Tag Archives: 3 (3)

EVALUATING THE EFFECTS OF BIOFERTILIZERS ON GROWTH AND EMERGENCE OF BARLEY (HORDEUM VULGARE)

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Ghasem Ahmadi*, Mojtaba Jaafarinia
Department of Biology, Islamic Azad University of Marvdasht, Fars, Iran
 
ABSRACT
 
In order to study the effects of some biological fertilizers on growth parameters of three barley cultivars, a factorial experiments with three replications were performed in pots (using natural field soil, pH=8) as completely randomized design at the Research Greenhouse of Fars Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University. Three barley cultivars namely; Yousef, Nosrat and Reihan, and six different biological fertilizers: Phosphotidic Barvar 2, Barvar 3, Nitrokara, Nitroxin, Biophosphorus, EM and control (non-inoculated seeds) were used. The investigated traits, including morphological characters: percentage of emergence, shoot length, volume of seminal roots, and wet and dry weight. Results showed that the application of biological fertilizers had significant effects on all traits except for shoot length. The highest averages for these traits were obtained from Nosrat cultivar and the most effective biological fertilizers with respect to these traits were Barvar 2. It seems that, in practice, biological fertilizers have the required potential to replace the chemical (synthetic) fertilizers.
Keywords: Biological Fertilizers, Morphological Characters, Barley Cultivars

EVALUATION OF EXTRACTION METHODS FOR HOUSEHOLD HERBAL PRODUCTS

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Sumera Javad1, Sana Khalid1, Shagufta Naz2, Kanwal Naz1
1Department of Botany, 2Department of Biotechnology, LCWU, Lahore

ABSTRACT
 
Microwave assisted extraction is a modern and novel approach for rapid and efficient extraction of the plant material which is of prime importance in herbal medicinal industry. For household herbal products (different tea samples, qehwa (Peshawari Qehwa), coffee (Nescafe Classic) and joshanda (Qarshi), their qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytochemicals were compared. Microwave assisted extraction gave the maximum amount of extracts than that of stove heating with significant difference of amount of phenolics and flavonoids. Maximum gallic acid (standard phenolics) was observed from microwave assisted extract of Tapal Tez dam. Stove extracts produced maximum phenolics from Lipton tea. Maximum catechin (Standard of flavonoids) was observed from microwave assisted extract of Johar Joshanda while stove extracts produced maximum catechin from Coffee sample.
Keywords: Microwave assisted extraction, stove heating, herbal products, phenolics

GENETIC IMPROVEMENT OF CANOLA AGAINST ABIOTIC STRESS THROUGH INCORPORATION OF DREB GENE

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Syeda Qamarunnisa*1, Ishrat Jamil1, Saboohi Raza2, Abid Azhar1 and S. H. Mujtaba Naqvi1

1The Karachi Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering,

2Department of Agriculture and Agribusiness Management, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

 

ABSTRACT

 

Salinity, sodicity, drought and water logging are serious problems of agriculture in Pakistan that add to poverty in the country. Pakistan, in spite of being a large agricultural country, imports huge amounts of edible oil. Brassica species in general, have good agronomic characteristics and under favorable conditions can give reasonable yields; however, under stress conditions their productivity is severely compromised. The main focus of this study is to develop salt and drought tolerant germplasm of Brassica napus var. wester by incorporating DREB gene that induces expression of stress tolerance genes which ultimately result in salt and drought tolerance of the variety. The paper describes the successful incorporation of DREB factor into Brassica napus var. wester genome that does seem to have regulated the expression of stress inducible genes as evidenced by increased content of proline in transformed plants when subjected to high salt level.

Keywords: Brassica napus, Transformation, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, DREB, Transcription factor

AWARENESS ABOUT CERVICAL CANCER, HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS AND ACCEPTABILITY OF ITS VACCINE AMONG FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS OF PESHAWAR PAKISTAN

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Sana Gul*, Aneela Javed, Sheeba Mall
Health Care Biotechnology Department, Atta-Ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences,
National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST), Islamabad 44000, Pakistan
     
ABSTRACT
 
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women all over the world. The major causative agent for cervical cancer is Human papillomavirus. Awareness and education about cervical cancer, HPV and its vaccination can help to prevent cervical cancer. Present study was a questionnaire based survey including 764 female students of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Women University Peshawar, Khyber Pukhtoon Khawa (KPK). KPK is considered as a relatively conservative society where talking about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is a taboo leading to a poor management of Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Current study was conducted to assess the awareness of female university students about cervical cancer, Human papillomavirus (HPV) and its vaccine.  Majority of participants were unaware about cervical cancer and its causes. Only 23.20% (175) knew that cervical cancer is a gynecological cancer. 93.50% of the participants had never heard about Pap (Papanicolaou) smear testing. Level of awareness about Human papillomavirus (HPV) as causative agent and availability of vaccine against HPV was just 11.53% and 10.87%, respectively. Notably, acceptance of HPV vaccine among the female students was 95.49% indicating a positive attitude towards treatment if the facilities are provided. Overall study indicated that although the educated young females of Peshawar are not very much aware of the cervical cancer, HPV and its vaccination but they are willing to have more awareness and proper medical facilities to address this issue. Increasing female student’s awareness would help us to attain a lower incidence and mortality.
Keywords: Cervical cancer, Pakistan, Human papilloma virus, Peshawar, Pap test

EFFECT OF SPLIT APPLICATION OF NITROGENON THE YIELD OF RICE CROP

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Muhammad Nawaz1, Anwar Javaid Wahla1, Muhammad Saleem Kashif1,
Masood Qadir Waqar2 and Muhammad Anjum Ali3
1Adaptive Research Farm, Sheikhupura, 2Directorate of Adaptive Research, Lahore, Punjab,
 3Directorate General of Agriculture Extension and Adaptive Research, Lahore, Punjab
 
ABSTRACT
 
A three year field study was conducted at Adaptive Research Farm, Sheikhupura to find the most suitable nitrogen application schedule for rice (Super Basmati) during Kharif 2012, 2013 and 2014. Randomized complete block design with 3 replications was employed to investigate 4 different treatments of nitrogen split application @ 140 kg ha-1 viz: T1= Puddling and tillering, T2= Puddling, tillering and panicle initiation, T3= Tillering, panicle initiation and flowering stage and T4= Puddling, tillering, panicle initiation and flowering stage. Nursery of rice was transplanted in 2nd week of July each year. Paddy yield and all yield associated parameter of rice super basmati were significantly affected by treatments and highest of all of them were recorded when nitrogen was applied in 3 equal splits i.e. at puddling, tillering and panicle formation stage. In conclusion, nitrogen @ 140 kg ha-1 in 3 equal splits (puddling, tillering and panicle formation), is the most suitable combination of nitrogen splits to obtain higher paddy yields under agro-ecological conditions of Sheikhupura, Pakistan.
Keywords: puddling, rice, super basmati, flowering, tillering

ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF SEEDBORNE PSEUDOMONAS SYRINGAE PV PISI FROM PEA (PISUM SATIVUM L.)

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Muhammad Waseem Ali1, Muhammad Usman Raja1*, Gulshan Irshad1,
Komal Zafar1, Mehmood Ul Hasan2, Farid Asif Shaheen3
1Department of Plant Pathology, 2Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics,
3Department of Entomology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi
 
ABSTRACT

This study was focused on isolation and biochemical characterization of pea (Pisum sativum L.) seed borne bacteria.  A total of 25 bacteria were isolated from pea seeds collected from different sources.  Of 25 isolates, 3 most aggressive isolates (Psp-1, Psp-6, Psp-14) which produced hypersensitive response (HR) within 24 hours of post inoculation on tobacco leaf were picked for further bio-pathological assays. Bacterial isolates were able to produce brown necrotic spots on pea leaves after few days of inoculation which later coalesced and gave peculiar blight like appearance. However, bacterial isolates were unable to reduce nitrogen and also unable to grow at 41 0C which considered as a hall mark of only plant pathogenic pseudomonads. Furthermore, results of LOPAT (levan production from sucrose (L), presence of oxidase (O), pectolytic activity on potato (P), the pres­ence of arginine dihydrolase (A) confirmed that seed borne bacteria were Pseudomonas syringae pv pisi which are reported as looming threat to pea production in different parts of world. Therefore, current study gave a clue about the presence of potential bacterial pathogens in seeds which would easily be resulted into future disease outbreak. Thus, regular disease surveillance and pathogenicity assays on commercial pea varieties must be incorporated to avoid any future pea epidemic.
Keywords: Bacterial pea blight, Pea (Pisum sativum L.), Pseudomonas syringae pv pisi, LOPAT