Economic Effect of Different Plant Establishment Technoques on Rice, Oryza Sativa Production

Tahir Hussain Awan, Inalyat Ali, M. Ehsan Safdar, Mirza M. Ashraf and Muhammad Yaqub

Abstract
Economic effect of different plant establishment techniques on rice (Oryza sativa L.) production was studied at Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Lahore during kharif season 2001-2002 and 2002-2003. In this experiment, seven planting techniques were compared with the conventional method of transplanting. Five direct seeding techniques (drilling of soaked seed in wattar soil, drilling of soaked seed on raised beds-2 rows on each bed, drilling of soaked seed in zero-tilled soil, broadcasting of soaked seed in wattar soil and broadcasting of sprouted seed in puddled soil) and three transplanting techniques (parachute transplanting, line transplanting and farmer method of random transplanting) were included. The results showed that plant height, productive tillers/m2, filled grains per panicle, 1000 grain weight, root length and paddy yield were significantly high in line transplanting and minimum in drill sowing of soaked seed in zero-tilled soil. Sterility was low in line transplanting (12.53%) and farmer method of random transplanting (13.07%) but high in drilling of soaked seed in zero-tillage (16.05%) and broadcasting of soaked seed in wattar soil (15.38%). Economics of planting methods showed that cost-benefit-ratio increased in case of line transplanting (1:1.62) due to maximum paddy yield followed by drilling in zero tilled soil (1:1.47). Although paddy yield in zero tillage drilling was the lowest but the cost-benefit ratio was better than the other six methods due to less cultivation cost. The lowest benefit was obtained in case of farmers practice (random transplanting).

Keywords: Oryza sativa, sowing methods; seedlings; broadcasting; agronomic characters; Pakistan.

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Comparison of Seed Potato Produced from Different Rapid Multiplication Sources Againts PVX, PVY, And PVS Throug Eliza

Muhammad Burhan, Muhammad Aslam Khan, Muhammad Irfanullah, Muhammad Ishfaq and Muhammad Ehsan Javed

Abstract
These studies were conducted at Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad during 2004. In these studies, 216 leaf samples of three potato varieties (Cardinal, Diamant and Desiree) were compared to know the status of material being produced by rapid multiplication sources through enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) against potato virus X (PVX), potato virus Y (PVY) and potato virus S (PVS). The samples were collected from three sources i.e. Punjab Seed Corporation (PSC), Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI) and National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE). Out of 72 samples of each variety from three sources, two samples of Cardinal, three samples of Diamant and four samples of Desiree were infected with PVX. Maximum PVX recovery (2.88%) was found in PSC samples as compared to NIBGE (2.16%) and AARI (1.44%). Three samples of each Cardinal and Diamant and five samples of Desiree were infected with PVY. Maximum PVY was found in PSC samples (5.04%) followed by NIBGE (2.16%) and AARI (0.72%). Three samples of Cardinal, four of Diamant and seven samples of Desiree were infected with PVS from three sources. Maximum PVS recovery (5.46%) was found in PSC samples followed by NIBGE (2.88%) and AARI (1.44%) samples.

Keywords: Solanum tuberosum; cultivars; viruses; testing; Pakistan.

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Identification of restores and Maintainers for Developing Hibrid Rice

M. Sabar, M. Akhter, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Syed Sultan Ali and Mushtaq Ahmad

Abstract
Some genetic material was evaluated at Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, Lahore during 2002-2004 for its use in hybrid rice technology. One hundred and nine rice genotypes were evaluated for their status in hybrid rice parental gene pool. Twenty restorers and 26 maintainers have been identified for use in hybrid rice research programme. Maintainer lines possessing desirable characteristics will be converted into cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines to utilize for the development of rice hybrids.

Keywords: Oryza sativa; genotypes; crossbreeding; hybrids; Pakistan.

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