In light of the rapidly growing global population, there is an urgent need to develop high-yielding and climate -resilient rice varieties. The productivity of traditional basmati cultivars is limiting due to region-specific cultivation, and genetic improvements are direly needed to enhance their productivity without compromising quality attributes. This study aimed to develop high yielding basmati advance line with good quality attributes through a marker-assisted selection approach. A cross was attempted between Basmati 515 and IRBB 66, followed by pedigree selection up to the F5 generation. A uniform recombinant inbred line was identified then backcrossed with PK 1121 Aromatic and again followed by pedigree selection up to BC3F5 for desirable genotype development. Genes pyramiding for aroma (BADEX7-5), dense and erect panicles (DEP1), grain length (FMGS-7) and grain width (GW8-indel) were achieved using gene-linked markers. The identified line "BLB 18-5001", predominately harbored agronomic and quality characteristics of Basmati 515, panicle architecture, and grain dimension traits of IRBB 66 and PK 1121 Aromatic, respectively. The BLB 18-5001 outperformed in thousand -grain weight (28.5 g), grain yield (4.7 t ha-1), average grain length (9.22 mm), and cooked grain length (19.5 mm) compared to parents. A two-year field evaluation revealed superior agronomic and quality attributes of BLB 18-5001, suggesting an unprecedented genetic potential to meet future varietal demands. This study concludes that the BLB 18-5001 line has overcome the negative correlation between grain quality and yield to some extent and is expected to serve as a valuable breeding source to improve basmati productivity to meet the growing demand for food.

Rice is best known as a staple food for half of the world's population. Brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stal) (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) is a serious insect pest of rice crops throughout Asia. In case of a severe attack, the whole crop turns brown called `hopperburn' and farmers face great yield losses. The experiments were performed to evaluate the planting geometry and nutritional effects on N. lugens abundance and yield attributes of the crop using susceptible rice (var. Basmati 515). Results indicated that planting geometries with more space (60 and 90 cm) after 12 lines with a uniform number of plants in each plot had less incidence of N. lugens as compared to narrow spaced (0 and 30 cm) geometries. More number of N. lugens nymphs (80.0-95.0 number/plant) were recorded with less spaced planting geometry as compared to higher spaced planting geometry (27.0-29.5 numbers/plant) during both years. With different planting geometry, no significant difference was recorded in the agronomic parameters except yield and 1000 grain weight. The highest yield was recorded in a plot with 90 cm path followed by 60, 30 and 0cm path, respectively. Towards different doses of nitrogen and phosphorus on N. lugens, the higher dose of nitrogen had a significant effect on N. lugens nymph survival, adult emergence and survival, while the phosphorus induced a non-significant effect. Therefore, in the absence of N. lugens resistant variety, ecological manipulation and nutrients availability could be a better strategy for shortterm N. lugens management in organic rice production.

Wheat Triticum aestivum (L.) is an important staple food in Pakistan. However, post-harvest losses either quantitatively (weight loss, commercial loss) or qualitatively (changed appearance and lower nutritional value) by various stored grains insect pests, and environmental conditions are major concern. This study was aimed to evaluate the efficacy of hermetic and polypropylene bags in protection against insect pests and maintaining grain quality under different environmental conditions. Results showed that grain moisture fluctuated in polypropylene bags with variations in relative humidity in the environment, while in the hermetic bag it was decreased in all three sites. Relative humidity reduced in hermetic bags on all three sites and became constant within a week for the rest of the period while increased in polypropylene bags due to environmental humidity and insect infestation. However, a great variation in temperature fluctuation in both bags on all three sites was recorded. Germination remained unaffected in hermetic bags while a significant reduction (35%) occurred in polypropylene bags. Insects were unable to damage grains inside hermetic bags while grain weight loss (14.97–15.53%), damaged grains (27.43–30.93%), and reduced germination (26–27.5%) were recorded in polypropylene bags due to infestation of insect pests (Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), and Sitophilus granarius L. and S. oryzae L). Moreover, no aflatoxins were recorded in both bags at all three sites. Our findings suggest that in Pakistan, it is technically feasible to control insect pests of storage by using hermetic storage bags.

Weeds are the major threat for all the field crops globally and the development of resistance to the available herbicide’s mode of action is offering a huge challenge for sustainable crop production. The present study was carried out at Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Punjab, Pakistan during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019, to find out the most economical and suitable herbicide (sole or in combinations) for weed control in wheat. The study consisted of 18 treatments including 16 herbicidebased weed management (seven commercial herbicides sole or their market available combinations, and nine tank mixtures of different herbicides combinations), one weed free plot and a control as a weedy check. Results revealed that mesosulfuronmethyl + iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium and pinoxaden applied individually or in combination with other herbicides effectively controlled Phalaris minor; however, sole application of fluroxypyr meptyle, tribenuron methyl + metsulfuron methyl, carfentrazone-ethyl and fluroxypyr meptyle + amino pyralid were against this weed species. The herbicides fluroxypyr meptyle, fluroxypyr meptyle + amino pyralid, carfentrazone-ethyl, mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, and tribenuron methyl + metsulfuron methyl proved effective against Lathyrus aphaca and Medicago polymorpha; however, herbicide pinoxaden and fenoxaprop-p-ethyl failed to control it. The herbicide treatments tribenuron methyl + metsulfuron methyl plus pinoxaden, and mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium plus fluroxypyr meptyle in both the years had highest grain yield after weed free plots. All herbicides’ treatments had significantly higher yield as compared to control (weedy check). In conclusion, herbicides combinations mesosulfuron-methyl + iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium plus fluroxypyr meptyle and tribenuron methyl + metsulfuron methyl plus pinoxaden were the most effective and economical to get higher yield by managing wheat weeds.

IntroductionR ice (Oryza sativa L.) is a staple food crop of more than half of the inhabitants across the globe (Khush, 2004).In Pakistan, after wheat, it occupies 2 nd position.Its cropped area was 3034 M ha and production was 7.410 M tons (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2019).Among the cereal crops, rice is an important export commodity (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2019).It contributes 3.1% in value addition to agriculture and 0.6% in the GDP (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2019).The average yield of rice in Pakistan is about 2.44 t ha -1 (Economic Survey of Pakistan, 2019) which is low as compared to other rice producing countries due to many constraints including proper crop establishing techniques (Aslam, 2016).In Asia rice is growing by transplanting, rice seedlings manually in puddled soil which is a widely adopted method.It consumes abundant water (Bouman and Tuong, 2001).Whereas, water resources are declining day by day.Its judicious use is gaining a pivotal importance to fulfil future water and food demand for the growing population (Mahajan et al., 2012).Shrinking water resources availability is a threat for the future rice production in Asia (Mahajan et al., 2012) and will adversely affect the sustainability of Abstract | Planting method is an important aspect of production technology for the maximum resource utilization by crops per unit area.Dry-seeded rice (DSR) is a contemporary resource saving crop establishing technique, which enables farmers to harvest economical rice production.Field study was conducted at Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Pakistan in 2014 and in 2015 to evaluate the different planting methods.Three dry-seeded rice (DSR) planting methods viz.(i) DSR-broadcast, (ii) DSR-drill, (iii) DSR-ridges were compared with the conventional transplanting (TR) method in lines having row to row and plant to plant distance of 22.5cm distance, and farmer transplanting method.Experimental design was randomized complete block, replicated 3 times.Data were recorded on height (cm), tillers m -2 , filled and unfilled grains panicle -1 , thousand grain weight (g), grain and biomass yield (t ha -1 ).Grain sterility (%) and harvest index (%) were also calculated.Highest grain yield (5.00 to 5.11 t ha -1 ) with harvest index (30.00 to 31.50%) and relatively low grain sterility (12.00 to 12.01%) were observed in DSR-ridge and DSR-drill sowing method.Moreover, DSR (i.e.DSR-ridge and -drill) resulted in 104 and 76 % more profit over TR-farmer practice.The study concluded that DSR-ridge and DSR-drill proved to be the best to obtain the maximum paddy yield and net profit.Farmers can adopt these methods to harvest maximum benefit.

Different crop establishing techniques and nitrogen application levels have crucial role in determining the production of rice. A field experiment was conducted at experimental farm of Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Pakistan during 2015 and 2016 to compare four planting methods i.e., broadcast sowing (BS), drill sowing (DS), ridge sowing (RS) and puddled transplanted rice (PTR) along with four nitrogen rates viz., N-0: control, N-133: 133 kg ha(-1), N-166: 166 kg ha(-1) and N-199: 199 kg ha(-1) using fine aromatic rice cultivar Super Basmati. Highest tiller density m(-2), panicle length, filled grain density per panicle, 1000 grain weight, grain yield, straw yield and harvest index were achieved for RS followed by DS while the minimum grain yield along with other yield contributing factors was recorded in PTR. Likely, highest filled grain density per panicle, grain yield, harvest index and minimum sterility percentage was recorded with 166 kg N ha(-1) compared to control. For the interaction highest grain yield and harvest index was obtained in RS for 166 kg N ha(-1) whereas minimum in PTR. Highest net profit and cost-benefit ratio was recorded with RS and 166 kg N ha(-1). Hence, RS with application of 166 kg N ha(-1) can be recommended to harvest the maximum grain yield and net profit in rice. (C) 2019 Friends Science Publishers

Basmati is the type of rice (Oryza sativa L.) which is long, slender-grained aromatic rice traditionally from the India and Pakistan. Basmati rice is considered sensitive to photoperiod as well as temperature and is highly affected by these climatic factors resulting in significant yield fluctuations. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to study the effects of these climatic factors on grain, cooking and nutritional qualities of eight advance pure Basmati rice lines by transplanting these lines at four different dates. The results suggested that all the pure basmati lines or genotypes initiates flowering within a specific range of day length duration and temperature. Delaying the transplanting date did not affect the flowering time of studied basmati lines that indicates the lines were pure basmati in nature and had a strong basmati background. Maximum average yield was observed between 23rd June and 14th of July as depicted by yield data of all the dates. Head rice recovery was increased by delaying the dates of transplanting. Protein and amylose contents were recorded highest when lines were transplanted on 14th of July. Bursting was reduced with the delayed transplanting while cooked grain length showed no significant changes with delay in transplanting. Average grain length, average grain thickness and average grain width also remained unchanged by transplanting delay.

A field study was conducted to evaluate the variation in benefit cost ratio and yield of mungbean due different sources and levels of phosphorus at Agronomic Research Area, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan during spring 2009. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with factorial arrangement having a net plot size 3 m x 5 m with three replications. The soil contained 0.65% organic matter, 7.3 ppm available P, 197 ppm available K and 0.08 total N. Nitrogen at the rate of 25 kg per hectare and 0, 30, 60 & 90 kg/ha of phosphorus were used as diammonium phosphate (DAP), single super phosphate (SSP) and triple super phosphate (TSP) respectively. Findings of this study revealed that maximum number of plant height at maturity (71.80 cm), branches having pods (4.44), total pods of a single plant (9.58), 1000-grain weight (67.54 g), seed yield (1288.62kg per hectare), biological production (5504.2 kg per hectare), harvest index(23.22%) and protein content (21.07%) were attained by the fertilization of phosphorus 60 kg per hectare. Maximum fertilizer use efficiency (7.30) was achieved by the fertilization of 30 kg phosphorus per hectare in the form of DAP, SSP and TSP. P1 rates had non-considerable effect on plants in a plot and total seeds in a single pod. The outcome shows that various sources of phosphorous had no-prenominal effect on all the parameters under study. Interaction between P rates and various sources was also observed statistically non-considerable. The highest net income was obtained when phosphorus was applied at the rate of 60 kg per hectare.

Grain shape quality traits of twenty (20) rice genotypes were studied in order to understand the effects of drought stress on quality traits of rice. The result of Analysis of Variance clearly indicates that genotypes significantly differ for studied grain quality traits under both for normal as well as drought prone environments, except grain breadth /thickness without bran under stress condition. Higher heritability estimates for all quality traits under both environments indicate that these characters are controlled by multiple genes. Results showed that grain length was positively correlated with length to width ratio (0.863* and 0.668*) and negatively correlated with grain width (-0.614** and 0.313**) and grain breadth (-0.321**and -0.030 ns ) under both normal and stress conditions respectively. Grain width was positively correlated with grain breadth (0.711** and 0.486**) and negatively correlated with length to width ratio (-0.926* and -0.910*) under both conditions respectively. Grain width was highly correlated with yield per plant (0.386** and 0.315**) under both, normal and drought stress respectively. It shows that reduction in grain width has direct effect on grain yield. Under normal condition, yield was positively correlated with grain width (0.386**) and grain breadth (0.552*) indicating that grain width and grain breadth should be considered while screening high yielding genotypes under normal condition and grain width should be considered for drought stres © 2014 Elixir All rights reserved. ARTIC LE INFO Article h istory: Received: 31 March 2014; Received in revised form: 20 July 2014; Accepted: 29 July 2014;