Mushroom farming: the fungal goldmine

SAHIWAL: A global trend in agriculture has been a shift away from simple systems that rely on traditional crops, to those that increasingly seek new varieties of plants that cater to advanced dietary needs. To this end, scientists and growers have recommended several new crops that can augment the spectrum of agricultural produce.

By Muhammad Zeeshan Farid / Dr Amjad Farooq Published: October 1, 2012

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Mushrooms, known locally as “khumbi”, are among this emerging cropping system. Mushrooms are essentially fungi, a group of organisms distinct from plants, animals and bacteria. They convert inedible plant waste into palatable food, which is savoured due to its biting texture and flavour. They form a complete diet as mushrooms contain essential vitamins and minerals, and are the best substitute for protein. They also contain traces of carbohydrates and fat.

Dr Amjad Farooq works as an assistant professor at the Department of Horticulture of the PMAS-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi. He explains that, according to estimates, there are more than 1,500 types of mushrooms found on planet earth – some of them are edible, but others are poisonous. The four most popular types are the button or European mushroom, the Japanese mushroom, the Chinese mushroom and the oyster mushroom. The best quality mushrooms available in Pakistan are the oyster mushroom, the white mushroom, the golden oyster mushroom, the phoenix (grey) oyster mushroom and the pink oyster mushroom. These strains grow all over the country, and are available usually after the monsoon season.

Mushrooms can be cultivated between October and March. Cultivation does not require land and can be grown in small houses and huts as a part-time activity. Mushroom cultivation does not require full time-labour, and all family members can look after different operations easily. There are two modes of propagation for a mushroom crop: open-air field cultivation and controlled cultivation.

After seven days of cultivation, small pin-like heads emerge from the mushroom, which turn into more mushrooms after three to five days. Branches which grow five to seven inches long, called flushes, are removed from the plants and dried. These can be used in cooking, or can be sold in the market. Flushes keep regenerating from the plant after every ten days of the removal of old ones: the cycle is very short, and as a result, highly productive.

“A single flush or branch of mushroom can yield more than half a kilogramme (kg) of edible food after each week for three months,” says Dr Muhammad Nadeem, from the Institute of Horticultural Sciences, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

Thus, 100 beds of mushroom can yield more than 120kg of mushrooms a week. At the rate of Rs150 per kg, they can generate a lump sum profit of Rs18,000 a week, or Rs72,000 in a month. Dr Nadeem says the “production of mushrooms touches approximately 1.5 million tons in the world, while about 90 tons of mushrooms are exported to Europe from Pakistan every year.”

Oyster mushrooms currently sell for around $6 a pound in the US. A growing area of around 200 square feet can produce 800 pounds per crop; or 5,000 pounds of mushrooms per year. This is worth almost $30,000 at current prices. It’s clear that growing oyster mushrooms for profit is a great way to make some extra cash.

However, it should be kept in mind that, given the large variety of poisonous strains of mushrooms, spawn should be developed only under the supervision of experts. It is available at the UAF, the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute and other government research stations.

Farmers who wish to cultivate mushrooms should book spawn well before the cultivation season, because it may not be readily available during the peak demand period. The UAF laboratory has developed some thermo-tolerant strains of the most widely grown button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus cystidiosus).

As basic training is required for profitable mushroom cultivation, the Continuing Education Department of the UAF offers a short course suited for farmers. Furthermore, the UAF’s Mushroom Lab can be contacted for guidance and information, and it can give proper suggestions and recommendations to those willing to invest in this lucrative business.

ZEESHAN FARID IS A RECLAMATION OFFICER WITH A MASTERS DEGREE IN AGRICULTURE. DR AMJAD FAROOQ IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT THE PMAS-ARID AGRICULTURE UNIVERSITY

Published in The Express Tribune, October 1^st, 2012.

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Pakistan and Tajikistan Sugar Trade

Tajikistan has set new conditions for the import of sugar from Pakistan and now it is seeking a price of $20 less than international market instead of already agreed price. For last eight months, Pakistan and Tajikistan are negotiating to mature a sugar export deal, however, the deal is still pending despite several correspondences.
Sources told Business Recorder on Monday that once again Tajikistan has declined to accept Trading Corporation of Pakistan''s (TCP) commercial agreement for export of 30,000 tons white crystal sugar and has set some new conditions for the import of sugar. Following refusal of TCP''s commercial agreement, much awaited sugar export deal between Pakistan and Tajikistan has been further delayed. About one month back, amended commercial agreement for export of sugar was sent to Tajikistan officials for their signature. The second commercial agreement was drafted in consultation with Tajikistan and as per their demand Pakistan had agreed to supply sugar in three tranches instead of a single tranche of 30,000 tons.
However, now Tajikistan has declined to accept TCP''s second commercial agreement as is not willing to procure complete quantity of sugar through three consignments, sources said. Instead of accepting and signing commercial agreement sent by TCP, Agency on State Material Reserves of Tajikistan has asked TCP to reduce the agreed price of the commodity and minimise the consignment quantity by 50 percent.
In recent correspondent with TCP, Tajikistan''s procurement agency has refused to get supply of 10,000 tons in three tranches and now seeking sugar procurement in six phases. "Now, Tajikistan has requested for supply of sugar in six tranches with each tranche of 5,000 tons. At the same time, they are demanding a price of $20 less than international market instead of already agreed price of $528 per ton," they added.
In the second week of August last year, in the presence of Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Nurmahmad Akhmedov Chairman Agency on State Material Reserves of Tajikistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan reached a sugar export deal, under which Pakistan will supply 30,000 tons of white refined crystal sugar to Tajikistan at a discount price, which will be some $20 lower than international market. A price of $528 per ton was fixed for export as at the time of negotiations international price stood at $548 per ton.
With Tajikistan''s new demand, much awaited sugar export deal between two countries has further delayed and now it is being expected that sugar export deal will take some months to mature, sources said. Talks for export of sugar to Tajikistan are in process for last eight months, but continued to delay due to some disputes.
Earlier, there was some confusion on the transportation expenses and later the variety of sugar as during the initial talks, Tajikistan had agreed to import white refined crystal sugar, while later it demand powdered sugar, which is costlier than crystal sugar. TCP has already made all arrangements to start sugar export to Tajikistan and some 30,000 tons of stocks of white crystal sugar have already been allocated for export purposes.

Source: Business Recorder

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Beginner’s Guide to Seed Saving

Things are getting round and ripe in your garden. That means it’s time to think about saving seeds from your best tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and melons.

If left to themselves, these fleshy fruits would naturally fall to the earth, where some of their seeds would sprout when spring arrives again. Saving seeds from these plants mimics nature’s way—and it’s not at all difficult to do.

But remember, only seeds from open-pollinated, not hybrid, plants will produce the same crop next year. (The packet that the seeds came from will tell you whether the variety is open-pollinated or hybrid.) And, except for tomatoes, the plants shouldn’t be cross-pollinated by insects (which would happen if several varieties grew in the same area). Such saved seeds might grow into something that resembles the parent, or something tough and tasteless.

Tomatoes are self-pollinating. So if you avoid hybrid varieties, you’ll be able to grow the same tomato next year from seeds you save this year—even if different varieties were grown close together. That’s not the case with peppers and eggplants. Their flowers can be cross-pollinated by insects, so different varieties of these must be separated by 500 feet for the seeds to be pure.

Cucurbits—such as squash, cucumbers, gourds, and melons—need even more personal space. All of these garden favorites must be pollinated by insects. So unless close relatives (of the same species) are separated by a half-mile or more, you’ll get a surprise if you grow the seeds.

For example, a zucchini and an acorn squash (both Cucurbita pepo) in the same garden will cross, thanks to pollinating insects. And the seeds probably won’t produce a replica of either parent plant. But if you’re growing zucchini and a butternut squash (C. moschata) in the same garden, you can save the seeds from each and expect to have your plants come up true to type when you plant them next year, since they are different species.

Easy-to-Save Seeds

The seeds of tomatoes, peppers, melons, and winter squash are ready for saving when the fruits are ripe and ready to eat.

Peppers
Peppers are the easiest. The seeds are mature after the peppers have changed color, indicating final ripeness. Cut the peppers open, scrape out the seeds onto a plate—reserving the flesh for eating—and let the seeds dry in a non humid, shaded place, testing them occasionally until they break rather than bend. What could be simpler?

(Note: Dry all wet seeds on a glass or ceramic plate. Spread the seeds evenly over the surface of the plate and stir twice daily to ensure even drying and to keep them from clumping together. Don’t dry seeds on paper plates or paper towels—they’ll stick like glue. A food dehydrator set at 85ºF works well, but don’t dry them in a warm oven or any place the temperature exceeds 95ºF.)

Tomatoes
Saving tomato seeds takes a little more time, but it’s just as easy. Harvest ripe tomatoes from several different vines of the same variety, cut each across the middle, and gently squeeze the juice and seeds into a bowl. You’ll see that each tomato seed is encased in a gelatinous coating. (This prevents the seed from sprouting inside the tomato). Remove this coating by fermenting it. This mimics the natural rotting of the fruit and has the added bonus of killing any seed borne tomato diseases that might affect next year’s crop.

To ferment the seeds, add about half as much water as there are tomato seeds and juice in the bowl and stir the mixture twice a day for about 3 days. Keep a close eye on the mixture—especially if it’s a warm area, as fermentation happens more quickly at high temperatures. As the mixture ferments, its surface will become covered with white or gray mold. Don’t keep the bowl in the kitchen, anywhere it can be tipped over by animals or children, or where you’d be able to smell it—it will get pretty rank.

When bubbles begin to rise to the top of the mass, or when a thick coat of mold has formed, stop the fermentation by adding enough water to double the mixture, and stir vigorously. The clean, good seeds will settle to the bottom of the bowl. Gently pour off mold, debris and any seeds that float (they're hollow). Add more water and repeat the process until only clean seeds remain.

Capture the seeds to be saved by pouring the liquid through a strainer, wipe the strainer bottom with a towel to remove as much moisture as possible, then dump the seeds onto a glass or ceramic plate to dry. Stir twice a day to ensure even drying and to prevent the seeds from clumping together. Warning: Tomato seeds will germinate unless you dry them quickly. To speed drying, you can use a fan, but don’t put the seeds in sunlight or an oven.

Melons and Squash
Muskmelons, watermelons, and winter squash? Super easy. Cut muskmelons open, scoop the seeds into a strainer, rinse, and set out to dry. Watermelons are almost as easy. Put the seeds in a strainer and add a dash of dishwashing liquid to remove any sugar left on the seeds. Rinse and dry.

Winter squashes need to be carefully cut to expose the seed cavity. Don't cut straight through the center of the squash—you'll cut through some seeds, too. Just stick the knife in as far as necessary to cut through the flesh and move it around the circumference. (Be careful—some squashes will fight back!) Pull the seeds from the fibers, rinse, and dry. And don't cut a squash before you're ready to eat it—seeds can be saved from most winter squashes many months after harvest (although a few of the long-storage varieties may have sprouted seeds inside after 6 months or so).

Seeds That Need More Time

Eggplants, cucumbers, and summer squashes must ripen beyond the normal, ready-to-eat stage to allow viable seeds to develop inside.

Eggplants
To save the seeds of your eggplants, you’ll need to wait until the fruits are far past the stage when you’d pick them for eating. Any seeds saved from table-ready eggplants will be immature and won’t be viable. If left on the plant, purple eggplant varieties will ripen to a dull brownish color, green varieties to a yellowish green, and white varieties to golden. Eggplants ready for seed saving will be dull, off-colored, hard, and sometimes shriveled.

Cut the ripe eggplants in half and pull the flesh away from the seeded areas. If you want to save more than a few seeds, use a food processor or blender to mash the flesh and expose the seeds. Process (without peeling), and put the pulp in a bowl. Add water, let the good seeds settle, and then pour off the water and debris. Repeat until only clean seeds remain. Add a bit more water and pour the mix through a strainer with a mesh fine enough to catch the tiny seeds. Dry the bottom of the strainer with a towel to absorb excess moisture and dump the seeds out onto a plate to dry.

Cucumbers
After cucumbers ripen, they change color and become soft. (Remember, if you stop picking cucumbers, their vines will stop producing new fruit, so pick your fruit for seed saving toward the end of the season.)

Cut the ripe cucumber in half and scrape the seeds into a bowl. To remove the seeds' coating, rub them gently around the inside of a sieve while washing them or soak them in water for 2 days. Rinse and dry. (Note: Make sure the cucumbers you use for seed are disease-free; some diseases can be carried on seed and could affect your future crop.)

Summer Squashes
You’ll need to let summer squashes ripen past the tender stage, too. When you can’t dent the squash with a fingernail, the fruit is at the right stage for seed saving. Pick it, cut it open, scrape the seeds into a bowl, wash, drain, and dry.

Source:

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11 Gardening Tips

In early spring, we can hardly wait to get busy in the garden, anxiously checking the soil to see if it is warm and dry enough to work in. Then spring shifts into high gear and "to-dos" start sprouting up like so many dandelions. All while the rush of daily life hurtles forward. Does that mean you have to give up your ambitious garden plans? No, you just have to put to use these time-saving ideas from OG's own test gardeners. They're guaranteed to give you more time to enjoy and less stress about what you haven't done yet.

1. Start with a plan.
A well-thought-out plan saves you time spent trying to decide where you want each plant to go during the few hours you have to work outside. Be even more productive, advises the manager of the OG Test Garden in Pennsylvania, by deciding now what to put in later to replace short-lived plants like lettuce and spinach.

2. Make quick beds.
Create a new perennial garden simply by slicing under turf with a spade, flipping it upside down, and then covering the area with 3 to 4 inches of wood chips. Wait a few weeks and then cut into it and plant your perennials.

3. Stash your tools.
Minimize trips to the shed by keeping tools close. "I have gloves, pruners, a trowel, and other tools with me at all times," says Debbie Leung, OG Test Gardener in Olympia, Washington. "I wear pants with lots of pockets, or a carpenter's tool belt. A 5-gallon bucket also works." Lisa Gabory, landscape coordinator at the Rodale family farm, has a more unusual approach: She uses an old metal mailbox to hold hand tools. "Placing the mailbox at the entrance to my garden not only makes finding tools easier; it looks cool!" she says.

4. Cut off weeds.
When low-growing weeds like chickweed or lamium grow into a mat, don't bother trying to get rid of them one at a time. Instead, use the "shovel method" Debbie recommends. "With a sharp spade, slice beneath weeds, and then turn them over to completely bury the leaves," she explains. Bonus: "As the leaves rot, the weeds nourish the soil like a green manure."

5. Pile on mulch.
Use a bow or flat-head rake to spread mulch efficiently, Lisa suggests. "With the rake's tined edge, you pull and spread the mulch, and with the flat side of the rake, you even out the mulch on the bed," she explains, adding, "Use a light push-pull action."

6. Water wisely.
Soaker hoses save you the time of standing with a hose or refilling a watering can, Debbie reminds us. "With pressure on low, the water can be left on for several hours while a section of the garden is slowly irrigated, freeing you to work on something else. Just keep in mind that tender seedlings still need to be hand-watered."

7. Wind up hoses.
Don't waste time dragging and storing unwieldy hoses—for neat, easy storage, Lisa depends on both stationary and portable hose reels to put hoses away faster.

8. Build soil in place.
No need to tote wheel-barrows full of compost to your garden. "I make compost right in the walkways of my beds," Lisa says. "I layer newspaper with straw on top to prevent muddy shoes, and toward the end of the growing season, the straw and newspaper become a dark, crumbly compost. I add it right to the beds on each side of the walkway."

9. Wash the harvest.
Collect your produce in an old laundry basket. The basket acts as a strainer, allowing you to quickly rinse off dirt and debris from veggies and fruits.

10. Keep your shoes on.
Stash plastic grocery bags by the door to cover your muddy shoes in case you have to go inside before you are through gardening for the day.

11. Take baby steps.
Every minute is valuable when you're pressed for time. Take a few moments when you have them so chores don't pile up for the weekend. For instance, pluck a few weeds while waiting for the dog to finish his business outside or deadhead flowers while you're waiting for the school bus to drop off the kids.

Source:

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Agriculture sector: Pakistan seeks enhancement of trade with Malaysia Pakistan

A delegation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) led by its President, Zafar Bakhtawari visited National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM) and had a meeting with Ali Al Atas, President of NCCIM.
Zafar Bakhtawari, invited President of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia to attend ASEAN Capital Chambers Conference in Islamabad which would be organised by ICCI with the aim to promote mutually beneficial relation between Pakistan and ASEAN member states. ICCI President said that Pakistan produces good quality and affordable agricultural product like Pakistani rice, wheat and mangoes that have great demand in Malaysian markets.
He stressed that there is a dire need to increase export of Pakistani products to Malaysia which would also improve bilateral trade relations further between the two countries. He said that Pakistan has free trade agreement (FTA) with 3 countries that are Malaysia, China and Sri Lanka and Malaysia is the first Muslim country that has signed FTA with Pakistan which also reflects the importance of Malaysia for Pakistan. He further said that Malaysia should also help Pakistan in becoming full-dialogue partner in ASEAN regional bloc. Bakhtawari called on the Malaysian business community to take advantage of the vast Pakistani market and explore investment opportunities in agriculture, construction, livestock and dairy, energy, education, IT and the Halal industry sectors.
ICCI President was of the view that organising joint cultural events was an option which could be used to bring the peoples of both nations closer to each other, as well as exploit untapped bilateral trade and investment potential in both countries. Speaking on the occasion, Ali Al Atas, President of National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia said that business community of Pakistan should establish a base in Malaysia for attaining maximum trade benefits in ASEAN countries that would not only help in boosting trade activities but also prove beneficial for introducing Pakistani products in ASEAN countries.

Source: www.brecorder.com/

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Major farming systems of Pakistan

Mohsin Tanveer, Asad Saeed, Dr. Ehsan Uallah, Dr. Shakeel Ahmad Anjum

Pakistan is one of most blessed country having all four kinds of seasons with plenty of natural resources. Fortunately, agriculture is backbone of this country and more that 70 % population is associated with agriculture and its products. Out of 70 %, 45 % are involved directly in different farming systems. Farming system is a systematic approach and established way of operating a piece of land with given resources. Farming systems consist of several entrepreneurships like cropping systems, poultry, dairy business, fisheries and bee keeping e.t.c . And very marvellous thing about it is, the waste product of one system can be used as input for other one. There are two dimensions lead to the adoption of any farming system:

1) Objective of a farmer: For what purpose, he is adopting this farming system like either for earning or for subsistence basis

2) Availability of resources: Adoption of any farming system depends on availability of resources like arable farming on saline soils need heavy irrigation and if there is less water availability then what benefit will farmer get.

Here are major farming systems of Pakistan

Crop cultivation farming:

Estimated area under this system is 20% of total country area and is practiced by a huge number of farmers in Sindh, Punjab and valleys of KPK and Balochistan. Capital investment is low and is mostly in the form of land, irrigation system, and farm machinery/draft animals etc. Inputs are low to medium and include quality seed, water, fertilizers and pesticides, diesel oil/electricity etc. The characteristic input is extensive use of river water for irrigating crops. Major farm crops are rice, wheat, cotton, sugarcane and maize etc. Popular rotations are Rice-wheat and Cotton-wheat etc. Minor farm crops are timber/forage trees, pulses, fodders, oil seeds and vegetables etc.

Fruit tree irrigated farming system (Orchards):

This kind of farming system is practiced by private farmers in patches of variable sizes throughout the plains of Sindh, Punjab and valleys of KPK and Balochistan. Estimated area is 0.6% of total area of the country. However excessive solar radiation, hot desiccating winds, occasional storms and frosts, low rainfall, infertile soils and lack of organic matter in soils are major environmental constraints. Capital investment is low to moderate and is in the form of high quality valuable agriculture land, irrigation system, high quality fruit plants etc. Inputs are low to medium and include quality seed and saplings of most suitable species, irrigation water, fertilizer, pesticides and protection etc. Major crops are citrus, mango, guava, dates, pome grenates, ber, japeni phal, banana, papeeta, loquat, apricot, pears, peaches, almonds, walnuts, plums, and grapes etc. Minor crops are wheat, fodders, vegetables and timber trees etc.

Timber tree irrigated farming system:

This is adopted by the state on few large patches of land scattered in the plains of Sindh and Punjab. Estimated area under cultivation is about 1%. Major crops are Dalbergia (shisham), Acacia (kiker), Prospopis (jand), Albizzia (siris), Morus, Melia (bakin), Eucalyptus (safaida), populus (poplar) and Bombax (simbal) etc. Minor crops are Leucaena (ipilipil), Zizyphus (ber), Tamarix (farash), Salvdora (van) etc . Low rainfall, high temperatures, desiccating winds, infertile soil and salinity are important environmental constraints. Degree of control over environmental stresses is negligible. Inputs are low and include irrigation water during summer only and seeds/seedlings of suitable species.

Flood irrigation ( Saliable) farming system

It is being practiced on small scale by poor farmers at subsistence level in small pockets along river banks subject to annual inundation and in mountain valleys receiving annual flash floods hill torrents (Northern Balochistan), D.G.Khan, D.I.Khan and Southern KPK. Estimated area is 1% of total area. Irregular floods, low and undependable rainfall, excessive solar radiation, hot desiccating winds, stony/gravelly/light soils, negligible organic matter in soils, infertile soils having low water/nutrient holdings capacities are major environmental constraints.

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SUMMER!!! Fruit-Watermelon

Some foods are fun to eat, and watermelon is definitely one of them.  That triangular wedge of bright red/white/green, sweet juiciness forbids us to take life too seriously and shouts, “SUMMER!!!” As if that weren’t enough, watermelon is packed full of nutrition, hydrates and is low-fat. While many of us think of watermelon as a great snack option, when you tally up its nutritive value, you might consider making this all-star a feature player in your cuisine.

Interesting Facts

Melon fruit contains a lot of water (about 95% of the fruit) also rich in vitamins and minerals, so it has many benefits for our health. From the side of water content, melons can give sense of cool and soothing effect, so it can relieve heartburn and cleanse the kidneys from the remnants of metabolism. Melons are low in calories, with just 64 calories in a 1-cup serving of honeydew balls and fewer calories in cantaloupe, casaba or watermelon balls. At the same time, melons are high in essential vitamins and minerals. They contain almost no fat or saturated fat, making them an excellent choice for snacks or a side dish.

Watermelons are an excellent source of several vitamins: vitamin A, which helps maintain eye health and is an antioxidant; vitamin C, which helps strengthen immunity, heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy teeth and gums; and vitamin B6, which helps brain function and helps convert protein to energy.

Tomatoes have been highly touted as a great source for lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight heart disease and several types of cancer — prostate cancer in particular.  Watermelon, however, has the highest concentrations of lycopene of any fresh fruit or vegetable.

If your little ones don’t dig into their swiss chard, lima beans or spinach — all great sources of potassium — consider offering them a serving of watermelon instead.  It is a great source of potassium, which helps muscle and nerve function, helps maintain the body’s proper electrolyte and acid-base balance, and helps lower the risk of high blood pressure.

Watermelon also contains the amino acids citrulline and arginine, which can help maintain arteries, blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

Alone or in a fruit salad are the most common ways many of us eat watermelon. While eating the meat of the fruit is the best way to take advantage of all of its nutrients, this is one of my favorite bits of summer refreshment. I get a version of this from my local burrito truck. The key to making this great: don’t oversweeten it. With just a touch of sweetness, it’s heavenly.

Benefits of melon fruit itself has been tested to treat various types of diseases ranging from mild to chronic diseases. Melons are low in calories, with just 64 calories in a 1-cup serving of honeydew balls and fewer calories in cantaloupe, casaba or watermelon balls. At the same time, melons are high in essential vitamins and minerals. They contain almost no fat or saturated fat, making them an excellent choice for snacks or a side dish.

Melon Nutritional Values is 15.00 mg calcium; 25.00 mg phosphorus, 0.5 mg iron, 34 mg of Vitamin C; 640 mg IU Vitamin A, and 0.03 mg of Vitamin B1. Melon contains an anticoagulant called adenosine so it can stop the clotting of blood cells that can lead to stroke or heart diseases.

Melons are part of the gourd family that includes cucumbers and squashes with the difference that melons are consumed as fruits due to their much sweeter and juicy flavor. There are different types of Melons like:

• Watermelon (Tarbooz)
• Cantaloupe (Kharbooza)
• Honeydew Melon etc

Melon Health Benefits

1. Cancer Prevention

Melon fruit contains high carotenoid that this fruit can prevent cancer and reduce the risk of lung cancer. Melon fruit can prevent and kill cancer seeds that will invade our bodies. So try to eat melons, to avoid cancer.

2. Stroke and heart disease Prevention

Melon contains an anticoagulant called adenosine to stop clotting of blood cells which can lead to stroke or heart diseases. So the melons will help smooth the blood in the body so that a small risk of stroke or heart diseases incidence.

3. Good for digestion

Melons can launch a bowel movement, when we are experiencing digestive problems then eat melon to be easy and smooth bowel movement. Water content in the melon is very good for digestion. Mineral content is able to eliminate the acidity of the body need to be eliminated because it can interfere with digestion, particularly in the stomach organ.

4. Maintaining healthy skin

Melon contains collagen, the protein compounds that affect the integrity of the cell structure in all connective tissues such as skin. Collagen also serve For accelerates wound healing and maintain skin firmness. If you often eat melon means the skin will not be rough and dry.

5. Helps heal kidney disease and eczema.

Melon has a very good diuretic power so that it can help cure kidney disease and severe diseases and acute eczema. If combined with lemon, then a melon can cure gout. So a good idea to consume melons regularly once a day in the morning.

6. Boost of Energy

Most melons are contain B vitamins. B vitamins are responsible for a lot of your body's energy production (they are necessary for the body to process sugars and carbs). Hence, eating melons can give you substantial energy

7. For weight loss

Melons are ideal food for people who want to lose weight because they are low in sodium, fat-free, cholesterol free and low in calories (a whole cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories). They will also make you feel fuller because of the high water content. The natural sweetness found in melons will help you not to be tempted to grab those high calorie sweets.

Reference:

1. USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Melons, honeydew, raw

2. http://www.care2.com

3. http://letsgohealthy.blogspot.com

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Early Kharif season and Water Shortage

ابتدائی خریف موسم پانی کی کمی کا شکار

The Indus River System Authority (Irsa) on Friday projected a six per cent water shortage in early Kharif season and advised provinces to delay cultivation by two weeks till ice starts melting. However, there will be no water shortage in middle and late Kharif season as the country will have 10 MAF more water than the previous year.

This is the crux of a meeting of Irsa Advisory committee which met under Chairman of Irsa Asjad Imtiaz Ali to decide the availability and distribution of water for provinces during the upcoming Kharif season. Major Kharif crops are cotton, sugarcane and rice. The committee noted that the country would lose 25 per cent of total water available during because of system losses.

Irsa observed that 110 Million Acre Feet (MAF) water would be available for Kharif season, of which 23 MAF water would be lost. The committee said that in Jehlum and Chenab zones, the loss will be 10 per cent in the early Kharif season and 15 per cent in late kharif season. In the Indus zone, the water loss would be as much as 40 per cent, it noted.
It said that 67.25 MAF water would be available in canals for provinces. The body observed that the country would face 6 per cent water shortage in the early Kharif season. The committee decided that provinces would be given water according to their needs as the country would have more water than the previous season. "However, if the country faces water shortages, provinces would be taken on board to share it," the committee said. The country would have a carryover stock 11.5 MAF of water.
Later, Irsa's spokesperson Khalid Idrees Rana said that 10 MAF water would be released in Kotri downstream. He said that Punjab would get 33.6 MAF water and Sindh 30.25 MAF water for Kharif crops. "Balochistan will get 2.6 MAF whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 0.8 MAF water for Kharif crops," he said. He maintained that 1.2 MAF carryover water stock was available in reservoirs. He said that major reservoirs, including Tarbela and Mangla, would be filled in August at 1,550 and 1,242 feet levels, respectively. Official said that there would be no water shortage in upcoming Kharif season starting from April 1 till September end.

Source: http://www.brecorder.com/

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What is Green Manure

Green manures are any crop high in nutriments that can be tilled back into the soil. Like all plants Green Manures capture CO2 and transforms it into sugars. Many have nitrogen fixing bacteria living around there roots which convert Nitrogen from the air to a form that plants can absorb The soil food web quickly decomposes Green Manure so the nutriments in the leaves and roots can be taken up by the next crop. Cover crops can also be inter-planted with other crops.

Benefits

Cover crops add organic material to your soil. They make the soil easier to work. Cover crops help the soil hold water and nutriment for easy absorption by plants. Many cover crops have deep root structure that improves soil aeration and when the deep roots decay improve the soil structure. The deep roots loosen the soil and mine minerals which are made available to the garden. Cover crops are cheaper than buying commercial grades of compost and soil amendments. They protect soil from compaction and erosion by softening the impact of rain. Cover crops reduce weed crops. They prevent the leaching of soil nutriments by absorbing them.

Determine your soil building goals. Is it nitrogen fixing, creating heavy biomass or breaking down compacted soil. Choose green manure crop for time of year and your soil building goals from the planting guide that follows. Mixing more than one crop together is a good idea.  Consider a strategy to under sow green manures under maturing crops.

It is best to harvest green manures right after they have started to bloom. Harvesting earlier is fine but plants will not have reached their maximum nutritional storage and bio mass. After flowering green manures become woody and after they seed and take longer to break down.

Bury them as you turn you soil or cut them off and chop them up. If you chop them up mix cover crop with the two inches of soil and treat as a mulch or use them in a side mulch. If you remove the chopped cover crop from your garden you will have missed out on its biggest benefit,

feeding your soil. Allow buried crops to decompose before planting (one to three weeks depending on crop, soil and weather.

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What is Permaculture?

PERMACULTURE

Permaculture is a broad based and holistic approach that has many applications to all aspects of life. At the heart of all sustainable design and practice however is a fundemental set of ‘core values’ or ethics (Earthcare, Peoplecare and Fairshares) and principles which remain constant whatever our situation, whether we are creating systems for town planning or trade, whether the land we care for is a windowbox or a 2000 hectare forest. As well as providing the tools to create greater sustainability within our lifestyles, home environments, gardens and on our land, permaculture is just as importantly about finding ways of mending community and rebuilding our fragmented society.

Permaculture isn’t about is having to get your head around untold facts, figures, Latin names and complicated techniques, rather it is about recognising universal patterns and principles, and learning to apply these ‘ecological truisms’ to our own gardens and life situations. We can identify the underlying forms that recur throughout the natural world and learn to understand and utilise them in designed ecologies…

’PERMACULTURE’ is a word that was originally coined in the mid seventies by two Australians, David Holmgren and Bill Mollison, to describe the design system pioneered as a response to what they, and many others globally, saw as serious challenges to the survival of all of us. Originally derived from the words ‘PERMAnent agriCULTURE’, permaculture has gone beyond it’s roots in looking at strategies to create sustainable food growing methods to become a worldwide movement encompassing all aspects of how we as human beings can live harmoniously in relation to our Earth and it’s finite resources- A PERManent CULTURE. Permaculture now probably has as many defintions as there are practitioners, but one that is particularly useful might be,

“CREATING SUSTAINABLE HUMAN HABITATS BY FOLLOWING NATURE’S PATTERNS”.

WORK WITH NATURE

Putting massive effort into attempting to ‘tame nature’, such as by damming valleys and flood plains or creating and maintaining bare soil by plough, is not only energy consuming, unsustainable and destructive, it is also unnecessary when we can meet the needs of people and the environment by working in harmony with, or even directly utilise, natural systems. Instead of using massive chemical inputs to control pests, why not encourage predators such as ladybirds and hoverflies to do our work for us? Or why not construct homes that utilise passive solar energy and wind power rather than building nuclear power stations?

It is how we look at things that makes them advantageous or not, or, as Bill Mollison once said, “You havn’t got an excess of slugs, you’ve got a duck deficiency”.

Nothing should be indispensable as it’s loss or failure can then be disastrous. If, on the other hand, every system has a back up, it can continue to function. If we give all of our land over to one crop (a monoculture) and it fails, we starve, but if we grow as wide and diverse a range of edible plants as possible (a polyculture), we still get to eat if some of them don’t make it to harvest. Similarly in our day to day lives it makes sense to learn as wide a range of skills as possible- a person who has had only one well paid but specialised job throughout their working life would be far less able to cope with being made redundant than somebody who has several smaller incomes earned from a variety of sources.

Effectively the other side of the coin… If you have learned the skills to prune apple trees, mend a computer, play the guitar, cook for a crowd, entertain children, operate a printing press, fix a downpipe, draw and paint, drive a tractor, use a word processor, install a wind generator, give a massage, juggle, run a photography workshop and build a compost bin, not only are you better able to earn a living in a variety of circumstances; YOU also become more valuable in terms of what you are able to OFFER to others…

Traditionally, ‘yield’ is thought of as quantity of material output (eg, amounts of potatoes, grain, etc) calculated against resources or effort put in, but there’s no reason why we can’t widen our definition to include information, lessons learned, experience, the health benefits of exercise and being outdoors, or even just plain fun… Within a permaculture design, we will constantly be finding new niches to utilise, new beneficial guilds, learning new techniques, trying out fresh ideas, be gathering knowledge. By comprehending and copying natural systems, we can develop techniques in order to consciously multiply such opportunities…

Unlike many contemporary cultivated gardens, nature does not neatly compartmentalise her landscapes with ornamentals growing in one place, vegetables in another and fruit trees in yet a third location. In woodland several plants such as standard and half standard trees, shrubs, climbers and ground cover occupy the same area of space, each ‘stacked’ to find it’s own requirements within it’s particular ‘level’ in the system. The Forest Garden is an attempt to replicate this ‘layering’, replacing the wild plants of the woodland with fruits, herbs, vegetables and other plants that are useful to peoplekind.

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