand for sustainable protein substitutes worldwide. These proteins, which have an in vitro digestibility of over 85
Onion, a cool season crop, is widely cultivated from seed, sets (small bulbs) and transplants. Among these methods, transplanted plants are uniform, more tolerant of biological stresses and can reach early maturity compared to direct seeded plants. Hence, proper nursery management is the most important practice to produce healthy and uniform seedlings/transplants. Seedling age at transplanting has a significant role in achieving desired field establishment and yield increment. Underage seedlings (30-45 days) face difficulty in field establishment due to young, tender roots resulting in reduced plant height, delayed plant maturity and producing non-marketable bulbs. Menawhile, older or over aged seedlings (60-85 days) are also not good for effective plant growth as they hastens maturity with a high bolting ratio and formation of doubled/split bulbs. However, medium aged seedlings (45-60 days old) can produce optimum growth and subsequently yield. Similarly optimum transplant age influences cultural practices to be carried out. Thus this present review will evaluate a relationship between seedling age and onion plant growth and their influence on bulb yield.
Olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivation is gaining attention and expanding rapidly in Pakistan, predominantly in the Pothwar region. Being a new intervention, optimized nutrient recommendations for olive are lacking and need appropriate nutrient recommendation for achieving high fruit yield and oil productivity. During this study different nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer combinations were tested on the yield performance of olive trees (Arbequina cv.) of ten years age at Chakwal, Pakistan. Treatments consisted of three N levels (400, 500, and 600 g tree-1) and two P levels (200 and 300 g tree⁻¹), while potassium was applied uniformly at 300 g tree-1. Two plants were selected under each treatment and laid in randomized complete block design (RBCD) arrangement. Fertilizer application was completed according to treatment plan, all phosphorus, ⅟3 nitrogen and ½ potash was applied in first week of March before flowering, ⅟3 nitrogen in mid-April after fruit formation and ⅟3 nitrogen and ½ potash was applied in the end of August. Plants were closely monitored during the whole period. During the month of October, olive fruits were picked from each tree after ripening, yield parameters including fruit weight/tree, average weight/fruit and oil content of fruit were recorded for each treatment. Results showed that increasing N and P application rates significantly improved olive productivity and oil accumulation. Among the tested treatments, NPK application at 600-300-300 g tree⁻¹ (T6) produced the highest fruit yield and superior fruit quality attributes, indicating that adequate nutrient supply is critical for maximizing olive performance in Pothwar conditions. The results suggest that application of 600 g N, 300 g P, and 300 g K per tree represents the most effective nutrient combination for ‘Arbequina’ olive. These findings provide a locally validated fertilization strategy to enhance olive productivity and support the sustainable development of Pakistan’s emerging olive industry.
Pea (Pisum sativum L.), a vital leguminous crop, is severely affected by Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. In the current study, we tested the effectiveness of biocontrol agents under in vitro and pot conditions. The pathogen was isolated from infected plants collected from Faisalabad. The pathogen was identified based on morphological features. Four biocontrol agents were tested using a dual culture technique under in vitro conditions: Bacillus subtilis, Janthinobacterium lividum, Beauveria bassiana, and Verticillium lecanii. The biocontrol agents were further tested using a seed priming technique on three varieties of peas: Sarsabz, Mateor, and Pea-2009. Results showed that J. lividum exhibited maximum inhibitory activity (31.97%) at 12 days of incubation, however, B. subtilis consistently showed antagonistic activity (24.80%). In pot experiments, B. subtilis significantly reduced disease incidence and severity in all varieties as compared to controls. In addition, B. subtilis significantly improved growth parameters in comparison to controls under pot conditions. Among the varieties, Sarsabz showed better results. It can be concluded that B. subtilis showed promising potential for the management of Fusarium wilt of pea under controlled conditions, however, further validation under field conditions and molecular-level investigations are required.
Malnutrition is increasing worldwide, particularly among women and children. The use of fast food is trending among youth nowadays, and sauce is an inevitable component of fast food. Moringa leaf powder (1-5%) was used as a supplement in tamarind sauce to provide essential nutrients, while plain tamarind sauce was considered the control. Supplemented sauce as well as the control was analyzed for titratable acidity, TSS, pH, antioxidant capacity, bioactive compounds like total phenols and ascorbic acid, as well as total plate count during 28 days of storage. It was observed that pH (2.11-2.48), TSS (38.64-44.880B), ascorbic acid (36.37-40.90 mg/100 g), antioxidant activity (39.28-46.98%), and total phenols (108.38-119.40 mgGAE/100g) increased with the rise in level of moringa leaf powder. Acidity (1.76-1.08 %), color value L (26.22-25.97), a* (4.83-3.98), b* (3.78-3.33), and total plate count (1.68-1.35 log CFU/ml) showed a gradual declining trend in sauce samples with rising level of moringa leaf powder. Sensory evaluation scores varied between 7.89-6.83, 7.46-7.03, 7.36-6.96, and 7.66-6.58, respectively, for taste, texture, color, and overall acceptability. Sensory perception scores decline with increasing levels of moringa leaf powder. T1 with 1% moringa leaf powder was considered the best based on sensorial scores. However, leaf powder incorporation up to 3% was acceptable based on sensory perception along with the improved nutrient profile.
