This study examines the relationship between environmental quality, measured by carbon emissions (CO 2 ), and life expectancy (LE) in 31 developing nations from 1981 to 2020. The analysis uses the panel autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL)/pooled mean group (PMG) approach. Panel cointegration tests suggest cointegration in the series. The results indicate that environmental quality has a significantly negative impact on LE, whereas real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the age dependency ratio have positive effects. The Dumitrescu–Hurlin Granger causality test shows a feedback relationship among all variables. These findings suggest the need for emission reduction policies to mitigate the adverse effects of CO 2 emissions on public health. It is essential to address the negative impact of CO 2 emissions on the environment and public health to achieve sustainable development goals.

Challenges to cotton farming in recent scenario of climatic changes can be mitigated by digital innovations and applications in cotton farming. Digital innovations can offer numerous opportunities for sustainability and improved productivity. Technologies including remote sensing, digital information system, and artificial intelligence can boost/redefine crop monitoring and management practices. Implementation of technologies like smart sensors, satellite imaging, management software/machine learning, autonomous machinery can redefine decision making about crop with the higher yield and lower costs of inputs. Environmental impacts of hazardous crop protection chemicals and inefficient use of irrigation water contributes to loss in biodiversity. In a market chain, digital innovations can assist in transparency and traceability to meet consumer demand and sustainability.

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), usually known as ‘white gold’ is a perennial crop with an indeterminate growth habit and is grown as an annual crop in the agricultural system. Due to changing climatic conditions cotton has to face many stresses which can affect seed cotton yield and fiber quality. The change in climatic conditions and management practices can alter the behavior of cotton plants which is mostly due to the variations in plant hormone levels. To make cotton crops steady and get its full yield potential, the exogenous application of plant growth regulator (PGR) has imparted significant positive effects. In this study, three PGRs (auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin at the rate of 1ppm/litter) were used to test their effect on seedlings of two established cotton varieties (FH-492 and FH-317) and for yield and fiber quality contributing traits in field conditions. Both the varieties responded differently to each PGR treatment at the flowering stage. The results revealed that PGRs do not affect seedlings to improve vigor and growth. However, yield contributing traits showed a positive response to PGRs by showing an increase in boll retention percentage up to 61%, boll weight up to 31%, seed cotton yields up to 40%, and 21% increase in ginning out turn (GOT%) compared to control. Auxin and gibberellin also increased fiber length (>5%) and decreased mic (<10%) to produce longer and finer fiber in both varieties. However, cytokinin showed a positive effect only on GOT% of both the varieties (18% in FH-492 and 11% in FH-317). Overall, the study demonstrates that exogenous application of plant growth regulators can enhance cotton yield and fiber quality, providing a promising strategy to improve crop resilience under changing climatic conditions

This review identifies and prioritizes key research gaps in the global cotton sector, with a specific focus on challenges facing Pakistan's cotton production. The article synthesizes gaps found in existing literature, methodologies, theoretical frameworks, data verification, and practical implementation. It highlights that the most critical issues facing Pakistan's cotton sector include genetic limitations, poor seed quality, pest management failures, and the impacts of climate change. The review also notes that these challenges are compounded by weak institutional support, insufficient investment, and a lack of effective farming practices. This analysis emphasizes that addressing these interconnected gaps requires strengthening collaborations, adopting innovative research techniques, and implementing targeted policy interventions to foster a more sustainable and equitable cotton sector.

The present research study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of compost to enhance nutrients status in plants grown from salt stress environment having the values of 8.63, 49.5 and 18.99 for soil reaction, total soluble salts and sodium adsorption ratio, respectively. The experiment comprised of 6 treatments: with 4 replications. Treatments were: T1 = Control, T2 = Mineral fertilizers, T3 = Compost (12 mg ha-1), T4 = Compost (24 mg ha-1), T5 = T2 + T3 and T6 = T2 + T4 that were arranged according to RCBD. Thirty days prior to rice transplantation in the field, compost was added to all the plots as per treatment plan. Rice and wheat crops were grown and harvested at maturity level. Plant samples were collected from all plots and shifted to laboratory for chemical analysis. It was noted from the results that utilization of compost proved to be superior to build up nutrient status in rice and wheat plants when compared with mineral fertilizers. Quantities of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium were enriched when compost was utilized with mineral fertilizers. Addition of compost at second level 24 mg ha-1 (T4) proved more effective when compared with level one; T1 (12 mg ha-1). However, the quantity of sodium was reduced with the use of compost in T3 as well as T4. Based on these results, it is concluded that compost can be utilized to enrich plant tissues with various nutrients like N, P, K, Ca and Mg.

Soil salinity, a major concern in many regions globally, including Pakistan, increasingly threatens agricultural productivity. A promising solution is the application of biochar, a material with high carbon content produced through the pyrolysis of organic residues, such as agricultural and forest waste. Four types of biochar, including rice straw biochar (RSB), modified rice straw biochar (MRSB), wheat straw biochar (WSB), and modified wheat straw biochar (MWSB), at the rate of 0

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Potassium (K) is a crucial element required for the healthy growth of plants, as it activates many enzymatic reactions in the plant body. Nowadays, K -deficiency is widespread worldwide. The high cost of potassium fertilization and less awareness about the pros of external nutrition from K fertilizer application are possible reasons for K -deficient soils in Pakistan. Efforts are ongoing to improve the potassium use efficiency (KUE) and bioavailability of K from commercial potassium sources. Therefore, a field experiment commenced to minimize the bioavailable K losses using carbon sequestering fertilizer (CSF) under saline soil conditions (4 dS m -1 ) using wheat as a test crop in Pind Dadan Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. The experiment ran in a three -replication randomized complete block design (RCBD) statistical scheme using four treatments, i.e., T1 = Control; T2 = Filter cake press mud (FCP) as CSF; T3 = Sulphate of potash (SOP); and T4 = SOP + FCP, using two wheat varieties, namely, Faisalabad 2008 (FSD-08) and Chakwal-50. Results implied that SOP application in combination with FCP (T4) performed best treatments with Faisalabad 2008 as the better variety than Chakwal-50 under saline growth environment. Maximum spike length (8.85 cm), the number of grains/spike (45), shoot dry weight (2.75 g), soil K contents (310 ppm), soil C content (1.03%), chlorophyll content (2.18 mu mol m - 2 ), and H-ATPs (99.5) resulted in Faisalabad 2008 when applied with the combination of SOP and FCP (T4). Thus, the combined application of mineral and organic sources of CSF improved the wheat growth parameters and nutritional status of the soil.

Pakistan is the 5th largest producer of cotton in the world. Exports of cotton and textile products have a share of around 60 percent in overall exports of the country. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the different fiber quality parameters in relation to different insect pest populations. The introduction of this new types of cultivars may satisfy the needs of farmers for better quality and quantity, laborers who harvest crops, and other investors, including those in the cotton sector. A field research was carried out at the Cotton Research Station, Faisalabad, Pakistan, during the year 2023 cotton cultivars (VH-447, FH-1133, BH-228, SLH-94, MNH-S GOLD, BH-227, FH-1214, MNH-1095, VH-442, MNH-1090, RH-BAGHO BAHAR, MNH-1050, and MNH-TP) were evaluated for resistance to sucking pests such as whitefly (Bemisia tabaci); jassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttula); and thrips (Thrips tabaci) as well as bollworms such as pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella); spotted bollworm (Earias insulana; E. vitelli); and American bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera). There were notable variations across the genotypes in terms of the population of sucking and bollworm insect pest infestation, which lowers cotton production and negatively affects fiber quality. FH-1133 showed the lowest average populations of thrips (1.00/leaf), jassid (0.27/leaf), and whiteflies (2.00/leaf), indicating the highest resistance. The average population (9.84%) of pink bollworm larvae in residual boll. The virus percentage on different cotton genotypes recorded after 30, 60, 90, and 120 days was 0.00, 9.00, 14.00, and 19.00%, respectively. The cultivar FH-1133 was observed to be good for all other genotypes of cotton due to its yield (2372.50 kg/acre), and it had the following lint quality attributes: GOT (46.50%), staple length (28.50 mm), fiber fineness (4.70 µg/inch), and fiber strength (33.20 g/tex).

Insect pollinators contribute a major part in cross-pollination, few among them visit the sesame flowers that enhance the yield in terms of both qualitative and quantitative. The investigation took place at the oilseed research farm, National Agricultural Research Centre aiming to evaluate the pollinator profile of sesame and the impact of Apis mellifera on yield enhancement. Hymenopterans were the predominant floral visitors, constituting 90.81% of the total floral visitors, followed by the Dipterans and Coleopterans. Bees emerged as the most frequent floral visitors, with Bombus haemorrhoidalis being the most abundant at 27.16%, followed by A. dorsata (25.04%), A. mellifera (16.27%), and A. florea (9.34%). All the bee species started their activity before 09:00 am. Bombus haemorrhoidalis, A. dorsata, A. cerana, and A. mellifera attained their peak activity at 09:00 am whereas A. florea at 03:00 pm and Xylocopa fenestrata at 12:00 pm. The maximum number of pods with greater seed weight and yield was obtained in open-pollinated (41.53 pods/m2, 3.44 gm/1000 seeds, and 91.97 gm/m2 respectively) followed by A. mellifera and self-pollinated. This study concluded that honeybees especially A. mellifera play an important role in increasing the sesame yield. Further studies should focus on the impact of Apis and non-Apis bees on the reproductive success of sesame in terms of a single visit -as it is a tool for measuring the impact of pollinators on plant reproductive success- and the influence of climatic conditions like wind velocity, ambient temperature, light intensity, and relative humidity on the bee foraging activity.

This study explores the impact of research and development (R&D) investment and financial development on environmental degradation measured by carbon emissions (CO2), and energy use along with some other variables in a panel of 12 Asian economies using balanced panel data from 1997 to 2020. The empirical estimates of fully modified ordinary least squares and dynamic ordinary least squares reveal that R&D spending, financial development, and globalization lower environmental degradation by reducing CO2 emissions. In contrast, economic growth, energy use, population, and industrialization increase environmental degradation (Model 1). Moreover, economic growth, R&D spending, financial development, environmental degradation, and industrialization have a positive direct effect on energy use, whereas population and globalization have an inverse relationship with energy use (Model 2). These empirical findings recommend that the management authorities of Asian economies need to develop thoughtful action plans to achieve a balance between economic growth, financial and industrial development, and the accomplishment of sustainable development goals by reducing carbon emissions and sustaining energy consumption.

This study empirically investigates the effect of surplus education on the earnings distribution in Pakistan using quantile regression. The method of realized matches is used to measure the required level of education in each occupation from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement (PSLM) 2013-14 survey data. There is heterogeneity in returns to surplus education among overeducated workers. These returns are higher for workers at the upper half as compared to the lower half of the earnings distribution. Surplus education earns positive returns but less than the returns associated with the level of education required for jobs. Further, the difference in returns among the overeducated is higher than the difference in returns among workers who have the required education for the job. The findings imply that the surplus education factor is significant in explaining how education contributes in earnings differentials and inequality.

Farmers are using municipal wastewater-either treated or untreated-for irrigation because of limited freshwater resources. The current study conducted a detailed survey of areas using consistent irrigation with wastewater. Soil and water samples collected from the selected sites include the suburbs of Sargodha, i.e., Chak No. 79, Raza Garden, Chak. No. 50Nb, Hameed Town, Istaqlalabad Colony, and underwent laboratory analysis. The maximum EC (3.64 dS m -1 ) resulted in wastewater samples collected from Raza Garden and the highest SAR (7.04) and RSC (2.28 me L -1 ) came from wastewater samples collected from Chak No. 79. Maximum lead, nickel, and arsenic analysis were 2.52, 0.15, and 0.06 mg L -1 , respectively, from wastewater samples collected from Chak. No. 50Nb, with a uniform concentration of cadmium (0.01 mg L -1 ) in wastewater samples collected from all five mentioned sites e. The maximum pH (8.25), SAR (13.69), organic matter (0.68%), lead (11.56 mg kg -1 ), cadmium (1.71 mg kg -1 ), nickel (12.85 mg kg -1 ), and arsenic (4.62 mg kg -1 ) emerged from soil samples collected from the Raza Garden site. On the other hand, the highest EC (4.12 dS m -1 ) occurred in soil samples of the Istaqlalabad Colony. Based on these results, an urgent advisory should reach the farming community not to use wastewater for irrigation in untreated form because it has ill effects on soil health, contaminating the plants.

Potassium (K) plays a key role in numerous plant metabolic processes, and its adequate amount is necessary for proper plant growth and development. Imbalanced fertilizer application has rapidly depleted the soil available K and harmed crops. However, the science-based K application in crops must follow the 4R nutrient stewardship approach to enhance crop yields. Therefore, a planned pot study used the 4R nutrient management technique for wheat potassium management. The evaluation of two wheat cultivars (Punjab-2008 and Barani-2011) employed two commercial K sources (MOP and SOP) with different application methods (basal and foliar) and sowing times (15 October, 15 November, and 15 December). The wheat variety Punjab-2008 performed better in root and shoot length, fresh biomass, and grain yield between 15 October and 15 November. Meanwhile, the Barani-2011, sown on 15 November, produced higher total chlorophyll contents and water use efficiency (WUE). The use of SOP (high dose), MOP (medium to high dose), and foliar spray of SOP at 1.5% and 3% resulted in maximum shoot length and the root-to-shoot ratio for both tested cultivars. Punjab-2008 produced higher grain yield when applied with a high SOP level than a high level of MOP. Similarly, a maximum leaf area index and proline contents observed in Punjab-2008 occurred with a high level of SOP applied. In contrast, a higher net photosynthesis rate and WUE emerged in Barani-2011 under a medium SOP level and a higher level of MOP. Thus, the conclusion is that medium to high rates of SOP proved a better source of K nutrition for improving yield parameters of wheat cultivars.

Potassium plays a critical part in series of central metabolic and physiological developments in the plant (Cakmak and Kirkby, 2008;Marschner, 1986).In plant body, its buildup rate during initial stages of development leads nitrogen buildup.So, its provision to plants looks to be pivotal for nitrogen exploitation, Abstract | Potassium (K) fertilizer is costly in Pakistan and K from soil is depleting with intensive cropping which made it necessary to find out innovative ways to conserve native K in soil.Following study was carried out to possibly find a way to overcome bioavailable potassium losses and to access the efficacy of carbon sequestering fertilizers in this regard using wheat as a test crop under aridisols.Different carbon sequestering fertilizers (CSFs) i.e., press mud, compost and fly ash were applied @ 0% (control), 0.5 and 1% of soil weight along with recommended doses of two K chemical fertilizers (SOP and MOP).After the crop was harvested, soil sampling was carried out followed by analysis in the laboratory.All collected data was statistically analyzed for interpretations.It was depicted from results that use of carbon sequestering fertilizer (press mud @ 1 %) along with commercial K fertilizer (SOP) performed superior by resulting in maximum K content in shoot (2.13 %), K content in root (1.12 %) and K content in soil (330 ppm).Similarly, highest fresh weight (42.43 g) and dry biomass (14.37 g) of wheat were also observed when SOP was used in combination with press mud as CSF.

Brackish water used for irrigation in shortage of appropriate soil-water-crop practices often constitutes salinity in the soil profile. Canal irrigation water is scarce to aid agriculture; thus, a supplementary water supply requires accessibility from drainage water. In Pakistan, groundwater is brackish because of elevated levels of electrical conductivity (EC), residual sodium carbonates (RSC), and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR). But these waters can benefit well for irrigation during the primary phase of saline-sodic soil’s reclamation, if employing appropriate management practices, such as, chemical and organic amendments. A pot trial procedure ran under environmental conditions at the research area of the Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, to assess the effect of sodic water with various amendments on sorghum and berseem fodder crops. The pot experiment comprised seven treatments, including T1 = Control having canal water with SAR 0.1 and EC 0.2 dS m-1 ; T2 = Sodic water with SAR 15; T3 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + Gypsum; T4 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + H2SO4; T5 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + compost; T6 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + FYM; T7 = Sodic water (SAR 15) + poultry manure, with three replicates under complete randomized design (CRD) by sowing sorghum “JS-88” and berseem “Hisar Berseem 1” cultivars taken from the Fodder Research Institute (FRI), Sargodha. The agronomic and fodder quality attributes were maximum in T3 treatment in sorghum compared with other concentrations and berseem. In both crops, mineral nutrients were variable, and nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium were maximum in T5, compared with others.

IntroductionT omato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is an herbaceous member of the nightshade family Solanaceae.Edible portion is technically a fruit but commonly used as vegetable.This herbaceous plant typically grows tall and stem sprawl over the ground.Various cultivars differ on the basis of fruit shape, size, diameter and color.Several forms of consumption of tomatoes are pulp, salad, sauces, ketchup etc. (Rowles et al., 2018).Tomato is a nutritious being enriched in antioxidants, vitamins, essential amino acids, sugars etc. ( Javed et al., 2020).Consumption of highly nutritious tomatoes protect the human Abstract | Due to shortage of good quality water and being enriched in nutrients industrial wastewater is commonly employed for irrigation of crops.The industrial state of Sargodha directly discharges its effluents that flow into a stream.This industrial wastewater was taken for this trial.The contaminants of the stream water were utilized for this trial to check its impacts on soil properties and growth of tomato plants.The physiochemical parameters of the soil such as pH, EC, organic matter, heavy metals and physiological parameters of the tomato plants were observed.Most of the soil parameters were proved higher with the irrigation of the industrial wastewater effluents than the soil irrigated with canal water.The tomato plants were grown at the different ratios of industrial wastewater.The experiment of the tomato plants was arranged according to complete randomized design (CRD) using 06 treatments replicated four times.Treatments included T 1 = 100% CW (canal water) irrigation; T 2 = 100% WW (wastewater) irrigation; T 3 = CW 75% + WW 25%; T 4 = CW 50% + WW 50%; T 5 = CW 25% + WW 75% and T 6 = Cyclic/alternate use of CW and WW.Findings of present research implied that irrigation with wastewater significantly improved the growth and nutrient acquisition of tomato plants.Highest values for N (5.8%),P (0.88%) and K (2.4%) content of tomatoes were recorded when 100% wastewater was applied as a source of irrigation.However, it is the cyclic use of wastewater with canal water that can safely be used for getting good quality tomatoes and to mitigate hazardous impact of heavy metals contained in wastewater.

Cotton production worldwide faces challenges from numerous insect pest species, resulting in significant yield losses in Pakistan due to 93 identified pest species. Widespread use of insecticides and pesticides raises concerns about human and animal health, environmental pollution, and insect resistance, necessitating environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative pest control methods in cotton farming. This study evaluated 50 upland cotton genotypes for genetic diversity using cluster and principal component analysis at Cotton Research Station, AARI, Faisalabad. Thirteen traits associated with cotton's genetic defense mechanism against insect pests, including foliage density, stem tip hairiness, leaf type, gossypol content, and others, were analyzed for correlation. Traits such as leaf hairiness, stem tip hairiness, gossypol content, and okra leaf type were found to positively correlated with higher yield and resistance against insect pests. Cluster and principal component analysis identified specific genotypes and elite traits with potential for breeding programs aimed at developing cotton genotypes with improved insect tolerance and higher yield potential. This study contributes to identifying desirable traits for cotton breeding programs that enhance natural resistance against insect pests while reducing reliance on chemical insecticides and pesticides, promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly cotton production practices.

The current study demonstrates the practical application of optical seed priming technology to improve cotton seed germination, plant growth, crop yield, and fiber quality. The hypothesis of this study is that seed irradiation with different colors of light can improve germination and cotton productivity in different environments. In the priming of cotton seeds, a wider range of the light spectrum was used, ranging from ultraviolet (UV) to red wavelengths. Various light sources such as blue LED, red LED, diode laser, UV-B, and UV-C were studied, along with different exposure times and energy densities. The exposure time ranged from 1.0 to 36.0 minutes, while the energy density doses varied from 88 to 7550 mJ cm-2, depending on the light source. In laboratory conditions, the investigation on the impact of optical seed priming on germination showed a maximum improvement of up to 180% compared to the control group. Among the different light sources and energy densities, blue LED light was found to be the most effective for enhancing cotton seed germination across different varieties. To validate the findings from the laboratory, large-scale field trials were conducted in two different environments in Pakistan, namely Tandojam and Faisalabad. The field trials demonstrated significant improvements in germination and yield, with increases of up to 37% and 74% over the control group, respectively. Once again, blue LED light emerged as the best light source for optical seed priming at the farm level. These field trials provided encouraging results, indicating the potential of the eco-friendly optical seed priming technique. The study suggests that optical seed priming can be a commercially viable technology for improving cotton seed germination, plant growth, crop yield, and fiber quality. By utilizing this technique, growers and researchers in developing countries can address the challenge of poor cotton germination and potentially enhance their agricultural productivity.

Summary The study examined the repellency of Gardenia jasminoides ethanol-extracted oil against the German cockroach, Blattella germanica , and the pharaoh ant, Monomorium pharaonis , which are serious pests in areas of public health hygiene. For the repellency tests, 31.4 μg of the oil was applied per cm 2 on one half of filter paper discs (9 or 15 cm diameter for the ant and cockroach, respectively), whereas the other half was treated as control (DMSO + Tween). Repellency effects were observed 1, 2, 3 and 4 h after the insect release. The oil showed high repellency against all life stages of cockroaches and worker ants. The maximum repellency was observed for the cockroach adults (81.7 ± 3.1%) followed by the fourth, third and second nymphal stages (76.7 ± 4.2, 75.0 ± 3.4, and 56.7 ± 8.4%, respectively), after 1h exposure. The repellence effect was strong against worker ants (78.3 ± 4.8%) after 1 h exposure. The repellence effect can last at least four hours for both species. Analysis of Gardenia oil with Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified 14 major chemical components.