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The substantial reliance of South Asia (SA) to rain-based agriculture makes the region susceptible to food scarcity due to droughts. Previously, most research on SA has emphasized the meteorological aspects with little consideration of agrarian drought impressions. The insufficient amount of in situ precipitation data across SA has also hindered thorough investigation in the agriculture sector. In recent times, models, satellite remote sensing, and reanalysis products have increased the amount of data. Hence, soil moisture, precipitation, terrestrial water storage (TWS), and vegetation condition index (VCI) products have been employed to illustrate SA droughts from 1982 to 2019 using a standardized index/anomaly approach. Besides, the relationships of these products towards crop production are evaluated using the annual national production of barley, maize, rice, and wheat by computing the yield anomaly index (YAI). Our findings indicate that MERRA-2, CPC, FLDAS (soil moisture), GPCC, and CHIRPS (precipitation) are alike and constant over the entire four regions of South Asia (northwest, southwest, northeast, and southeast). On the other hand, GLDAS and ERA5 remain poor when compared to other soil moisture products and identified drought conditions in regions one (northwest) and three (northeast). Likewise, TWS products such as MERRA-2 TWS and GRACE TWS (2002–2014) followed the patterns of ERA5 and GLDAS and presented divergent and inconsistent drought patterns. Furthermore, the vegetation condition index (VCI) remained less responsive in regions three (northeast) and four (southeast) only. Based on annual crop production data, MERRA-2, CPC, FLDAS, GPCC, and CHIRPS performed fairly well and indicated stronger and more significant associations (0.80 to 0.96) when compared to others. Thus, the current outcomes are imperative for gauging the deficient amount of data in the SA region, as they provide substitutes for agricultural drought monitoring.
Muhammad Shahzaman; Weijun Zhu; Irfan Ullah; Farhan Mustafa; Muhammad Bilal; Shazia Ishfaq; Shazia Nisar; Muhammad Arshad; Rashid Iqbal; Rana Waqar Aslam. Comparison of Multi-Year Reanalysis, Models, and Satellite Remote Sensing Products for Agricultural Drought Monitoring over South Asian Countries. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 3294 .
AMA StyleMuhammad Shahzaman, Weijun Zhu, Irfan Ullah, Farhan Mustafa, Muhammad Bilal, Shazia Ishfaq, Shazia Nisar, Muhammad Arshad, Rashid Iqbal, Rana Waqar Aslam. Comparison of Multi-Year Reanalysis, Models, and Satellite Remote Sensing Products for Agricultural Drought Monitoring over South Asian Countries. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (16):3294.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Shahzaman; Weijun Zhu; Irfan Ullah; Farhan Mustafa; Muhammad Bilal; Shazia Ishfaq; Shazia Nisar; Muhammad Arshad; Rashid Iqbal; Rana Waqar Aslam. 2021. "Comparison of Multi-Year Reanalysis, Models, and Satellite Remote Sensing Products for Agricultural Drought Monitoring over South Asian Countries." Remote Sensing 13, no. 16: 3294.
Water scarcity constrains global cotton production. However, partial root-zone drying (PRD) and mulching can be used as good techniques to save water and enhance crop production, especially in arid regions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of mulching for water conservation in an arid environment under PRD and to further assess the osmotic adjustment and enzymatic activities for sustainable cotton production. The study was carried out for 2 years in field conditions using mulches (NM = no mulch, BPM = black plastic mulch at 32 kg ha-1, WSM = wheat straw mulch at 3 tons ha-1, CSM = cotton sticks mulch at 10 tons ha-1) and two irrigation levels (FI = full irrigation and PRD (50% less water than FI). High seed cotton yield (SCY) achieved in FI+WSM (4457 and 4248 kg ha-1 in 2017 and 2018, respectively) and even in PRD+WSM followed by BPM>CSM>NM under FI and PRD for both years. The higher SCY and traits observed in FI+WSM and PRD+WSM compared with the others were attributed to the improved water use efficiency and gaseous exchange traits, increased hormone production (ABA), osmolyte accumulation, and enhanced antioxidants to scavenge the excess reactive oxygen. Furthermore, better cotton quality traits were also observed under WSM either with FI or PRD irrigation regimes. Mulches applications found effective to control the weeds in the order as BPM>WSM>CSM. In general, PRD can be used as an effective stratagem to save moisture along with WSM, which ultimately can improve cotton yield in the water-scarce regions under arid climatic regions. It may prove as a good adaptation strategy under current and future water shortage scenarios of climate change.
Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Muhammad Waqas; Rao Muhammad Ikram; Muhammad Zeshan Ahmed; Monika Toleikiene; Muhammad Ayaz; Farhan Mustafa; Salman Ahmad; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Tahir Khan; Imran Haider. Assessing the potential of partial root zone drying and mulching for improving the productivity of cotton under arid climate. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 2021, 1 -19.
AMA StyleRashid Iqbal, Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman, Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza, Muhammad Waqas, Rao Muhammad Ikram, Muhammad Zeshan Ahmed, Monika Toleikiene, Muhammad Ayaz, Farhan Mustafa, Salman Ahmad, Muhammad Usman Aslam, Muhammad Tahir Khan, Imran Haider. Assessing the potential of partial root zone drying and mulching for improving the productivity of cotton under arid climate. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021; ():1-19.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRashid Iqbal; Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Muhammad Waqas; Rao Muhammad Ikram; Muhammad Zeshan Ahmed; Monika Toleikiene; Muhammad Ayaz; Farhan Mustafa; Salman Ahmad; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Tahir Khan; Imran Haider. 2021. "Assessing the potential of partial root zone drying and mulching for improving the productivity of cotton under arid climate." Environmental Science and Pollution Research , no. : 1-19.
In order to meet the dietary requirements of the rising human population with diminishing water resources, there is the need to adopt techniques that optimize crop yield under reduced water conditions. Therefore, a greenhouse experiment was carried out to determine the effect of mulching and reduced irrigation on wheat production. The experiment included four mulching treatments (un-mulched, black plastic sheet mulch, wheat straw mulch and cotton sticks mulch) and two watering regimes (normal watering and partial root-zone drying irrigation (PRI) technique that involves alternate watering to only one side of root zone only) arranged in a completely randomized design. Wheat growth (leaf area index, plant height), water related parameters (leaf relative water contents (RWC), leaf turgor potential and physiological (chlorophyll contents, stomatal oscillation and photosynthetic rate) parameters and biochemical indicators were significantly higher with mulching than un-mulched for both irrigation levels. However, among the mulching treatments, the use of black plastic mulch gave the best results. Among the mulch treatments, RWC increased by 4.29%, 7.50% and 10.73% with black plastic mulch compared to wheat straw mulch, cotton stick mulch and control treatment, respectively. Between the two irrigation levels, higher wheat growth, physiological and water related parameters were found with full irrigation. Whereas leaf osmotic potential, quality traits and antioxidant enzymatic activities were higher with PRI. This study shows that, particularly with black plastic film, mulching combined with partial root zone drying can be effectively used in conserving soil water, thus increasing crop water use, photosynthetic rate, and yield.
Salman Ahmad; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Hafiz Haider Ali; Kehinde O. Erinle; Shabir Hussain Wani; Rashid Iqbal; Okon Godwin Okone; Ali Raza; Muhammad Mohsin Waqas; Muhammad Nawaz. Physiological and biochemical properties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different mulching and water management systems in the semi-arid region of Punjab, Pakistan. Arid Land Research and Management 2021, 1 -16.
AMA StyleSalman Ahmad, Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer, Hafiz Haider Ali, Kehinde O. Erinle, Shabir Hussain Wani, Rashid Iqbal, Okon Godwin Okone, Ali Raza, Muhammad Mohsin Waqas, Muhammad Nawaz. Physiological and biochemical properties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different mulching and water management systems in the semi-arid region of Punjab, Pakistan. Arid Land Research and Management. 2021; ():1-16.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSalman Ahmad; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Hafiz Haider Ali; Kehinde O. Erinle; Shabir Hussain Wani; Rashid Iqbal; Okon Godwin Okone; Ali Raza; Muhammad Mohsin Waqas; Muhammad Nawaz. 2021. "Physiological and biochemical properties of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different mulching and water management systems in the semi-arid region of Punjab, Pakistan." Arid Land Research and Management , no. : 1-16.
Nitrogen (N) losses are prevalent under South East Asia’s due to high N fertilizer inputs, but low N fertilizer use efficiency. This leaves a large quantity of reactive N at risk of loss to the environment. Biochar has been found to reduce N losses across a variety of soil types, however, there is limited data available for semi-arid climates, particularly at a field-scale. Herein we present an exploration of the biological and chemical enhancement effects observed of a cotton stalk-based biochar on wheat growth and yield under arid field conditions. The biochar was treated with urea-N and biofertilizer (bio-power) in different treatment setups. The six experimental treatments included; (i) a full N dose “recommended for wheat crops in the region” (104 kg N ha−1) as a positive control; (ii) a half N dose (52 kg N ha−1); (iii) a half N dose + biofertilizer (4.94 kg ha−1) as a soil mixture; (iv) a half N dose + biofertilizer as a seed inoculation; (v) a full N dose as broadcast + biochar (5 t ha−1) inoculated with biofertilizer; and (vi) a full N dose loaded on biochar + biofertilizer applied as a soil mixture. The half dose N application or biofertilizer addition as soil mix/seed inoculated/biochar inoculation with biofertilizer caused reduced wheat growth and yield compared to the control (conventional N fertilization). However, co-application of chemically enhanced biochar (loaded with a full N dose) and biofertilizer as soil mixture significantly increased the crop growth rate (CGR) and leaf area index (LAI). A significantly higher crop growth and canopy development led to a higher light interception and radiation use efficiency (RUE) for total dry matter (TDM) and grain yield (11% greater than control) production compared to the control. A greater grain yield, observed for the full N dose loaded on biochar + biofertilizer applied as a soil mixture, is attributed to prolonged N availability as indicated by greater plant and soil N content at harvest and different crop growth stages, respectively. The present study has improved our understanding of how the application of nitrogen loaded biochar and biofertilizer as soil mixtures can synergize to positively affect wheat growth and soil-nitrogen retention under arid environmental conditions.
Zarmeena Khan; Muhammad Rahman; Ghulam Haider; Rabia Amir; Rao Ikram; Shakeel Ahmad; Hannah Schofield; Bilal Riaz; Rashid Iqbal; Shah Fahad; Rahul Datta; Alaa Baazeem; Ayman Sabagh; Subhan Danish. Chemical and Biological Enhancement Effects of Biochar on Wheat Growth and Yield under Arid Field Conditions. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5890 .
AMA StyleZarmeena Khan, Muhammad Rahman, Ghulam Haider, Rabia Amir, Rao Ikram, Shakeel Ahmad, Hannah Schofield, Bilal Riaz, Rashid Iqbal, Shah Fahad, Rahul Datta, Alaa Baazeem, Ayman Sabagh, Subhan Danish. Chemical and Biological Enhancement Effects of Biochar on Wheat Growth and Yield under Arid Field Conditions. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (11):5890.
Chicago/Turabian StyleZarmeena Khan; Muhammad Rahman; Ghulam Haider; Rabia Amir; Rao Ikram; Shakeel Ahmad; Hannah Schofield; Bilal Riaz; Rashid Iqbal; Shah Fahad; Rahul Datta; Alaa Baazeem; Ayman Sabagh; Subhan Danish. 2021. "Chemical and Biological Enhancement Effects of Biochar on Wheat Growth and Yield under Arid Field Conditions." Sustainability 13, no. 11: 5890.
Drought is an intricate atmospheric phenomenon with the greatest impacts on food security and agriculture in South Asia. Timely and appropriate forecasting of drought is vital in reducing its negative impacts. This study intended to explore the performance of the evaporative stress index (ESI), vegetation health index (VHI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and standardized anomaly index (SAI) based on satellite remote sensing data from 2002–2019 for agricultural drought assessment in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. The spatial maps were generated against each index, which indicated a severe agricultural drought during the year 2002, compared to the other years. The results showed that the southeast region of Pakistan, and the north, northwest, and southwest regions of India and Afghanistan were significantly affected by drought. However, Bangladesh faced substantial drought in the northeast and northwest regions during the drought year (2002). The longest drought period of seven months was observed in India followed by Pakistan and Afghanistan with six months, while, only three months were perceived in Bangladesh. The correlation between drought indices and climate variables such as soil moisture has remained a significant drought-initiating variable. Furthermore, this study confirmed that the evaporative stress index (ESI) is a good agricultural drought indicator, being quick and with greater sensitivity, and thus advantageous compared to the VHI, EVI, and SAI vegetation indices.
Muhammad Shahzaman; Weijun Zhu; Muhammad Bilal; Birhanu Habtemicheal; Farhan Mustafa; Muhammad Arshad; Irfan Ullah; Shazia Ishfaq; Rashid Iqbal. Remote Sensing Indices for Spatial Monitoring of Agricultural Drought in South Asian Countries. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 2059 .
AMA StyleMuhammad Shahzaman, Weijun Zhu, Muhammad Bilal, Birhanu Habtemicheal, Farhan Mustafa, Muhammad Arshad, Irfan Ullah, Shazia Ishfaq, Rashid Iqbal. Remote Sensing Indices for Spatial Monitoring of Agricultural Drought in South Asian Countries. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (11):2059.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Shahzaman; Weijun Zhu; Muhammad Bilal; Birhanu Habtemicheal; Farhan Mustafa; Muhammad Arshad; Irfan Ullah; Shazia Ishfaq; Rashid Iqbal. 2021. "Remote Sensing Indices for Spatial Monitoring of Agricultural Drought in South Asian Countries." Remote Sensing 13, no. 11: 2059.
Sustainable cotton production is under threat due to poor soil health, exhaustive nature of cotton crop in terms of depleting soil fertility and conventional farming practices. Hence, we investigated the role of soil amendments like biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers to improve the soil mineral nutrients uptake, cotton productivity and overall reduction in nutrients losses. Two year field experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of soil amendment of biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers in improving the soil fertility and cotton productivity under arid climate of South-Punjab, Pakistan in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Experimental findings showed that highest values of soil available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and soil organic matter (SOM) were recorded with the soil incorporation of 5 Mg ha−1 poultry manure (PM) with 80:45:30 kg ha−1 NPK which was followed by soil incorporation of 10 Mg ha−1 farmyard manure (FYM) with 80:45:30 kg ha−1 NPK and soil incorporation of 3.5 Mg ha−1 biochar (BC) with 80:45:30 kg ha−1 NPK and ultimately improved soil fertility. Similarly, highest values of plant height, leaf area index (LAI), monopodial, sympodial branches and total bolls plant−1, boll weight, seed cotton and biological yield were recorded with amendment of 5 PM Mg ha−1 with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha−1 which was followed by 10 Mg FYM ha−1 with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha−1 and soil incorporation of 3.5 Mg BC ha−1 with 80:45:30 kg NPK ha−1 and ultimately improved cotton productivity. Conclusively, soil incorporation of biochar, poultry and farmyard manures with synthetic fertilizers as integrated nutrient management strategy might be a promising adaptation strategy for improving soil mineral nutrients uptake, cotton productivity and overall reduce the nutrients losses under arid environmental conditions
Saeed Ahmad; Abdul Ghaffar; Muhammad Habib Ur Rahman; Ijaz Hussain; Rashid Iqbal; Ghulam Haider; Mahmood Alam Khan; Rao Muhammad Ikram; Hammad Hussnain; Muhammad Shafqat Bashir. Effect of Application of Biochar, Poultry and Farmyard Manures in Combination with Synthetic Fertilizers on Soil Fertility and Cotton Productivity under Arid Environment. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2021, 1 -14.
AMA StyleSaeed Ahmad, Abdul Ghaffar, Muhammad Habib Ur Rahman, Ijaz Hussain, Rashid Iqbal, Ghulam Haider, Mahmood Alam Khan, Rao Muhammad Ikram, Hammad Hussnain, Muhammad Shafqat Bashir. Effect of Application of Biochar, Poultry and Farmyard Manures in Combination with Synthetic Fertilizers on Soil Fertility and Cotton Productivity under Arid Environment. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 2021; ():1-14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSaeed Ahmad; Abdul Ghaffar; Muhammad Habib Ur Rahman; Ijaz Hussain; Rashid Iqbal; Ghulam Haider; Mahmood Alam Khan; Rao Muhammad Ikram; Hammad Hussnain; Muhammad Shafqat Bashir. 2021. "Effect of Application of Biochar, Poultry and Farmyard Manures in Combination with Synthetic Fertilizers on Soil Fertility and Cotton Productivity under Arid Environment." Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis , no. : 1-14.
Water shortage is the main limitation for agricultural production in many parts of the world. Drought or unavailability of water may seriously limit plant growth as well as yield. A pot experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of various irrigation strategies, i.e., Full (FI), deficit (DI) and partial root-zone drying (PRD) on physiological, biochemical and yield-related attributes of cotton crop. Irrigation treatments started 60 days after planting and lasted for 60 days. For FI and DI, 100% and 50% of evapotranspiration (ET) was replaced by irrigating the entire pot surface every 4–5 days. For PRD, root system was split into two equal halves and during each irrigation event, only one-half of the root system was irrigated with the same amount of water as applied to DI, and subsequently, irrigation was switched to the second half.PRD irrigation significantly improved WUE, which was 21% and 26% higher than FI and DI, respectively. Higher ABA production under PRD reduced stomatal conductance and net photosynthesis. The activity of antioxidant enzymes namely superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase was significantly higher under PRD than DI and FI. Magnitude of osmotic adjustment (i.e. total sugar and proline content) was lowest and highest under FI and PRD, respectively. However, PRD reduced chlorophyll content index, seed cotton yield and fiber quality (fiber strength, fiber length, fiber fineness) as compared to FI. The results indicated that despite improving the WUE, PRD tended to compromise the yield and quality of cotton crop. Results imply that PRD treatment can be an option under water shortage; however, its suitability and efficacy should further be tested under field conditions by applying irrigation water in alternate rows.
Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Muhammad Adil Rashid; Monika Toleikiene; Muhammad Ayaz; Farhan Mustafa; Muhammad Zeshan Ahmed; Sajjad Hyder; Muhammad Habib-Ur Rahman; Salman Ahmad; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Imran Haider. Partial Root Zone Drying Irrigation Improves Water Use Efficiency but Compromise the Yield and Quality of Cotton Crop. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2021, 52, 1558 -1573.
AMA StyleRashid Iqbal, Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza, Muhammad Adil Rashid, Monika Toleikiene, Muhammad Ayaz, Farhan Mustafa, Muhammad Zeshan Ahmed, Sajjad Hyder, Muhammad Habib-Ur Rahman, Salman Ahmad, Muhammad Usman Aslam, Imran Haider. Partial Root Zone Drying Irrigation Improves Water Use Efficiency but Compromise the Yield and Quality of Cotton Crop. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 2021; 52 (13):1558-1573.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRashid Iqbal; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Muhammad Adil Rashid; Monika Toleikiene; Muhammad Ayaz; Farhan Mustafa; Muhammad Zeshan Ahmed; Sajjad Hyder; Muhammad Habib-Ur Rahman; Salman Ahmad; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Imran Haider. 2021. "Partial Root Zone Drying Irrigation Improves Water Use Efficiency but Compromise the Yield and Quality of Cotton Crop." Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 52, no. 13: 1558-1573.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas and several satellites have been launched to monitor the atmospheric CO2 at regional and global scales. Evaluation of the measurements obtained from these satellites against accurate and precise instruments is crucial. In this work, aircraft measurements of CO2 were carried out over Qinhuangdao, China (39.9354°N, 119.6005°E), on 14, 16, and 19 March 2019 to validate the Greenhous gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) and the Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) CO2 retrievals. The airborne in situ instruments were mounted on a research aircraft and the measurements were carried out between the altitudes of ~0.5 and 8.0 km to obtain the vertical profiles of CO2. The profiles captured a decrease in CO2 concentration from the surface to maximum altitude. Moreover, the vertical profiles from GEOS-Chem and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) CarbonTracker were also compared with in situ and satellite datasets. The satellite and the model datasets captured the vertical structure of CO2 when compared with in situ measurements, which showed good agreement among the datasets. The dry-air column-averaged CO2 mole fractions (XCO2) retrieved from OCO-2 and GOSAT showed biases of 1.33 ppm (0.32%) and −1.70 ppm (−0.41%), respectively, relative to the XCO2 derived from in situ measurements.
Farhan Mustafa; Huijuan Wang; Lingbing Bu; Qin Wang; Muhammad Shahzaman; Muhammad Bilal; Minqiang Zhou; Rashid Iqbal; Rana Aslam; Arfan Ali; Zhongfeng Qiu. Validation of GOSAT and OCO-2 against In Situ Aircraft Measurements and Comparison with CarbonTracker and GEOS-Chem over Qinhuangdao, China. Remote Sensing 2021, 13, 899 .
AMA StyleFarhan Mustafa, Huijuan Wang, Lingbing Bu, Qin Wang, Muhammad Shahzaman, Muhammad Bilal, Minqiang Zhou, Rashid Iqbal, Rana Aslam, Arfan Ali, Zhongfeng Qiu. Validation of GOSAT and OCO-2 against In Situ Aircraft Measurements and Comparison with CarbonTracker and GEOS-Chem over Qinhuangdao, China. Remote Sensing. 2021; 13 (5):899.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFarhan Mustafa; Huijuan Wang; Lingbing Bu; Qin Wang; Muhammad Shahzaman; Muhammad Bilal; Minqiang Zhou; Rashid Iqbal; Rana Aslam; Arfan Ali; Zhongfeng Qiu. 2021. "Validation of GOSAT and OCO-2 against In Situ Aircraft Measurements and Comparison with CarbonTracker and GEOS-Chem over Qinhuangdao, China." Remote Sensing 13, no. 5: 899.
The exercise of biochar in agribusiness has increased proportionally in recent years. It has been indicated that biochar application could strengthen soil fertility benefits, such as improvement in soil microbial activity, abatement of bulk density, amelioration of nutrient and water-holding capacity and immutability of soil organic matter. Additionally, biochar amendment could also improve nutrient availability such as phosphorus and nitrogen in different types of soil. Most interestingly, the locally available wastes are pyrolyzed to biochar to improve the relationship among plants, soil and the environment. This can also be of higher importance to small-scale farming, and the biochar produced can be utilized in farms for the improvement of crop productivity. Thus, biochar could be a potential amendment to a soil that could help in achieving sustainable agriculture and environment. However, before mainstream formulation and renowned biochar use, several challenges must be taken into consideration, as the beneficial impacts and potential use of biochar seem highly appealing. This review is based on confined knowledge taken from different field-, laboratory- and greenhouse-based studies. It is well known that the properties of biochar vary with feedstock, pyrolysis temperature (300, 350, 400, 500, and 600 °C) and methodology of preparation. It is of high concern to further investigate the negative consequences: hydrophobicity; large scale application in farmland; production cost, primarily energy demand; and environmental threat, as well as affordability of feedstock. Nonetheless, the current literature reflects that biochar could be a significant amendment to the agroecosystem in order to tackle the challenges and threats observed in sustainable agriculture (crop production and soil fertility) and the environment (reducing greenhouse gas emission).
Muhammad Ayaz; Dalia Feizienė; Vita Tilvikienė; Kashif Akhtar; Urte Stulpinaitė; Rashid Iqbal. Biochar Role in the Sustainability of Agriculture and Environment. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1330 .
AMA StyleMuhammad Ayaz, Dalia Feizienė, Vita Tilvikienė, Kashif Akhtar, Urte Stulpinaitė, Rashid Iqbal. Biochar Role in the Sustainability of Agriculture and Environment. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (3):1330.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Ayaz; Dalia Feizienė; Vita Tilvikienė; Kashif Akhtar; Urte Stulpinaitė; Rashid Iqbal. 2021. "Biochar Role in the Sustainability of Agriculture and Environment." Sustainability 13, no. 3: 1330.
Zinc appeared to be an important modulator with specific functions in plant physiology and increase resistance against different abiotic stresses. Many advances regarding role of zinc under abiotic stress in plants have been made since its revelation, therefore, present study was intended to understand the ameliorating role of zinc on morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of the okra varieties (Anmol and Haseena) when exposed to salt stress. A solution culture experiment was conducted to understand the protective role of zinc in relation to growth, physiological, ionic and antioxidant attributes in two okra varieties under saline condition. The growth medium was salinized with three salinity (Control, 80 mM L−1 and 160 mM L−1 NaCl) and one zinc level (30 µM L−1) applied exogenously in combine and sole form. Salt stress significantly reduces plant dry matter accumulation, chlorophyll contents, relative water contents (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), K+/Na+ ratio and activities of antioxidant enzymes (POD, SOD, APX, CAT) and these effects are more prominent at high salt level (160 mM). Addition of zinc-alleviated salt toxicity is more conspicuous in okra variety Anmol as compared to variety Haseena as demonstrated by increasing RWC, MSI, K/Na ratio and activities of antioxidant enzymes. Our results suggested that zinc induced salt tolerance in Okra which can serve as a potential source to get sustainable production from salt-affected lands.
Muhammad Ali; Yasir Niaz; Ghulam Hassan Abbasi; Salman Ahmad; Zaffar Malik; Muhammad Kamran; Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Muhammad Adnan Bodlah; Muhammad Nawaz; Habib Ali; Muhammad Aamer; Muhammad Ayaz. Exogenous Zinc Induced NaCl Tolerance in Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus) by Ameliorating Osmotic Stress and Oxidative Metabolism. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2021, 52, 743 -755.
AMA StyleMuhammad Ali, Yasir Niaz, Ghulam Hassan Abbasi, Salman Ahmad, Zaffar Malik, Muhammad Kamran, Rashid Iqbal, Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer, Muhammad Adnan Bodlah, Muhammad Nawaz, Habib Ali, Muhammad Aamer, Muhammad Ayaz. Exogenous Zinc Induced NaCl Tolerance in Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus) by Ameliorating Osmotic Stress and Oxidative Metabolism. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 2021; 52 (7):743-755.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Ali; Yasir Niaz; Ghulam Hassan Abbasi; Salman Ahmad; Zaffar Malik; Muhammad Kamran; Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Muhammad Adnan Bodlah; Muhammad Nawaz; Habib Ali; Muhammad Aamer; Muhammad Ayaz. 2021. "Exogenous Zinc Induced NaCl Tolerance in Okra (Abelmoschus Esculentus) by Ameliorating Osmotic Stress and Oxidative Metabolism." Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 52, no. 7: 743-755.
Drought is a detrimental abiotic stress limiting wheat growth and yield. Harmful impacts of drought stress can be ameliorated by the use of different growth enhancers either applied as soil amendment or by the foliar spray. The Present research was conducted under semi-arid conditions at Research area of Agronomy Department, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Investigations were made to have an insight into the role of three different amendments to minimize drought stress impacts in wheat during two consecutive years 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. Four drought treatments (control, drought at tillering, drought at flowering and drought at grain filling) and four drought amendments (control, PGPR, silicon and biochar) were used in an experiment with RCBD split plot arrangement. In order to impose drought stress, irrigation was stopped at different growth stages as per treatment. PGPR were applied by seed treatment technique, biochar was applied during soil preparation and silicon was applied foliarly. Drought stress markedly decreased the wheat growth and yield with maximum reduction in plots where crop faced drought at grain filling stage. All amendments had positive results in controlling drought stress but PGPR performed the best by improving leaf water relations, maximizing chlorophyll contents, grain yield, nutrients’ uptake and quality of drought-stressed wheat than other treatments.
Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Imran Haider; Muhammad Farrukh Saleem; Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Salman Ahmad; Salman Haidar Abbasi. Integrating Biochar, Rhizobacteria and Silicon for Strenuous Productivity of Drought Stressed Wheat. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2020, 52, 338 -352.
AMA StyleMuhammad Aown Sammar Raza, Imran Haider, Muhammad Farrukh Saleem, Rashid Iqbal, Muhammad Usman Aslam, Salman Ahmad, Salman Haidar Abbasi. Integrating Biochar, Rhizobacteria and Silicon for Strenuous Productivity of Drought Stressed Wheat. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 2020; 52 (4):338-352.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Imran Haider; Muhammad Farrukh Saleem; Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Salman Ahmad; Salman Haidar Abbasi. 2020. "Integrating Biochar, Rhizobacteria and Silicon for Strenuous Productivity of Drought Stressed Wheat." Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 52, no. 4: 338-352.
Drought is the main abiotic stress that severely reduces wheat yield across the globe. To cope up this situation, use of organic amendments is the best option. Biochar is an organic soil amendment that is used to improve soil carbon, organic contents, improve water holding capacity of soil, enhance soil fertility and maintain desired soil. Present study was carried out under semi-arid climatic conditions to mitigate the adverse effects of drought at critical wheat growth stages i.e., tillering (DTS), flowering (DFS) and grain filling stage (DGFS) by using three biochar treatments viz. B0 = Control, B1 = 27.88 g kg−1 and B2 = 37.18 g kg−1. Results revealed that drought stress negatively affected the growth and yield attributes of wheat at all critical growth stages, while, grain filling stage was found the most sensitive stage resulted severe yield reduction. However, biochar application significantly mitigated the detrimental effects of drought by improving number of fertile tillers (19.50%), spike length (6.52%), number of grains per spike (3.07%), thousand grain weight (6.42%), biological (9.43%) and economic yield (13.92%) as compared to control treatment. Moreover, biochar significantly improved water use efficiency and physiological attributes of drought stressed wheat. Principal component analysis linked different scales of study and demonstrated the potential of physio-biochemical traits to explain the wheat yield variations under drought condition with response to biochar application. In crux, biochar application (37.18 g kg−1) can be used as an effective stratagem to achieve improved wheat grain yield through mitigating the adverse effects of drought stress.
Imran Haider; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman; Shameem Raja; Muhammad Tahir Khan; Muhammad Waqas; Salman Ahmad. Potential effects of biochar application on mitigating the drought stress implications on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under various growth stages. Journal of Saudi Chemical Society 2020, 24, 974 -981.
AMA StyleImran Haider, Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza, Rashid Iqbal, Muhammad Usman Aslam, Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman, Shameem Raja, Muhammad Tahir Khan, Muhammad Waqas, Salman Ahmad. Potential effects of biochar application on mitigating the drought stress implications on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under various growth stages. Journal of Saudi Chemical Society. 2020; 24 (12):974-981.
Chicago/Turabian StyleImran Haider; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman; Shameem Raja; Muhammad Tahir Khan; Muhammad Waqas; Salman Ahmad. 2020. "Potential effects of biochar application on mitigating the drought stress implications on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under various growth stages." Journal of Saudi Chemical Society 24, no. 12: 974-981.
Background Water resources are very important to agricultural crop production due to increasing demand for food, feed, and fiber. There is a growing requirement for more use of our natural resources of land, soil, and water. There is ever-increasing pressure on water resources for our extensive use in agricultural production. There needs to be innovative solutions for more efficient irrigation techniques for better development of agricultural irrigation management. Main body of the abstract This review paper shows the consequences of partial root-zone drying happening on various plant species, its advantages and disadvantages, and also the hormone production under partial root-zone drying. In this technique of irrigation, a wet-dry cycle irrigates the crop, i.e., irrigation is scheduled at a regular interval with half way root drying. Short conclusion This is a water-saving irrigation strategy used in arid and semi-arid environments for increasing irrigation water use efficiency and water productivity as compared to fully irrigated crop plants in area with limited water resources. Scientists have worked a lot with different morphological, physiological, and yield related parameters of horticultural crops with partial root-zone drying but little work with agronomic crops.
Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Monika Toleikiene; Muhammad Ayaz; Fatemeh Hashemi; Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Salman Ahmad; Umair Riaz; Muhammad Ali; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Imran Haider. Partial root-zone drying (PRD), its effects and agricultural significance: a review. Bulletin of the National Research Centre 2020, 44, 1 -15.
AMA StyleRashid Iqbal, Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza, Monika Toleikiene, Muhammad Ayaz, Fatemeh Hashemi, Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman, Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer, Salman Ahmad, Umair Riaz, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Usman Aslam, Imran Haider. Partial root-zone drying (PRD), its effects and agricultural significance: a review. Bulletin of the National Research Centre. 2020; 44 (1):1-15.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRashid Iqbal; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Monika Toleikiene; Muhammad Ayaz; Fatemeh Hashemi; Muhammad Habib-Ur-Rahman; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Salman Ahmad; Umair Riaz; Muhammad Ali; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Imran Haider. 2020. "Partial root-zone drying (PRD), its effects and agricultural significance: a review." Bulletin of the National Research Centre 44, no. 1: 1-15.
Rapid industrialization and urbanization have resulted in elevated global temperature over the years consequently disturbing the balance of agro-ecological systems worldwide. Therefore, new eco-friendly agricultural practices for sustainable food production are needed. Mulching could potentially serve the purpose by reducing soil evaporation, conserving moisture, controlling soil temperature, reducing weed growth, and improving microbial activities. Additionally, mulches could provide economical, aesthetic, and environmental advantages to agriculture and landscape. Moreover, in the restoration sites, mulches are widely used for the plantation of trees which need no significant care. Mulches combat with different stress conditions in agricultural lands as well as in landscapes. This review paper focuses on multiple significant impacts of mulches for the production and establishment of different crops in nature. Mulches conserve the soil moisture, enhance the nutrients status of soil, control the erosion losses, suppress the weeds in crop plants, and remove the residual effects of pesticides, fertilizers, and heavy metals. Mulches improve the aesthetic value of landscapes and economic value of crops. This paper also describes some problems associated with various mulch materials. There are contradictions about mulching materials as some researchers favor mulches and others have denoted some concerns. The selection of mulching material is important with respect to crop type, management practices, and climatic conditions. The appropriate mulching technique could provide the aforementioned benefits to the agro-ecological systems. Therefore, the impacts of low-cost, eco-friendly, and biodegradable mulching materials on soil microbes, nutrient balance, plant growth, and soil erosion should be explored in the future.
Rashid Iqbal; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Mohammad Valipour; Muhammad Farrukh Saleem; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Salman Ahmad; Monika Toleikiene; Imran Haider; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Adnan Nazar. Potential agricultural and environmental benefits of mulches—a review. Bulletin of the National Research Centre 2020, 44, 1 -16.
AMA StyleRashid Iqbal, Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza, Mohammad Valipour, Muhammad Farrukh Saleem, Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer, Salman Ahmad, Monika Toleikiene, Imran Haider, Muhammad Usman Aslam, Muhammad Adnan Nazar. Potential agricultural and environmental benefits of mulches—a review. Bulletin of the National Research Centre. 2020; 44 (1):1-16.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRashid Iqbal; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Mohammad Valipour; Muhammad Farrukh Saleem; Muhammad Saqlain Zaheer; Salman Ahmad; Monika Toleikiene; Imran Haider; Muhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Adnan Nazar. 2020. "Potential agricultural and environmental benefits of mulches—a review." Bulletin of the National Research Centre 44, no. 1: 1-16.
Climate change is imposing high temperature resulting in prolonged drought episodes and shrinking of fresh water resources across the globe. In this scenario, even drought tolerant crops like quinoa are also losing significant yield. However, this study was planned to investigate the impact of drought on quinoa at critical growth stages and bacterial inoculation to improve drought tolerance. Drought was imposed by maintaining 25% pot water holding capacity (PWC) at multiple leaf, flowering, and seed filling stage (DSFS), while 80% PWC was considered as control. Three strains of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) named as: Bacillus licheniformis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Azospirillum brasilense were inoculated with quinoa seeds before sowing with respect to drought treatments. PGPR inoculation mitigated the drastic effects of drought by improving crop growth, net assimilation rate, water use efficiency, leaf chlorophyll, and phenolic contents, all of these ultimately contributed to improvement in grain yield and its contributing attributes. Moreover, PGPR markedly improves the grain quality attributes including protein, phosphorus, and potassium contents. Principal component analysis linked the different scales of study and demonstrated the potential of physio-biochemical traits to explain the quinoa yield variations under drought condition with response to PGPR inoculation. Among different PGPR, A. brasilense was found most effective both under normal and drought conditions. Overall, DSFS has more detrimental effects among critical growth stages of quinoa and A. brasilense can be used as a shotgun tactic to ameliorate drought stress in quinoa.
Muhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Muhammad Farrukh Saleem; Muhammad Waqas; Rashid Iqbal; Salman Ahmad; Imran Haider. Improving Strategic Growth Stage-based Drought Tolerance in Quinoa by Rhizobacterial Inoculation. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 2020, 51, 853 -868.
AMA StyleMuhammad Usman Aslam, Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza, Muhammad Farrukh Saleem, Muhammad Waqas, Rashid Iqbal, Salman Ahmad, Imran Haider. Improving Strategic Growth Stage-based Drought Tolerance in Quinoa by Rhizobacterial Inoculation. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis. 2020; 51 (7):853-868.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMuhammad Usman Aslam; Muhammad Aown Sammar Raza; Muhammad Farrukh Saleem; Muhammad Waqas; Rashid Iqbal; Salman Ahmad; Imran Haider. 2020. "Improving Strategic Growth Stage-based Drought Tolerance in Quinoa by Rhizobacterial Inoculation." Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 51, no. 7: 853-868.