PLANT PHYSIOLOGY PROGRAMME
NARC, Islamabad
Objectives:
Studies on problem oriented applied research to explore the yield losses in agricultural productivity caused by abiotic stresses in selected crops and amelioration of physiological disorders using phyto hormones
Study various physiological aspects of fodder beet seed production technology trials, to produce high quality, viable cheaper seed at local level and its cultivation on salt affected lands.
Physiology of drought tolerance in Wheat and Rice at reproductive stage.
Identification of Biochemical Marker(s) for drought and heat tolerance in wheat.
Ameliorative effect of hormone application at different growth stages on seed set and grain yield against drought in wheat.
To inhibit the abscission layer formation in Mungbean by hormone application i.e. seed treatment and its spray at different stages of reproductive growth.
To examine the Physiological processes towards seed production of Fodder beet to provide cheaper seeds to farmers locally.
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Physiological Responses to Drought & Heat Stress in
Wheat at Reproductive Phase
Drought: Five wheat varieties i.e. Chakwal 97, Inqalab 91, Margalla-99, NR 234 and Wafaq-2001 were exposed to drought stress at tillering, pre-anthesis and Milky stage. Reduction in grain yield was observed in all the test varieties when drought was imposed at all the growth stages.
Drought stress increased proline contents in all the test varieties at various growth stages. Highest proline accumulated in Wafaq 2001 followed by Chakwal 97 and Inqalab 91 respectively. Drought treatment did not affect the protein contents.
The results of drought experiments suggest that stress at mid-milky stage being most sensitive and crucial for grain yield, should be avoided by changing sowing date /providing irrigation or by evolving stress tolerant wheat lines against drought stress for obtaining economic yield.
Heat: Five varieties of wheat namely Chak-97, Inqalab-91, Margala-99, NR-234 Wafaq-2001 and SH-2002 were subjected to heat stress in growth chamber at mid-milky stage for 3 consecutive days. Samples of leaves were collected immediately after imposing stress and were analyzed for protein and proline contents after each heat stress.
From the results it appears likely that heat stress reduced the grain yield /plant by 56 to 78% at mid-milky stage in test cultivars. The CV. Inqalab-91 responded positively to heat stress towards grain yield i.e. only 56 % decrease in grain yield was observed while SH-2002 and Chakwal-97 were found the most sensitive towards terminal heat stress.
The
protein and proline contents in CV.Inqalab-91 were higher under terminal
heat stress as compared to control.
Drought Induced Changes in Reproductive Physiology of Rice
Drought Induced Changes in Reproductive Physiology of Rice
Two
coarse rice varieties viz. Pakhal, KS-282 and one fine variety i.e. Basmati-385
were subjected to drought stress at 4 reproductive growth stages (primordia,
milky, primordial + milky and dough stage). The objective of this study was to
evaluate the most sensitive stage towards drought during reproductive
development.
Drought
stress decreased the total paddy yield at all the growth stages. The relative
decrease in paddy yield was 9% at Primordia, 25% at milky, 36% at primordial +
milky and 24% at dough stage. The decrease in paddy yield was more when drought
was applied at primordial + milky growth stage. Total biomass yield was
decreased and more at primordial+milky stage.
Drought stress decreased the protein content significantly among the treatments, high decrease at Primordia+midmilky stage was observed but almost in all the three varieties tested, the effect of drought on protein content was non-significant. The drought stress increased the proline content significantly both among the treatments and varieties, high increase at Primordia+midmilky stage was observed while among the three varieties, change in proline content was observed in descending order: Pakhal > KS-282 >
Basmati.
Ameliorative Effect of Growth Regulators on Flower Shedding in Mungbean
Experiments were conducted to minimize the flower shedding in Mung bean using different hormones treatments.
The result showed all the hormone treatments (seed pre-treatment, pre-flowering spray & post-flowering spray) decreased flower shedding and increased grain yield as compared to control.
Decrease in flower shedding was highly significant in GA + Kinetin seed pre-treatment as compared to other hormone treatments.
Kinetin alone decreased more flower shedding in the seed pre-treatment as compared to GA3 and IAA .
Combination of hormone G A3 + Kinetin was found the best in the seed pre-treatment. Where percent increase in grain yield was 76% in seed pre-treatment. From these results it is inferred that hormone application as seed treatment can significantly reduce the flower shedding thus resulting in higher grain yield of Mungbean as compared to control. This treatment could be used by the Mungbean growers to enhance their productivity.
Fodder
Beet Cultivation for Biomass and Seed Production
Fodder beet was grown at SCRI, Thatta; TARC; Karachi; SCRI Mardan & at NARC,
to assess the possibilities for introduction of Salt Tolerant Fodder Crops in
different ecological zones of Pakistan for the benefit of farmers having sizable
salt affected arable lands. Different physiological, biochemical and agronomic
parameters were analyzed. It is relevant to mention here that 50 tone / ha.
fresh biomass yield was achieved by NARC during the year 2003 from normal soil,
while more then this was obtained from salt affected lands at different
experimental sites in the country through field trials in the past being the
salt loving plant.
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FODDER BEET SEED PRODUCTION TRIAL AT KALA KOT (SWAT) |
Fodder beet seed production trials were conducted in collaboration with
Agriculture Research Station, Mingora (Swat), at high altitudes in District Swat
(Kalam, Hussainabad, Kalakot) to produce high quality, and viable cheaper seed
on sustainable basis at local level.
The seeds of fodder beet trials were harvested from July to September 2006 and about 40kg seed were obtained. The seed viability was tested in laboratory giving 80% viability of the seed.
For cultivation trials at coordinating units of Fodder Program, NARC and PARC own outstations as adaptation trials about 20 kg of the locally produced seeds were sent. The seeds successfully produced good biomass of foliage and beet.
Scientific
Staff:
1. Dr. Jalal-ud-din, Senior Scientific Officer
2. Mr. Ijaz Ali, SO.
3. Mr. Samiullah Khan, ASO
Resource Person:
| Dr. Jall-ud-din, SSO | jalaludin10@yahoo.com |
| Ph. No. | 9255392 |
Last updated: [May, 2008]
