Zero-tillage Technology and Farm Profits: A Case Study of Wheat Growers in the Rice Zone of Punjab

This study presents the results from a field survey of the wheat growers in the rice-wheat zone of Punjab. The late maturing basmati rice varieties and the post paddy-harvest conventional tillage practices to prepare seedbed for wheat sowing often result in delayed planting of the crop. The late sowing is a major factor responsible for low wheat yields obtained by the farmers of the area. Introduction of the new zero-tillage seed drill in the area during early 1980s made it possible to sow wheat in freshly harvested untilled paddy fields utilizing residual moister. Presently, more than eighty thousand hectares of wheat are sown with zero-tillage drill technology. The partial budget analysis showed that zero-tillage is more profitable than conventional wheat sowing methods of ‘wadwatter’ or ‘rauni’. The new technology saves tillage and irrigation costs, results in yield gains through a possible improvement in sowing time and enhanced fertilizer and water use efficiencies. The results showed that the zero-tillage adopters earn an extra income of 253 and 2278 rupees per acre of wheat over that earned from wheat sown with rauni and wadwattar methods respectively. The results of multiple regression analysis confirmed that the zero-tillage technology enhances water and fertilizer use efficiency. However, sufficient evidence was not present to prove any positive or adverse affect of the technology on the incidence of weeds in wheat crop. It is suggested that this aspect of zero-tillage technology be focused more in future research.wheat; Zero-tillage; technology; irrigated Punjab; rice-wheat zone; Pakistan

Contribution of Onion Seed Production to Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Malakand Division, Pakistan

According to the latest estimates, roughly one-third of the total population of the developing countries live in poverty, majority of which are rural inhabitants (as reported 35 percent of the Pakistani rural mass). In Pakistan, the income distribution has worsened in the rural areas while it has marginally improved in urban areas during the period 1979 through 1996-97 [Pakistan (2001)]. The rural poverty is continuously feeding unemployment through migration of unskilled people to the urban areas. Poverty reduction is a priority area for Pakistan. The government is taking measures for addressing problems of the poor who are the most vulnerable amongst the different socioeconomic groups. Poverty alleviation is the main focus of the government in addition to develop physical infrastructure in rural areas and remove income disparities between income groups and regions. The government of Pakistan has initiated measures to poverty reduction through establishing number of institutions namely Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, Micro-credit Bank (Khushali Bank), Pakistan Baitual Mal, Income Safety Nets, and launching Khushal Pakistan Programme and Food Support Programme. All these programmes are aiming at helping poor and hungry people by providing them food for temporary relief and micro credit for initiating sustainable economic activities. Since the majority of our population is living in rural areas, so the government is diverting more resources to improve the access for rural services and encourage greater participation in economic activities through creating employment opportunities. The programmes in education, health and population sectors have been specifically designed to extend socioeconomic opportunities to rural poor.

Zero-tillage Technology and Farm Profits: A Case Study of Wheat Growers in the Rice Zone of Punjab

The rice-wheat cropping zone of Punjab is the main producer of high-valued and fine quality basmati rice in Pakistan. The rice produced in this area is famous for its grain length and aromatic characteristics. Being an important export item, rice contributes significantly to the national foreign exchange earnings. Wheat is the other major crop of the rice-wheat system and being the staple food is central to national agricultural policies. Rice is grown on a vast area in this zone during Kharif mostly followed by wheat in the Rabi season. Studies have shown that a large gap exists between the potential and yields actually realised by the wheat growers of the area [Byerlee, et al. (1984); Hobbs (1985) and Sheikh, et al. (2000)]. Farmers’ practices regarding land preparation for paddy, wheat planting time, and other conflicts endogenous to the rice-wheat based cropping system were identified as the major factors limiting wheat yield in the area. The flooded and puddled soils that are well suited for paddy production as compared to well-drained conditions required for wheat is such an example of the system conflicts. The farmers in the rice-wheat zone of the Punjab predominantly grow basmati varieties, which are late maturing as compared to coarse varieties of rice. Therefore, paddy harvest is generally delayed at most of the farms in this zone. The late paddy harvest coupled with poor soil structure and loose plant residues create problems for preparation of a good seedbed and planting of wheat often gets late [Byerlee, et al. (1984)]. The farmers also had to resort to the broadcast method for wheat sowing which results in poor and patchy plant stands.

Enabling microscopic simulators to perform system-level analysis of viscoelastic flows

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, 2008.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Includes bibliographical references (p. 249-261).State-of-the-art methods for simulating viscoelastic flows couple the conservation equations for mass and momentum with a model from kinetic theory that describes the microstructural state of the polymer. Introduction of appropriate numerical discretization and boundary conditions for these equations leads to a hybrid simulation for studying the dynamic behavior of polymeric liquids in complex geometries. This approach represents a rare example of a successful multiscale solution of a physical problem, as it allows investigation of arbitrary models of kinetic theory. The simulations, however, are not amenable to standard numerical techniques for system-level stability, bifurcation, and control analysis as this requires closed form equations. These simulation either use stochastic descriptions for the polymer microstructure that cannot be reduced to closed form, or involve equations for the evolution of a distribution of polymer conformations, which can only be written in closed form by invoking mathematical closure approximations that can have a significant qualitative impact on the predictive ability of these simulations. The focus of this thesis was to develop a novel numerical method that can enable hybrid simulations to perform system-level analysis of polymeric flows. This numerical approach has been applied directly to kinetic theory models and hybrid simulations to obtain stationary states and associated bifurcations and stability information. The method is general in its applicability in that it treats kinetic theory models and hybrid simulations as black boxes that are then used to obtain system-level information without any modification. The methods developed here are illustrated in a variety of problems.(cont) Steady state results have been obtained for the non-interacting rigid dumbbell model in steady shear, and for the free-draining bead-spring chain model in both steady shear and uniaxial elongation that are in excellent agreement with previous studies and steady state computed from direct integration. The method is also applied to a hybrid simulation for the pressure-driven flow of non-interacting rigid dumbbells in a planar channel with a linear array of equally spaced cylinders. The computed steady state is in agreement with direct integration and qualitatively matches previous computations with closed models. Bifurcation analysis has been performed for the Doi model at equilibrium with the Onsager excluded volume potential. This analysis agrees with previous studies and accurately predicts the isotropic-nematic transition and turning point for the unstable to stable transition on the prolate solution branch. Bifurcation analysis has also been performed for the Doi model in the weak shear flow limit for the Maier-Saupe excluded volume potential. It is found that stable stationary solutions are lost at a limit point beyond which time-periodic tumbling orbits are the only stable solution. This transition occurs via an infinite period global bifurcation, while the limit point approaches a threshold value as the shear rate approaches zero. This result matches a recently published scaling analysis and demonstrates the ability of the method to provide general bifurcation analysis of kinetic theory models. Stability analysis of the fiber-spinning process for polymeric fluids has also been performed by using a hybrid simulation that couples the one-dimensional conservation equations for mass and momentum with a stochastic description for the configuration fields of the Hookean dumbbell model. The steady-state velocity profiles are in good agreement with previous studies with the Oldroyd-B model.(cont) The analysis predicts onset of the draw resonance instability via a Hopf bifurcation and subsequent stabilization via second Hopf bifurcation in draw ratio parameter space. This result is in good agreement with experimentally observed behavior during polymer fiber-spinning.by Zubair Anwar.Ph.D

Moral Hazard, Monitoring and Punishment: Evidence from a Field Experiment

The existing literature establishes that there exists inefficiency in energy consumption in Pakistan. In particular, with regard to electricity consumption, the problem of moral hazard is prevalent in the public sector. In this study, we observe this aspect by focusing on the behaviour of consumers once they are held liable to monitoring with the associated punishment mechanism. By providing evidence from a field experiment, we make three conclusions. First, individuals respond to both the monetary and non-monetary punishments. Alternatively, with the introduction of punishments, they reduce moral hazard with respect to electricity consumption. Second, the habitual violators of rules reform their behaviour after they are made accountable for their actions. Third, if appropriate monitoring systems along with the associated punishment mechanism are introduced, we can have beneficial effects in terms of resolving the energy crisis on the aggregate level. JEL Classification: H83, D12, D00, D03, D04 Keywords: Moral Hazard, Monitoring, Punishment, Electricity Consumption, Public Secto

Strategi Peningkatan Tata Kelola Sistem Resi Gudang di Kabupaten Lombok Barat

Warehouse receipt system (SRG) is a solution prepared by the government to overcome the financing constraints faced by farmers in obtaining financing or capital assistance. However, this program not widely used by farmer. The aimed of this research was to recommend strategies for improving SRG governance in West Lombok Regency. This research was conducted in West Lombok Regency with the consideration that there is a warehouse managed by PT Pertani (Persero) which is registered as an institution in the Warehouse Receipt System. This study uses secondary data and primary data. Secondary data were obtained from literature studies. Meanwhile, primary data obtained from direct observation, in-depth interviews and by using a questionnaire with experts. The data in this study were analyzed using descriptive analysis and pairwise comparison with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results of this study indicate that to improve SRG governance in West Lombok Regency, the government must focus on recruiting warehouse managers who are professional and have strong entrepreneurial characteristics. 

Contribution of Onion Seed Production to Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Malakand Division, Pakistan

According to the latest estimates, roughly one-third of the total population of the developing countries live in poverty, majority of which are rural inhabitants (as reported 35 percent of the Pakistani rural mass). In Pakistan, the income distribution has worsened in the rural areas while it has marginally improved in urban areas during the period 1979 through 1996-97 [Pakistan (2001)]. The rural poverty is continuously feeding unemployment through migration of unskilled people to the urban areas. Poverty reduction is a priority area for Pakistan. The government is taking measures for addressing problems of the poor who are the most vulnerable amongst the different socioeconomic groups. Poverty alleviation is the main focus of the government in addition to develop physical infrastructure in rural areas and remove income disparities between income groups and regions

Manifestation of Colonial Subjects in Twilight in Dehli and A Passage to India

The goal of this research is to examine how the colony is portrayed by both the colonizer and the colonized. This paper focuses mainly on the politics of depiction by implementing the insights of postcolonialism. In this context, Twilight in Delhi by Ahmed Ali also deals with the same subject from the view of the colonized, whereas A Passage to India is a narrative of the British colony by its colonizer E. M. Forster. It may be argued that the writers’ two depictions of a similar colony represent different political and cultural viewpoints. The two authors’ representations of the same colony, one from a colonized civilization and another from that was colonized, consistently reflect their distinctive voices. Additionally, the latest research has incorporated Homi K. Bhabha and Edward Said’s analytical works on the depiction in the postcolonial theoretical perspective and explored the problem of cultural representation while using textual analyses. The research has shown that both works’ representations of colonial India differ significantly because of the authors’ respective cultural roles as colonizer and colonized

PERAN PONDOK PESANTREN DALAM MEMBENTUK PERILAKU SOSIAL SANTRI (STUDI DI PONDOK PESANTREN DARUL MIHAJIRIN PRAYA PRAYA, LOMBOK TENGAH)

  There are violations of the rules that have been made, such as bullying, taking cell phones and leaving the hut without permission, and stealing other people's belongings which can have an impact on reducing the quality of students' social behavior. This research aims to analyze the role of the Darul Muhajirin Praya Islamic boarding school in shaping the social behavior of students, and the factors that influence it. The subjects of this study were administrators, ustadz, school teachers, and students of the Darul Muhajirin Praya Islamic boarding school. Data was collected using interview, observation, and documentation techniques. Data were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the research show that the Darul Muhajirin Praya Islamic boarding school carries out its role as a fosterer of social behavior for students by organizing activities to clean the boarding school environment, a culture of eating together, and giving respect to older people. Apart from that, he is also an organizer of religious activities such as holding Fiqh book study activities, muhadarah/speech practice, reading wirid/prayer together, learning to read the Al-Qur'an, and Khalakoh or group discussions. In shaping the social behavior of students, it is also influenced by internal factors such as the existence of facilities and infrastructure, the availability of teachers and administrators, as well as the existence of boarding school regulations that must be obeyed, and external factors such as cooperation with the school and with Bank Syari'ah Indonesia

PERAN PONDOK PESANTREN DALAM MEMBENTUK PERILAKU SOSIAL SANTRI (STUDI DI PONDOK PESANTREN DARUL MIHAJIRIN PRAYA PRAYA, LOMBOK TENGAH)

  There are violations of the rules that have been made, such as bullying, taking cell phones and leaving the hut without permission, and stealing other people's belongings which can have an impact on reducing the quality of students' social behavior. This research aims to analyze the role of the Darul Muhajirin Praya Islamic boarding school in shaping the social behavior of students, and the factors that influence it. The subjects of this study were administrators, ustadz, school teachers, and students of the Darul Muhajirin Praya Islamic boarding school. Data was collected using interview, observation, and documentation techniques. Data were analyzed using qualitative data analysis techniques, namely data reduction, data presentation, and drawing conclusions. The results of the research show that the Darul Muhajirin Praya Islamic boarding school carries out its role as a fosterer of social behavior for students by organizing activities to clean the boarding school environment, a culture of eating together, and giving respect to older people. Apart from that, he is also an organizer of religious activities such as holding Fiqh book study activities, muhadarah/speech practice, reading wirid/prayer together, learning to read the Al-Qur'an, and Khalakoh or group discussions. In shaping the social behavior of students, it is also influenced by internal factors such as the existence of facilities and infrastructure, the availability of teachers and administrators, as well as the existence of boarding school regulations that must be obeyed, and external factors such as cooperation with the school and with Bank Syari'ah Indonesia