Punjab to provide solar-powered tube-wells to farmers

June 23, 2013

Punjab government will provide bio-gas and solar-powered tube-wells to the small farmers of the province with a cost of Rs 7.5 billion. This was disclosed by Punjab Minister for Agriculture, Dr Farrukh Javed at a meeting held at the Agriculture House to review the project of distributing bio-gas and solar-powered tube wells on subsidy to the small growers of the province on Saturday. Project Director Dr Ghaffar Dogar briefed the participants of the meeting about the utility of bio-gas and solar-powered pumps. Speaking on the occasion, the provincial minister said that objective of the government is to introduce alternative and cheaper quality method of irrigation. He said that this will not only provide cheaper energy to the people but they will also be able to dispose off cow dung in a better way.
He said that solar powered pumps and bio-gas powered pumps will be provided to farmers across the province according to their requirement. He said it will be provided to farmers having land from 5 acres to 12.5 acres of land. Participants of the meeting were of the view that these sources are not only environment friendly but can also meet the energy requirements of 65 per cent population.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

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KBP terms Sindh, Punjab budgets anti-farmer

June 20, 2013

Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) Central President, Sardar Zafar Hussain Khan reacting to provincial budgets announced by the Punjab and Sindh alleged that the provincial governments have totally neglected the farmers' community. He said that the Punjab government provided subsidy on electricity tariff for agricultural tube wells in the past which provided a much required relief to the growers but withdrawal of subsidy in new budget would multiply the hardships of the farmers.
Zafar claimed that all the countries across globe provide subsidy to farming sector for fetching desired positive results but it seemed rulers had taken the decision to strangulate agriculture in the country but not extending any kind of subsidy. He said there had been a need to introduce flat rates for agricultural tube wells on the pattern of Balochistan.

Source:http://www.brecorder.com

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Internship Seeker: Asif Aziz CV

ASIF AZIZ

H-16, T & T COLONY MALIR HALT KARACHI.

EMAIL : asifaziz23@.com

VOICE : 021- 34602475: 0343-2018278

Objective: To put my academic & creative ability to its full use, & pursue a career in its relevance.

Personal Information

Father Name : Abdul Aziz

Date of birth : November 29, 1989

Sex : Male

N.I.C No : 42201-3834100-7

Domicile/PRC : Karachi

Marital Status : Single

Nationality : Pakistani

Religion : Islam

Academic Qualification

2010-present B.S(Hons)(“3”G.P) in Agriculture & Agribusiness Management

From University Of Karachi

2008-2009. Intermediate (Pre-Engineering “B” Grade) from Karachi Board

From Govt. National college

2006-2007 Matric in Science (“A” Grade)

From Karachi Board

Professional Qualification

B.S(Hons.) in Agriculture and University of Karachi

Agribusiness Manangement 4 Year Program

Currently in 6th semester

Courses Studied

Semester I: Introduction to agriculture and agribusiness management, Mechanization in

Agriculture, Soil Science, Biology I, English, Crop Production I (Rabi)

Semester II: Horticulture, Plant Protection, Crop Production II (Kharif), Functional Biology II,

Communication Skills, Islamiat

Semester III: Crop Physiology and Biochemistry, Entomology, Agricultural Economics,

Animal Husbandry, Statistics I, Pakistan Studies

Semester IV: Plant Breeding and Genetics, Plant Pathology, Statistics II, Agricultural

Microbiology, Introduction to Computer Studies, Urdu

Semester V: Fundamentals of Accountings, Principles of Management, Economics of Agro

Based Industries, Agricultural Finance, Sustainable Agriculture, Community

Development

Semester VI: Agricultural Benefit – Cost Analysis, Business Information Systems, Economics of

Livestock Production, Farm Planning and Management, Management of Farm

Animals, Organizational Behaviour

Training Course Attended

• Attened one day seminar on Halal: symbol of intolerance in the hygiene, safety and quality on October 6, 2012.(certificate)

• Attened one day seminar on Agriculture exports Business Management on April 28, 2012.

• Attened One day workshop on Apiculture on May 12, 2011.(certificate)

• Attened One day conference on 5^th International conference on Food Agriculture & live stock on April 26, 2011

• Attened One day seminar on Ostrich Farming (open of a new Horizon) on January 27, 2011. (certificate)

• Attened One day seminar on Agri-business Management (The key to Future) on May 8, 2010. (certificate)

• Attened One day seminar on Organic kitchen Gardening on April 24, 2010.

Internship

· 15 days internship in Pakistan agriculture research council (certificate)

Skills

· Basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word and Power Point

Good knowledge of internet, e-mail

· Having good communication skills

· Interpersonal skills

· Leadership Quality

Language Proficiency:

English and Urdu (Read, Write and Speak)

Reference:

· Available on request.

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Growing okra in coastal areas

By Engr Kamran Bukhsh Soomro

PARC, Southern Agriculture Research Center, University Campus, University Road Karachi Pakistan

OKRA, called Bhindi, is cultivated in tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate regions. It can also be grown in the coastal areas of Pakistan.
The length of the country’s coast is about 1,100kms which ranges from Gwadar in Balochistan to Badin in Sindh. Malir and other adjacent districts of Karachi come under the coastal area.
Where there is shortage of water, drip irrigation system can be adopted. It is a system that applies water and fertilisers directly to the root zone of individual plant instead of irrigating the entire area with flood or sprinkler irrigation. The system comprises pipeline network as main, sub-main, lateral lines and emitters or tricklers which are fitted on laterals from which water is delivered to the plant at a low pressure.
Under proper management, drip irrigation system is capable of saving water, as only the plant’s root zone is supplied with water; under this system, the use of water is efficient with higher crop yield as compared to traditional irrigation method.
In the coastal areas, the groundwater is saline ranging from marginal to hazardous quality and can be used for cultivation of okra and other vegetables. The Coastal Agricultural Research Station of PARC has taken an initiative for using marginal quality irrigation water in comparison to good quality water under drip irrigation system.

The amount of water applied through drip system to okra crop was 6,989.7m3/ha. The crop yield and water use efficiency was 16.96t/ha and 2.43 kg/ respectively. Thus, it was concluded that okra crop can be grown successfully on a sandy loam soil using saline (marginal quality) ground water for irrigation.
Okra has a great potential in coastal areas. Growers should be made aware of the use of saline ground water for vegetable cultivation.
Controlled and on-spot irrigation through drip system seems the only appropriate method to grow and sustain horticultural activities in this region.
It shall not only provide the required water to the plant but will also resist salt built up in the root. Another possibility may be prevention of diseases particularly of fungal origin.
However, there is need for more research on the use of saline ground water for cultivation of winter and summer vegetable crops and fruit orchards in the coastal belts of Sindh and Balochistan under the drip irrigation system for the benefit of the people of these area.

^{Courtesy: The DAWN}

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Pakistan, Ukraine need to share experience in agriculture

June 19, 2013

Pakistan could make tremendous progress in agriculture by sharing and engaging in public-private sector dialogue on the subject with Ukraine. This was stated by Engr M A Jabbar, Honorary Consul of Ukranie in Karachi on his return on Monday night after participating in the annual business conference held in Kyiv, Ukranie from June 13-15.
The official businessmen delegation led by Jabbar returned after enriching with the knowledge pertaining to the consideration of economic developments and allied features thereof in developing different segments of the economy in their own specific needs for affecting the overall growth and development supported by infrastructure and targeted subsidised measures.
Talking to Business Recorder, he said that the model could always provide inputs for considering structuring of developments of economic management in Pakistan. This benefit will help the delegates to prepare and fine tune their working as recommendations for the Ministry of Commerce and other ministries in considering the local trajectory of development which may be similar in most of the cases and may be amended for adoption due to increased sense and obligations of conducting the trade in the international trading rule on similar grounds providing very few exceptions including for Pakistan.
Ukraine, he said was preparing for free trade, customs union agreements which experiences together gave in sight of dismantling of barriers in the way of trade, harmonise the legislative work and adopt the legal courses of others so that the cohesion became the basis of generating level playing field for conducting trade and business in just & fair way to benefit bilateral, plulateral and multilateral trading amongst the signatory partners. Pakistan has similar situation to conduct the research on experiences of others for possible gainful adoptions in the interest of required economic developments.
Delegates of Pakistan, he said had the pleasure of the meeting the Prime Minister of Ukraine on the reception day and his imparting knowledge also provided a basis of better understanding of the Ukrainian approach for considering modifications in our own structural approaches for denting the flexibility to seek better way of considering recommendation of economic management required by the public sector of Pakistan.
Engr Jabbar said the conference was attended by the President of chambers of different countries as well as by Ukraine Chambers of Commerce and Industry. The presence of American Business Chamber of Commerce and Industry, former President of European Parliament, Prime Ministers of Montenegro, Lithuania and many other high profile positioned persons from abroad and from within graced the occasion as interventionists, discussants, panellist which together provided a knowledge to the delegates from Pakistan sufficient enough to consider the appropriate recommendations and move forward in preparing suggestions of political economy specific to Pakistan by just reformation of the domestic input requirements of total frame work consideration by such high profile business minds sharing their views in the annual conference.
He said that on the development needs of Ukraine for agriculture, the same could act as an advisory compulsion to engage public and private sector dialogues between both countries to improve our agriculture. Pakistan is agri economy, which generates the agri value added textile and needs to increase it's per acre yield as well as needs to improve quality of agri produce to comply the importing requirements of the country on sanitary and phytosanitary barriers. Ukraine is doing so and we can share the same with the Ukrainian experiences as how they are making settlements of sanitary and phytosanitary barriers.
He said every 11th ton of grain in the world market came from Ukraine with the population of 45 million people. The Prime Minister made a statement that the government will support almost all branches of agriculture as a part of national economic development intensification programme for 2013-14. The exports of Ukraine in 2012 climbed by 40 percent with share of agriculture in GDP registering 11 percent.
Pakistan with the agriculture share of 23 percent of the GDP struggles for food security and yet to access to meet requirements of improvements in exports and value add the agri produce through allied industries which again remains to be achieved and strategize as a policy paradigm. The Ukraine trade in grain is 9.2 percent of the world grain trade. With agriculture exports reaching 22 billion US dollar a year affecting the increase in the budget revenues.
The most interesting panel discussion revolved around "Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Zone between Ukraine and the EU: Prospects for business and investments" and "Development of the Customs Union and economic integration of CIS countries: Prospects for the Ukrainian business".
Both these discussion had a diversified approaches which would give an advantage to understand the over and under advantages of conducting free trade with either of the block or concluding to prefer the one block over another block. Engr Jabbar said the state programme of Ukraine was to include taking measures to balance state finances with real capacity of the economy and to prevent economically unreasonable tax deductions. Pakistan may consider following this base line. It also includes introduction of mechanisms for remote liaison between taxpayer and competent authorities, which Pakistan as a policy has been making advocacy for real implementation.
It also includes approval of law under which business operations that fall under minor or average risk level may terminate under a relevant court decision only, which we also in Pakistan need to improve the business management and governance by protecting the apprehended risks. The Prime Minister of Ukraine has offered to businessmen that government is open for ongoing dialogue with business to commonly find additional measures required to improve business conditions. "We in Pakistan should also develop our integration with high offices of public sector so that continuation of dialogue as per changing environment becomes result oriented to positively affect trade and business in Pakistan.
We have learnt a lot out of panel discussions on "Presentation and discussion on the participation of business and investors in the implementation of the State activation program of the economic development of Ukraine for 2013-14." He said that 73 measures with specific directions as smoothening and catalysts to increase the trade and business were worth considering for customised needs of Pakistan, he said.

Source:http://www.brecorder.com

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Biodiversity Of Staphylinids Of Punjab, Pakistan

Rove beetles belong to the largest family (Staphylinidae) of beetles in the order Coleoptera of the Class Insecta. Because of their cosmopolitan distribution with broad latitudinal ranges, they are known to play important role as pollinators, decomposers and scavengers.The studies on their biodiversity including the species richness, distribution pattern and seasonal abundance were unknown with respect to their role in ecological system in Punjab, Pakistan.The present study is therefore, being carried out to study the biodiversity of Staphylinidae in different ecological regions of Punjab. For this purpose, collection was made from cropped area (8 localities) and forest area (3 localities) of the Punjab, Pakistan with 5 different collecting methods; pitfall trapping, flight intercept trapping, light trapping, Berlese funnel trapping and sweep netting during 2008 and 2009.

Population was collected for four days after every two months from each locality during the entire collection period.Relative humidity (%), temperature (CO) and soil moisture contents (%) were also recorded for all the localities. In the cropped areas, 1083 specimens belonging to 5 subfamilies, 15 genera and 26 pecies were collected and identified.Paederus fuscipes Curt.was the species with the highest population (32%) overall while Tachyporus himalyicus Bernh. was with lowest population (0.4%).It was found that some species preferred some crops, e.g., Paederus fuscipes was found only in cropped areas preferably in maize and berseem crops and Oxytellus Gr. genus was found mostly in plant and leaf debris. Astilbus mixtus Cam. was found associated with termites in the sandy areas only. High Shannon weaver index value (2.572) was found from Rahim Yar Khan and lowest value (1.82) was found from Rawalpindi during 2008. In the forest areas, mostly species were collected from Changa Manga (46.67%) during 2008 and from Muridwala (38.33%) during 2009. Some species were found missing in the forest areas like Paederus fuscipes, Astilbus mixtus etc. Association between collecting methods and localities was also determined.This association was found positive only for locality 1 (Lahore). No association was found between years and localities. Most Staphylinidae were collected through pit fall traps and least was found with FIT’S. Most Staphylinidae were collected during July-August.There was also a positive correlation between relative humidity, soil moisture contents and rove beetles. Dry soils had less rove beetles as compared to the moist soils. If the soil moisture contents will be more, there will be no space for air between the soil particles then the rove beetles will be less because of mortality due to suffocation.On the basis of coefficients of association calculated from different biotic (crops and other insects) and abiotic factors (temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture contents) that were faced by the collected species, the specimens belonging to different Staphylinidae species have been arranged into five groups with five species treated as separate on the basis of their habitat, locality, abundance and their status.

Source: Nasir, Shabab (2011) Biodiversity Of Staphylinids Of Punjab, Pakistan. PhD thesis, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad .

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ASSESSMENT ON POSTHARVEST HANDLING METHOD OF MANGO

There are many kinds of mango postharvest handling methods in East Java which were conducted by farmers, whole-salers and exporters, so that fruits quality were varied. Prime quality of mango will be received by the consumers if good and properly handling method of fruits is conducted. The aim of this assessment was to determine properly and profitable handling method of mango cvs. Arumanis and Manalagi so that prime quality of harvested fruits would be obtained. This assessment used a completely randomized design with 3 treatments, replicated 8 times. Treatments used were (1) harvesting was done before 10 a.m., fruits were packed using cartoon boxes with fruit cell, (2) harvesting was done at 10 a.m.to 4 p.m, fruits were washed with 75 ppm chlorine, dipped in hot water (53°C) for 5 minutes, packed in cartoon boxes with fruit cell and fruit net, (3) harvesting was done at 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., fruits were washed with 75 ppm chlorine, packed in cartoon boxes with fruit cell and fruit net. Capacity of all boxes were 10 kg each. Each treatment was consisted of 2 boxes. Observation were done on physical and chemical characteristics, the length of storage life in ambient temperature and cost of each postharvest handling method.

Results showed that there were no significantly different on physical and chemical characteristics between the three treatments, but treatment 2 showed longer storage life than the other treatments. After 9 days at ambient temperature storage, fruits of treatment 2 were damaged as much as 8% for Arumanis cultivar and 6% for Manalagi cultivar Treatment 3 gave 25% of damaged fruits for Arumanis cultivar and 39% for Manalagi cultivar, while for treatment 1, damaged fruits reached as much as 29% for Arumanis cultivar and 66% for Manalagi cultivar Treatments 2 and 3 gave good result on organoleptic evaluation, which were better than treatment 1. Cost of handling method using treatment 2 around of Rp. 4,170.-/box for Arumanis cultivar and Rp. 3,910.-/box for Manalagi cultivar, for treatment 3 were Rp. 3,890.-/box for Arumanis cultivar and Rp. 3,630.-/box for Manalagi cultivar, while for treatment 1 was Rp. 1,950.-/box for Arumanis cultivar and Rp. 1,950.-/box for Manalagi cultivar. Handling method using treatment 2 and 3 could increased fruits' value at about 2–15% than that using treatment 1.

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Agriculture in Pakistan: An Overview

1.1 General
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is an ancient Southern Asian country, bordering the Arabian Sea to the North, with India on the East, Iran and Afghanistan on the west, and China in the north. Pakistan mainly comprises of four provinces, Balochistan, North West Frontier, the Punjab and Sindh Pakistan.

Despite movements of the population from farms to cities, the country remains predominantly rural. Almost three fourths of the population lives in rural areas. The literacy rate of Pakistan in 2004 was estimated to be 54 percent (of which 66.25 percent is male and 41.75 percent is female), which is still behind other countries of the region.

Pakistan's economy is characterized by a predominance of agriculture, a strong industrial base with a large domestic market, and an ample supply of skilled human resources. In general, Pakistan enjoys a well developed physical infrastructure and good communication facilities.

The population in Pakistan, since its inception in 1947, has more than quadrupled to 164.74 million, as of July 2007. The production of wheat, a staple food crop, has increased only three fold. The gap between food supply and demand requires great effort to increase agricultural production while ensuring self-sufficiency in food commodities.

1.2 Agricultural Mechanization
Agriculture plays a pivotal role in Pakistan’s economy. About 22% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and 44.8% of total employment is generated in agriculture. It also provides a substantial base to Pakistan’s export. Agriculture also contributes to the growth as a supplier of raw materials to the industry, as well as the market for industrial products. Nearly 65.9% of the country’s population living in rural areas is directly or indirectly linked with agriculture for their livelihood. Whatever happens to agriculture, it is bound to affect not only the country’s growth performance but to a large segment of the country’s population as well.

The major crops grown in the country are wheat, rice, maize, cotton, and sugarcane. The area under these crops are 8.35, 2.51, 0.98, 3.2, and 0.97 million hectares, respectively. The annual production of wheat, rice, and maize are 21.61, 5.02, and 2.79 million metric tons, respectively, whereas the annual production of cotton and sugarcane are 14.26 million bales and 47.24 million metric tons, respectively (Anon., 2005-06).

Agricultural mechanization is selective in Pakistan and the only operations that are mechanized are those for which there is a constraint of labor or power, or a combination of both. The effects of mechanization are positive overall: it has not only increased on-farm income and labor productivity but also generated off-farm employment in manufacturing, supply/servicing of agricultural machinery, supply of other inputs and post-harvest handling of increased agricultural production. The most popular forms of agricultural machinery in Pakistan are bulldozers, power rigs, tubewells and tractors with cultivators, wheat threshers, sprayers and trailers. Mould board ploughs and disc ploughs for deep tillage are also gaining popularity.

The bulldozers and power rigs are operated and maintained by the public sector on subsidized rates to farmers whereas tractors and other machines are owned by some farmers themselves. Farmers with medium-sized farms generally share their tractors and other farm machines with their neighboring small farmers on a rental basis. So far, agricultural engineering research has proved to be successful in Pakistan; a number of imported machines were modified by the research institutes and adopted by the farming community. In addition, a few machines/techniques were invented to assist the growers of different crops.

Fact Sheet

Area:
total: 803,940 sq km
land: 778,720 sq km
water: 25,220 sq km

Climate:
mostly hot, dry desert; temperate in northwest; arctic in north

Terrain:
flat Indus plain in east; mountains in north and northwest; Balochistan plateau in west

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: K2 (Mt. Godwin-Austen) 8,611 m

Natural resources:
land, extensive natural gas reserves, limited petroleum, poor quality coal, iron ore, copper, salt, limestone

Land use:
arable land: 24.44%
permanent crops: 0.84%
other: 74.72% (2005)

Irrigated land:
182,300 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards:
frequent earthquakes, occasionally severe especially in north and west; flooding along the Indus after heavy rains (July and August)

Current environmental issues:
water pollution from raw sewage, industrial wastes, and agricultural runoff; limited natural fresh water resources; a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification

Source: http://www.unapcaem.org

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Pakistan may harness benefits of agriculture development

"Pakistan can harness the benefits of agricultural development by putting more resources in making the agricultural credit accessible, and affordable and providing good governance in timely provision of quality inputs, taking care of backward and forward linkages and laying down a platform for innovations, and entrepreneurial activities."
This was stated by Professor Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, while addressing a seminar on changing mindset and building capacity for innovation and commercialisation organised by Office of Research, Innovations and Commercialisation (ORIC) here at New Senate Hall. He said scientific innovation regarding increase in cropping intensity, best agronomic practices, and intervention of GMOs shorter the duration of wheat and cotton crops that enhanced the production to manifold and caused establishment of new cotton mills, ginning factories, textile mills, flour mills, and many of relevant business.
He said "California US produces a range of agricultural commodities, but we remain in a fashion to grow only five crops as the political economy of Pakistan revolves around sugar industry, flour mills, various cartels and vested interests that dictate the affairs. He urged the government for setting up new cattle and grain markets with excellent administrative control so that the rights of producers and livestock farmers could be protected." He emphasised the need for making a platform for innovation and commercialisation at national level so that innovations could pave the way for new business plans.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com

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Steps in Pest Management

1Identify the pest problem.This is the first and most important step in pest control—figuring out exactly what you’re up against. Some pests (or signs of them) are unmistakable—most  people recognize a cockroach or a mouse. Other signs that make you think “pest” can be misleading. For example, what may look like a plant “disease” may be, in fact, a sign of poor soil  or lack of water.

2 Decide how much pest control is necessary. Pest control is not the same as pest elimination. Insisting on getting rid of all pests inside and outside your home will lead you to make more extensive, repeated, and possibly hazardous chemical treatments than are necessary. Be reasonable. Ask yourself these questions:

1. 
   Does your lawn really need to be totally weed free?
2. 
   Recognizing that some insects are beneficial to your lawn, do you need to get rid of all of them?
3. 
   Do you need every type of fruit, vegetable, or flower you grow, or could you replace ones that are sensitive to pests with hardier substitutes?
4. 
   Can you tolerate some blemished fruits and vegetables from your garden?
5. 
   Is anyone in your home known to be particularly sensitive to chemicals?

3 Choose an effective option. Use the information gathered in Step 1, your answers to the questions in Step 2, and guidance in the sections titled “Preventing Pests,” “Using Non-Chemical Pest  Controls,” and “Using Chemical Pest Controls” to determine  which option you want to choose. If you’re still uncertain, get further advice from the free sources listed in Step 1.

4 Evaluate the results. Once a pest control method has been chosen and implemented, always allow time for it to work and then evaluate its effectiveness by taking the following steps:
u  Compare pre-treatment and post-treatment conditions. Is there evidence of a clear reduction in the number of pests?
u  Weigh the benefits of short-term chemical pesticide control against the benefits of long-term control using a variety of other treatments, including non- chemical methods.

 

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Plant Profile: Alliums

There is something wonderful about a plant that gives you color, pizzazz, longevity, reliability, and style. Many varieties of the ornamental onion (Allium spp.) do all that, and more: they brush the mixed border with an artistic touch, dotting the garden with statuesque, floral sculpture.

Spring bulbs are beloved for their brilliance and promise of renewal. The tulips, daffodils, squill, grape hyacinths, and dozens of smaller bulbs, start the growing season with a colorful hurrah! Lilies pick up the bulb show later on, with Asiatic lilies the first to show their saturated open faces and Orientals (if they are fortunate enough to survive the rabbits) coming later in summer, broadcasting fragrance and elegance in spite of their splotches and speckles. In between all this action are the alliums, bridging spring and summer with a surprising array of color (purple, yellow, blue, pink, and white), height and flower shape (golf ball, tennis ball, baseball, softball, or the diminutive bells).

Planted in fall, at the same time you drill the ground to pop in tulips and daffodils, most allium bulbs have little problem with our cold winters. A few types might be considered “annuals,” especially if you garden in heavy clay. Alliums are native to sandy, dry soils with excellent drainage—Siberia, eastern Europe, Turkey, and the lands once known as Persia. As gardeners in Chicago have learned, good drainage has a positive effect on hardiness and can bump up a plant’s chance for that coveted “reliable return.”

Alliums have earned extra points lately due to their wildlife resistance. As members of the onion family (the ornamental, not the edible side of the family), they are shunned by rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, and other not-so-darling Disney icons I personally am fed up with). Some cautious gardeners weave allium and daffodil bulbs throughout their lily beds as a protective barrier around the more desirable lilies in an effort to outfox the fox.

Allium flowers are long lasting and attractive, whether left fresh or dried on the stems, cut for indoor display or not. They attract butterflies, do not smell like onions (although the foliage and bulbs often do), and, when happy in their full-sun, well-drained site, can form colonies or self-seed, especially when some of the more humongous flower heads are left on the plant, creating a startling, dried flower arrangement in the middle of an otherwise verdant garden.

The largest flowers belong to Allium ‘Globemaster’. At ten inches across, they are often cleverly advertised next to a smiling child’s face. Guess which is larger? For a big round purple softball on a 4- to 5-foot stem, try a small army of ‘Gladiator’. They perform best at the back of a border or against an open fence, where they can receive a bit of protection from strong winds.

There are several smaller-sized purple varieties more suited to average gardens: Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ is the most popular. Depending on the weather, they will appear between April and May, like splendid royal purple lollipops sprouting between clumping perennials, daylilies, ground covers or wherever else there is a good green bed to hide allium’s inevitable yellow foliage. The blossoms last for weeks and are often paired with the white cultivar ‘Mount Everest’.

Allium christophii, the star of Persia, is a most unique flower! It grows only from 1 to 2 feet (keep in mind that the diameter of the flower head can be between nine and 12 inches), in an airy, open, explosive kind of manner. The amethyst flower heads will self-seed, especially in sandy soils. Blooming between May and June, it serves as a head-turner when stuck at regular intervals in the front of the border, not unlike the effect of Allium schubertii.

Gardeners looking for a good purple or blue with less drama might consider the true-blue Allium caeruleum. Their golf-ball blooms also appear at the convenient May to June period. The purple drumstick ornamental onion, A. sphaerocephalum, offers a wonderful vertical exclamation point without the athletic ball flower head. Its tightly controlled “drumstick” flowers are dark burgundy.

For those who prefer a small, star-shaped, yellow flower, the golden lily leek, Allium moly, is a more demure, suitable choice. It appreciates the same culture of rich, well-drained soil with no winter sogginess.

The native pink Allium unifolium, however, will tolerate moist soil, and happily bloom with bunches of bell-shaped flowers from May to June.

While these plants may bloom in late spring, they are planted in late fall. The Garden's Fall Bulb Festival provides a one-stop shopping for alliums and hundreds of other bulbs. The Festival is usually held in early October.

^{Source: https://www.chicagobotanic.org}

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Hydroponic Fertilizer Solutions

Plants typically grow with their roots in soil and their stems and leaves in the air. They get some of the elements they require from the air (for example, most of the carbon and much of the oxygen used by the plant comes from the carbon dioxide taken in by the leaves of the plant), there are other nutrients that can be fed to them through their foliage, and there are even some aerial plants that get everything they need to thrive without any contact with soil at all. However, most plants get the bulk of what they need through their roots, usually in soil.

In a hydroponic production system, however, instead of getting nutrients from the soil, the plant derives the nutrients it needs from the solution in which its roots are immersed. A fertilizer solution is supplied to the roots, and the way the solution is supplied is important because it influences what components of the air, such as oxygen, are included.

Soil is avoided in specialized controlled-environment systems because it introduces so many composition variables and potential insect and disease problems. Soils differ from one part of a field to another and certainly from one part of the country to another, so fertilization according to soil becomes complex and tricky. Despite this, soil will continue to be the medium most used for agricultural plants for the foreseeable future.

Source Water

Water to be used in a hydroponic system should be tested before it is used. It is important to request an irrigation-water report rather than using a domestic-water report, because some elements critical to hydroponic growing will not be measured in a residential water test. Most water has a certain number of dissolved ingredients in it. In small quantities, most anything dissolved in the water is tolerable. If present in larger quantities, however, some plant-usable dissolved ingredients will require that the fertilizer solution be adjusted to include less of those ingredients.

Calcium and Magnesium

Calcium and magnesium are often present in source water in significant amounts. Calcium content in source water will range from almost nothing to more than a hundred or two parts per million (ppm). In a few groundwater samples it has been present in excess of 300 ppm, even higher than in most hydroponic fertilizer feed solutions. Magnesium’s presence in water can range from almost none up to 50 or 60 ppm. When magnesium is present at the higher levels, it’s likely that no magnesium will need to be added to the water in the hydroponic feed solution. Some ingredients that plants require, like manganese and boron, can be present in sufficient amounts to meet plant needs, but can sometimes be present in excess quantities. When these quantities are present, it is important to add little if any at all in the fertilizer program, since an excess of these substances can damage plants.

Sodium and Chloride

Other ingredients that are highly water-soluble, like sodium and chloride, are often present in groundwater as well as in surface water. Very small amounts of both sodium and chloride are used by plants. Larger quantities can make the water unusable for growing plants hydroponically. When the levels of either sodium or chloride approach 75 ppm in the water, some modifications in the use of the water for hydroponic production may be necessary. If both sodium and chloride are high in the water, plant production problems may develop even at levels lower than 75 ppm.

Sulphate

The sulphate ion is a combination of sulphur and oxygen that acts as a unit in water solutions and in many chemical reactions. It can be present in small to large quantities in source water. Although large quantities of the sulphate ion are tolerable in hydroponic solutions, a point comes when they are high enough in concentration that they don’t leave room in the solution for other needed fertilizer ingredients. Short of that, most plants havea fairly high tolerance for the sulphate ion in the fertilizer solution. Since most fertilizer ingredients are introduced to the hydroponic solution in the form of a salt, the tolerance for a little extra sulphate is a useful attribute in building a soluble fertilizer feed program.

Treating Source Water

When source water is not suitable for hydroponic plant production because of excessive levels of sodium, chloride, sulphate and/or other ingredients, the water can be made suitable for plant production by being processed through reverse osmosis equipment. Itis interesting to note that most growers find better plant production results when 10 to 25 per cent untreated source water is blended back into the treated reverse osmosis water. The amount of blend-back will depend on how much of the excess levels of elements are present in the source water.

Hydroponic Fertilizer Components

Although there may be different approaches to developing a fertilizer for hydroponic plant production, only the approach using soluble fertilizer concentrates that can be diluted will be outlined here. In the concentrated fertilizer solution, the calcium must be kept separate from the sulphates and phosphates, so two separate concentrate tanks are needed. Let’s start with the calcium source and look at other fertilizers that are compatible with it in the same solution.

Calcium

The only suitable soluble calcium salt for the concentrate solution is calcium nitrate. Although calcium chloride is soluble, we don’t want to use it because of the addition of the chloride ion. Some fertilizer formulators do use it up to the legal limit for the chloride level in a fertilizer, but even a small amount of chloride content in the fertilizer, combined with chloride that may be present in the source water, could overload the chloride content in the fertilizer program. Using chloride in the fertilizer solution would reduce the variety of source waters usable for hydroponic plant production.

The amount of calcium in your source water can be subtracted from the calcium target for the fertilizer. That level will differ in waters in various parts of the country. Surface water such as that from rivers or lakes will usually contain a low level of calcium, if any. Well water is more likely to contain significant amounts of calcium. That depends, however, upon the rock and other media it has gone through in the ground. This is why it is advisable to have a water analysis done so that you know the calcium and other content of the water. In the U.S., well water in Ohio and Michigan, for example, will usually contain significant to even high levels of calcium. By contrast, well water in Tennessee will usually not contain much of anything in the way of elements. Some of the nitrogen needed by the plants will be provided in the calcium nitrate.

Potassium, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen

Potassium sulphate is soluble and usable by plants and can be used in the fertilizer solution. However, it needs to be supplied in the sulfate concentrate tank. The fertilizer of choice is mono potassium phosphate, which is also soluble in water and is used as the source of any phosphorus needed in the fertilizer program. Mono potassium phosphate will need to be supplied in the sulfate concentrate tank as well. Although many growers use phosphoric acid as a source of phosphate, we do not recommend it because it is much easier to manage the fertilizer program if the fertilizer management and the pH management are separated. If a fertilizer containing acid such as phosphoric acid is used, the fertilizer program and the pH management program are tied together, so that a change in one will affect the other, making it much trickier to maintain proper levels of both nutrients and pH.

Once the target amount of phosphate has been determined for the fertilizer recipe, the amount of potassium present in the mono potassium phosphate is calculated and then subtracted from the potassium target, giving us a new target amount of potassium. The amount of potassium nitrate necessary to supply the needed potassium is then calculated. If that results in excess amounts of nitrogen, the potassium nitrate needs to be backed off so that the nitrogen target is not exceeded. When this happens, the potassium target is met by adding enough potassium sulphate to bring the potassium to the target amount.

If the nitrogen target has not yet been met with the calcium nitrate and the potassium nitrate in the fertilizer recipe, the calcium nitrate can usually be increased to meet the nitrogen target. The additional calcium is usually not a problem in the fertilizer program. Magnesium nitrate can also be used if there is room in the program for the nitrogen that would also be supplied.

Iron

In the fertilizer solution, iron is supplied in chelated form. The chelating molecule is a large molecule that surrounds the iron and prevents it from chemically reacting with other ions in the solution. This preserves it for uptake by the plant roots. The chelating agent does not interfere with the plant’s uptake of iron. A number of chelating agents are available. Because EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) is toxic to plants, some growers do not use any EDTA chelates in their recipes. DTPA (diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid) is a more suitable chelating agent. It protects the iron over a broader pH range. It is a little more expensive than EDTA, but many growers consider the extra cost well worth it. The DTPA iron is best put into the calcium fertilizer concentrate tank. This keeps it separate from the manganese, copper, and zinc in the concentrate solution.

Magnesium

Magnesium is supplied in the sulphate tank. It is usually supplied through Epsom salts or magnesium sulphate. Epsom salts are not very expensive and are readily available. Magnesium can also be supplied in the nitrate form. For most fertilizer programs, however, the nitrogen target has been met by the time magnesium additions are being calculated, so magnesium nitrate is rarely used.

Micronutrients

In addition to the above main elements, micronutrients are also needed by plants, but in smaller quantities. These can be supplied in a concentrate mix that is then added to the sulphate fertilizer tank. Manganese, copper, and zinc can be supplied in the sulphate form. Some growers may use one or more of these nutrients in the chloride form, arguing that not much chloride is introduced to the fertilizer program from the comparatively small amount of micronutrient. Other growers use one or more of the nutrients in the EDTA chelated form. This is not a good idea for two reasons: 1) the EDTA is toxic to plants, and 2)the elements in chelated form can move around based on the preference of the chelating agent, making their distribution to the plants unpredictable. For this reason, using chelated manganese, copper, and zinc should be avoided.

Boron can be supplied using boric acid or solubor. Although solubor contains some sodium, the amount of sodium effectively added to the fertilizer solution is small because not much boron is needed. Molybdenum is usually supplied in either sodium molybdate or ammonium molybdate. A very small quantity of molybdenum is needed in the fertilizer solution, so the amount of sodium or ammonium supplied along with the molybdenum amounts to a small fraction of a part per million in the final fertilizer solution.

Fertilizer Solution Delivery

Reservoirs can be used in hobby greenhouses as a source of fertilizer solution for the plants. The feed-strength fertilizer is mixed from the concentrates every day or so and placed in the reservoirs. Although the reservoir can take up space in the greenhouse that could be used for growing plants, and it takes time every day or so to fill the reservoir with feed-strength fertilizer solution, this system requires a much lower investment than the use of fertilizer injectors.

Fertilizer injectors can be used to mix small amounts of the fertilizer concentrates and the pH adjustment concentrate with the incoming source water as it is delivered to the plants. There are several injector systems available. Some are pictured here. Systems can range in price from just over a thousand dollars to four or five thousand or more. The advantages of such systems include the opportunity to supply concentrates that need to be mixed less frequently than a reservoir would need to be filled. The injectors have adjustments that can be used to change the amount of fertilizer in the solution being fed.

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SEMI-ARID FRUIT PLANTS, THEIR VARIETIES & THEIR SCIENTIFIC NAME

1. DATE PALM:

Scientific Name: Phoenix dactylifera L.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is considered as an important cash crop of the district Khairpur, which is also the major dates producing district in Pakistan. The date palm has an economic importance because of its fruit, which is most nutritive and energy providing food. Dates are rich in certain nutrients and provide a good source of rapid energy due to high carbohydrate content. In addition to carbohydrates dates contain minerals, proteins, fats and vitamins etc. Date palm cultivars are of three main types according to their fruit moisture content i.e., soft, semi-dry and dry cultivars.

Varieties:

Punjab: Hillavi, Khudravi

Sindh:      Asil, Fasli,

Khyber Pakhtoon Khuwa:    Dhakki, Basri, Halini and Zahidi

Baluchistan:          Muzawati, Begum Jangi, Halini, Sabzo

2. CUSTARD APPLE:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Annona squamosa L

Cusatard apple is a small tree seldom more than 4.5 meters high. A dry-and-hot climate suits it most. It flourishes in lighter soils, and grows well even on the slopes of hills, but cannot stand cold or frost.This fruit-tree is propagated through seeds and by grafting. There is considerable variation in the fruit-trees when propagated from seeds. The fruits are variable in shape, oblong, or irregular. The size ranges from 7–12 cm (2.8–4.7 in). When ripe, the fruit is brown or yellowish, with red highlights and a varying degree of reticulation, depending on variety. The flavor is sweet and pleasant, akin to the taste of 'traditional' custard.

Varieties:

• Tikal-is of excellent quality and medium yield; its flesh is bright-red, except in the white areas surrounding the seeds.
• Canul-has a medium fruit with a waxy, shiny dark-red surface and purplish red flesh; it is very aromatic and deliciously sweet with few concretions of hard cells.
• Sarteneja-has a medium fruit with a waxy, shiny red surface and pink flesh with a magnificent taste and texture, although the fruit is not as attractive in appearance as that of the previous two cultivars. The tree is sturdier.
• San Pablo-has a long, large fruit with an opaque, light-red surface. The flesh is dark-pink with a good aroma and taste. It is a vigorous, productive cultivar.
• Benque-has a big, conical fruit with a dark-red surface and very tasty dark-pink flesh.
• Caledonia-has a small fruit with a dark surface: it is very attractive to cochineal insects (Philophaedra spp.), which are not very common in other varieties. The flesh is pink and has an excellent taste.

3. PHALSA:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Grewia asiatica

A small deciduous tree or large straggling shrub, up to 4.5 m tall; bark rough, grey; branches long; slender, drooping, young ones densely coated with stellate hairs. The pulp, which is about 69% of the whole fruit, constitutes the edible portion and contains per 100g; water 80.8g, protein 1.3g, fat 0.9g, carbohydrates 14.7 g, fiber 1.2 g, minerals 1.1g, phosphorus 39 mg, calcium 129mg, iron 3.1 mg, carotene 0.48 mg, niacin 0.3 mg, and vitamin C 22 mg. The energy value is 300 kg/ 100g.

Varieties:

In phalsa, no distinct cultivar is identified. Some growers have, however, given names as Local and Sharbati. Two distinct types i.e. Tall and Dwarf were recognized. Dwarf type was found to be more productive.

1. Tall type: Plant height is 4.5 m, leaf size 20 * 18 cm. Leaves are light green in colour. Average fruit size is 2.07 cm and weighing 0.48 g. Average yield per bush is 5.2 kg. Pulp is 81.5 %, juice 5.4 %

2. Dwarf type: Plant height is 3.4 m, leaf size 18 * 15 cm. Leaves greenish white in colour. Fruit size is 2.26 cm, weight 0.54 g. Average yield is 3.5 kg per bush. Pulp 60.3%, juice recovery is 34.6 %

4. FIG:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: (Ficus carica L.)

The common fig is a deciduous tree growing to heights of up to 6 meters. Ficus carica is well known for its large, fragrant leaves. Fruit of the fig is made up of hundreds of flowers which grow inside the skin of the fruit. They are pollinated by a wasp with which the fruit has a symbiotic relationship. The seeds are all from the flowers, each of which contains only one seed, so the fig is a very unusual fruit. Figs are one of the highest plant sources of calcium and fiber, dried figs are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, relative to human needs.

Varieties:

There are basically three varieties of common figs:

§ Caducous (or Smyrna) figs require pollination by the fig wasp with pollen from caprifigs to develop crops. Some cultivars are Calimyrna, Marabout, and Zidi.

§ Persistent (or Common) figs do not need pollination; fruit develop through parthenocarpic means. This is the variety of fig most commonly grown by home gardeners. Adriatic, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Brunswick, and Celeste are some representative cultivars.

§ Intermediate (or San Pedro) figs do not need pollination to set the breva crop, but do need pollination, at least in some regions, for the main crop. Examples are Lampeira, King, and San Pedro.

5. JUJUBE:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.

Jujube (ber), is a small deciduous tree or shrub reaching a height of 5–10 metres (16–33 ft), usually with thorny branches. The fruit is an edible oval drupe 1.5–3 centimetres (0.59–1.2 in) deep; when immature it is smooth-green, with the consistency and taste of an apple, maturing brown to purplish-black and eventually wrinkled, looking like a small date. There is a single hard stone similar to an olive stone. Ber cultivation is becoming popular due to its outstanding advantages including bearing early, being rich in nutrition, long flowering season, as well as high tolerance to drought and salinity. Fruits of jujube are used in Pakistan as fresh and dehydrated for later use. By products of Ber include jams, chutney, murraba, juice and candies. Ber demonstrates a rich genetic diversity mostly resulting from natural cross pollination and self incompatibility. The genetic variation in ber population is in forms of fruit volume, yield and other characteristics.

Varieties:

More than fifty varieties of Ber are being grown in Pakistan. Some of them are:

• Dehli Sufaid:
It is very delicious and large sized variety of Ber. Fruit shape is round. Average fruit weight is 28gram while average fruit size is 11cm2. Stone size is 1.7cm2 and stone weight is 1.5gram. Yield per tree is 230-240kg. Vitamin C contents are 134mg per 100 gram while TSS is 21%.
• Dilbhar:
This is early variety of Ber. Fruit size is very attractive and of large size upto 11cm2. Fruit weight is upto 25gram. Stone weight is 1gram and stone size is upto 1.2cm2. TSS is 15%. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 112mg per 100gram. Yield per tree is 160-165kg.
• Suffon:
Fruit size of this variety is somewhat smaller then Dehli Sufaid. Average fruit weight is 16gram. Fruit size is 7cm2. Stone weight is 0.9gram while stone size is 1cm2. Total soluble solids are 17% while Vitamin C contents are 132gram per 100 gram. Average yield of fruit per tree is 115-120kg.
• Faisalabad-1:
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 28gram while average fruit size is 11cm2. Stone size is 1.4cm2 and stone weight is 2.1gram. Yield per tree is 170-175kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 109mg per 100 gram while TSS is 17%.
• Ajooba:
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 14gram while average fruit size is 7cm2. Stone size is 9cm2 and stone weight is 9gram. Yield per tree is 115-120kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 134mg per 100 gram while TSS is 18%.
• Fauladi:
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 37gram while average fruit size is 13cm2. Stone size is 2cm2 and stone weight is 2.3gram. Yield per tree is 180-185kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 113mg per 100 gram while TSS is 19%.
• Mehmood Wali:
Average fruit weight of this variety is 14gram. Fruit size is upto 6cm2. Stone size is .3cm2 while stone weight is 1.4gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 103mg per 100gram. Yield per tree is 158-163kg while the TSS is 16%.

• Saddiqia:
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 10gram while average fruit size is 7.5cm2. Stone size is 0.7cm2 and stone weight is 0.7gram. Yield per tree is 170-175kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 158mg per 100 gram while TSS is 23%.
• Yazman local:
It is very delicious variety of Ber. Average fruit weight is 34gram while average fruit size is 13cm2. Stone size is 0.7cm2 and stone weight is 1.3gram. Yield per tree is 145-150kg/plant. Vitamin C contents are 82mg per 100 gram while TSS is 17%.
• Gorh:
This variety is also called Desi Ber and used fir rootstock purpose. Average fruit weight of this variety is 5gram. Fruit size is upto 3 cm2. Stone size is 0.2 cm2 while stone weight is 0.5gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 177mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 24. Yield per tree is 137-140kg.
• Khobani:
Average fruit weight of this variety is 13gram. Fruit size is upto 7cm2. Stone size is 0.3 cm2 while stone weight is1.2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 167mg per 100gram while the TSS is 18%. Yield per tree is 117-120kg.
• Bhawalpur selection:
Average fruit weight of this variety is 21 gram. Fruit size is upto 11 cm2. Stone size is 1.6 cm2 while stone weight is 2.2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 128mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 16%. Yield per tree is 195-198kg.
• Anokhi:
This is also very delicious variety which develops reddish to brown spots on maturity. Average fruit weight of this variety is 16 gram. Fruit size is upto 7 cm2. Stone size is 1.6 cm2 while stone weight is 1.2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 102mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 16%. Average Yield per tree is 190-195kg.
• Allu Bukhara:
This is late variety of ber reaches in market at end of March. Average fruit weight of this variety is 23gram. Fruit size is upto 10 cm2. Stone size is 0.6 cm2 while stone weight is 1.3gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 132mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 17%. Yield per tree is 210-215kg.
• Pak White:
This variety can be store for more days as compare to others so can be marketed to distant areas. Average fruit weight of this variety is 31gram. Fruit size is upto 13 cm2. Stone size is 0.5 cm2 while stone weight is 2gram. Vitamin C contents in this variety lies upto 122mg per 100gram, while the TSS is 19%. Yield per tree is 200-205 kg.

6. JAMUN:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Syzygium cumini

A fairly fast growing species, it can reach heights of up to 30 m and can live more than 100 years. Its dense foliage provides shade and is grown just for its ornamental value. The wood is strong and is water resistant. The fruit is oblong, ovoid, starts green and turns pink to shining crimson black as it matures. A variant of the tree produces white coloured fruit. The fruit has a combination of sweet, mildly sour and astringent flavour and tends to colour the tongue purple. The seed is also used in various alternative healing systems like Ayurveda. It has a high source in vitamin A and vitamin C.

Varieties:

1. Ra Jamun : It produces big sized fruit with average lenght of 2.5 - 3.5 cm and of diameter 1.2 - 2.0 cm. Fruits are oblong in shape, deep purple or bluish black in colour at fully ripe stage. The pulp colour of ripe fruit is purple pink and the fruit is juicy and sweet. The stone is small in size. It ripens in the month of June-July. The variety is very common among the people.

2. Small sized Jamun : It is a late maturing variety. The average lenght of fruit is 1.5 - 2.0 cm and diameter is 1-1.5 cm. The fruit is slightly round in shape, deep purple or blackish in colour at full ripe stage. The colour of the pulp is purple, less in juice, weight and sweetness of pulp in comparison of that of 'Ra Jamun'.

7. AMLA:

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phyllanthus emblica L.

The tree is small to medium in size, reaching 8 to 18 m in height, with a crooked trunk and spreading branches. The branchlets are glabrous or finely pubescent, 10–20 cm long, usually deciduous; the leaves are simple, subsessile and closely set along branchlets, light green, resembling pinnate leaves. The flowers are greenish-yellow. The fruit are nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows.

Varieties:

Amla variety BSR-1 was included for the investigation of heritability and genetic advance of different characters as affected by mutagenic treatments.

There are 3 main varieties of amla viz., Banarasi, Francis (Hathijhool) and Chakaiya.  These varieties have their own merits and demerits. Banarasi, an early-maturing amla, is a shy-bearing,  prone to heavy dropping of fruits with poor shelf –life.  Francis suffers from severe incidence of  fruit necrosis.  Chakaiya fruits are fibrous, smaller in size and also have a tendency to bear heavy crop in alternate years.  Other varieties identified and released for commercial cultivation during the recent years are:

Kanchan (NA4): A seedling selection from Chakaiya, it is heavy and regular bearer (7.7female flowers/ branchlet), with medium-sized fruits, having higher fibre content.  It is preferred by industries for pulp extraction and manufacturing of various products.  This has been adopted very well in the semiarid regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

NA6: A seedling selection from Chakaiya, it is prolific and heavy bearer (10.8female flowers / branchlet).  It is ideal for preserve and candy, owing to low fibre content.

NA7: A seedling selection of Francis, it is precocious, prolific and regular-bearer (9.7female flowers/ branchlet).  This is an ideal variety for preparation of products and has a great pr

REFRENCES:

1. http://www.pakissan.com/
2. http://agroguide.weebly.com/uploads/5/0/3/1/5031454/fruits_of_arid_and_semi_arid_areas.pdf
3. http://www.fruitipedia.com/
4. http://pakiagriculture.blogspot.com/

About Author:

Syeda Tahira Fatima Jafri

Website URL: http://agriculturism.blogspot.com/

BIO: I am doing my B.S. (IInd Year) in Agriculture & Agribusiness Management at the University of Karachi.

E-mail: fatimajafri@live.com

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