Articles

RURAL-URBAN RETAIL PRICES AND MARKETING MARGINS OF FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES IN PAKISTAN

Sonila Hassan, Abid Hussain, Muhammad Azeem Khan, Irfan Mahmood

 The study was designed to estimate the marketing margins and rural-urban price differences of fresh fruits and vegetables. A checklist and an open-ended questionnaire were developed and used to interview a total of 200 retailers (rural and urban), 100 pr…

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON BIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF IMMATURE STAGES OF CHRYSOPERLA CARNEA (NEUROPTERA: CHRYSOPIDAE) FEEDING ON RICE MEAL MOTH, CORCYRA CEPHALONICA EGGS

Javed Khan, Ehsan-ul-Haq, Naheed Akhtar, Waseem Ahmad Gillani, Naila Assad, M.Asif Masood et al.

 Developmental durations of immature stages of Chrysoperla carnea, feeding on Corcyra cephalonica eggs at three constant temperatures 24 ±1 ºC, 28 ±1 ºC and 32 ±1 °C were studied. The results indicated that incubation pe…

COMPARISON OF TREND ANALYSIS AND DOUBLE EXPONENTIAL SMOOTHING METHODS FOR PRICE ESTIMATION OF MAJOR PULSES IN PAKISTAN

Saima Rani, Irum Raza

 The present study was designed to find out suitable forecasting method among the two forecasting methods namely trend analysis and double exponential smoothing. Measures of accuracy (MAPE, MAD and MSD) were used as the model selection criteria that could…

RICE PRODUCTIVITY AND SOIL HEALTH AS AFFECTED BY WHEAT RESIDUE INCORPORATION ALONG WITH NITROGEN STARTER DOSE UNDER SALT-AFFECTED SOIL

Arshad Ali, Muhammad Arshadullah, Syed Ishtiaq Hyder, Imdad Ali Mahmood, Badar-uz-Zaman

 A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect -1 of wheat straw incorporation @ 5 t ha along with different N starter doses -1 (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N ha ) on rice (Supper basmati) production and soil health at MK Farm, Farooqabad, district She…

AN OVERVIEW OF TOMATO ECONOMY OF PAKISTAN: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Ayesha Tahir, Hassnain Shah, Muhammad Sharif, Waqar Akhtar, Nadeem Akmal

  This paper reflects the overtime changes in global tomato production and export trends, market destinations for Pakistani tomato, regional acreage comparison, country's share in tomato export and revealed comparative advantage (RCA) of tomato. Paki…

SMALL FARMERS PERCEPTIONS REGARDING IMPROVED FODDER AND FORAGE VARIETIES: RESULTS OF PARTICIPATORY ON FARM RESEARCH

Muhammad Zubair Anwar, M. Azeem Khan, Ikram Saeed, Akhtar Ali, Shafique Zahid, Abdul Majid

 Livestock is an integral component of rainfed farming system. Livestock rearing is also a substitute of crop farming and provide security against crop failure in uncertain weather conditions. Estimates reveal that livestock contribution into an average a…

AN ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICES IN BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN

A.A. Mengal, M. U. Mallah, Z. A. Mirani, B. N. Siddiqui

 Present research sought to analyze public and private sector extension in Balochistan province of Pakistan. Five districts, one from each ecological zone, were selected which are Turbat (Kech), Lasbela, Mastung, Sibi, and Loralai. A sample of 375 farmer…

EVALUATION OF LEGUME HERBS NUTRITIVE VALUE AS A RUMINANT FEED AND NITROGEN SUPPLY ON SOIL IN WEST TIMOR, INDONESIA

 The four species of legumes used as ruminant feed were Clitoria ternatea (CT), Centrosema pascuorum (CP), Dolichos lablab (DL), and Macroptilium bracteatum (MB). The study was conducted in Randomized Complete Block Design. The research showed that the hi…

PRICE SPREAD AND MARKETING MARGINS OF CUT ROSE IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Sajida Taj, Muhammad Tariq Iqbal Khan, Mazher Abbas, Arshed Bashir

 The paper analyzes the structure and operation of the flower marketing system in Punjab, Pakistan. Based on cross sectional data collected from 34 farmers, 13 wholesalers-cum-commission agents and 20 retailers from main flower producing areas of Kasur an…

DETERMINANTS OF INCOME FROM VEGETABLES PRODUCTION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF NORMAL AND OFF-SEASON VEGETABLES IN ABBOTTABAD

Ayesha Tahir, Zafar Altaf

 Pakistan is blessed with wide climatic diversity which offers opportunities for growing variety of vegetables throughout the year. The promotion of vegetables in Pakistan is necessary not only for increasing farmer's income and production diversity conce…

ROLE OF INDIVIDUAL CONTACT METHODS IN DISSEMINATION OF AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGIES

Amir Khatam, Sher Muhammad, Ijaz Ashraf

 The present study was conducted in 2010. For this purpose, seven districts from the central region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Charsadda, Hangu, Kohat, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar and Swabi were selected. Data were collected on various aspects of indi…

CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF SULFUR AND CALCIUM ON WHEAT GROWTH AND YIELD UNDER SALINE-SODIC SOILS

Muhammad Arshadullah, Syed Ishtiaq Hyder, Arshad Ali, Imdad Ali Mahmood

 A field experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of three rates of gypsum on growth and ionic concentration of -1 wheat variety (Saher) sown in saline-sodic soil (ECe=5.32 dS m , pH=8.52 and SAR=18.87) at Soil Salinity Research Institute (SSR…

EFFICACY OF COTTON WASTE COMPOST AND FERTINEMAKIL FERTILIZER ON THE GROWTH PARAMETER OF SUNFLOWER PLANTS

Tahir Abbas, Bushra Nawab, Rahila Nazli, Rubina Saleem, Amrat Lal, Khalid Jamil

 The efficacy of cotton waste compost alone and in combination with Fertinemakil fertilizer on sunflower crop was tested in the field of PCSIR Laboratories Complex Karachi, Pakistan. Individually all the treatment showed maximum plant growth character in…

EFFECT OF SPLIT N FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON PHYSIOAGRONOMIC TRAITS OF WHEAT (TRITICUM AESTIVUM L.) UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS

Muhammad Sohail, Imtiaz Hussain, Riaz-ud-din, Syed Haider Abbas, Maqsood Qamar, Muhammad Noman

 Low soil fertility is one of the main wheat yield limiting factors under rainfed conditions. Farmers usually apply full N dose at seeding. However, winter showers during vegetative growth period provide an opportunity to apply N in split doses. Study was…

RAISED BED TECHNOLOGY FOR WHEAT CROP IN IRRIGATED AREAS OF PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Sajida Taj, Akhter Ali, Nadeem Akmal, Shujaat Yaqoob, Mubarik Ali

 The present paper analyzes the determinants of adoption of raised bed planting of wheat in irrigated areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Wheat is an important staple food of Pakistan. It contributes 13 % to the value added in agriculture and 2.6 % to the GDP. The…

EXPORT COMPETITIVENESS OF PAKISTANI HORTICULTURAL PRODUCTS

Waqar Akhtar, Nadeem Akmal, Hassnain Shah, Muhammad Azam Niazi, Ayesha Tahir

 This paper examines Pakistan's competitiveness in export of selected horticulture commodities by employing set of revealed comparative advantage (RCA) and revealed competitive advantage indices with respect to global trade. Results demonstrate that Pakis…

EFFECT OF ORGANIC AMENDMENTS ON VEGETATIVE GROWTH, FRUIT AND YIELD QUALITY OF STRAWBERRY

Sara Khalid, Khalid Mahmood Qureshi, Ishfaq Ahmad Hafiz, Khalid Saifullah Khan, Usman Shaukat Qureshi

 Organic agricultural techniques are utilized globally to protect our environment and prevent health issues resulting from pesticides and hazardous chemicals. In this regard, studies were conducted using six different organic amendments on strawberry (Fra…

PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF CAMEL PRODUCTS IN SEMIDESERT AND DESERT AREAS OF PAKISTAN

Abid Hussain, Khalid Mahmood Aujla, Sonila Hassan

 The study was designed to analyze the production and marketing of camel products in the semi-desert and desert areas of Pakistan. It is based on cross-sectional data collected through simple random sampling technique in April, 2011 from 220 camel farmers…

POTENTIALS AND PROSPECTS OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE IN PAKISTAN - A REVIEW

Hafiz Sultan Mahmood, Munir Ahmad, Tanveer Ahmad, Muhammad Azhar Saeed, Muhammad Iqbal

 Precision agriculture is to fine-tune the agricultural production system by emergence and convergence of several informationbased technologies for enhancing profit and reducing environmental risks. These technologies have demonstrated to provide benefits…

ASSESSMENT OF GENETIC DIVERSITY IN GERMPLASM OF LINSEED ( L.)

Mubashir Ahmad Khan, Muhammad Yasin Mirza, Muhammad Amjad, Nazakat Nawaz, Malik Shah Nawaz, Doulat Baig

 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, reprodu…