EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT DOSES OF MORINGA LEAF EXTRACT THROUGH FOLIAR APPLICATION ON WHEAT CROP

This research delves into the effects of varying concentrations of moringa leaf extract on wheat growth within a 6 Marla area, employing a randomized complete block design. The primary goal is to determine the most effective moringa concentration for optimizing wheat yield. The study involves six treatments T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T5 with concentrations ranging from 0% to 60%, each applied to 1 Marla plots and replicated to ensure reliability. Key parameters including plant population, height, tiller count, grain count per spike, 1000-grain weight, and grain yield were examined. Recommended rates of 50 kg/acre for seed and NPK fertilizer were followed, aligning with irrigated wheat fields in Pakistan. The research aims to establish a connection between moringa extract application and wheat performance. Statistical analyses encompassed ANOVA and post hoc tests to discern significant differences among treatments. The results revealed minor fluctuations in plant population (94.667 to 97.333 plants/m²), plant height (100.33 to 103.33 cm), and tiller count (256.33 to 268.33 tillers/m²), with no statistically significant distinctions. Grain count per spike remained stable, while 1000-grain weight exhibited slight variation (34.667 to 35.667 g). Grain yield ranged from 14.2 to 15.3 kg/Marla. Overall, the study demonstrates that the application of different moringa extract concentrations did not exert substantial influence on the measured wheat growth and yield parameters

Clinical and etiological profile of Complicated Urinary Tract Infection in Children: A health facility-based cross-sectional study

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is known to be the most frequent bacterial infection in the paediatric population. Objective: To determine the clinical profile and etiology of complicated urinary tract infection (UTI) in children. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done at the Department of Nephrology and Neonatology, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi from 1st January 2022 to 30th June 2022. In 241 children of either gender, (male and female) aged up to 15 years having structural or functional anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract or recurrent infection due to underlying kidney or urinary tract abnormalities were enrolled. Demographic and clinical characteristics along with laboratory parameters and etiological agents of complicated UTI were noted. Ultrasonography examination and dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) renal scan (where indicated) were performed. Results: Of 241 children, 179 (74.3%) were male. The mean age was 3.08±3.63 years. Capillary refill time was prolonged in 78 (32.4%) children. Fever/chills, nausea/vomiting, urinary urgency, and dehydration were the most frequently noted clinical presentations reported in 232 (96.2%), 109 (45.2%), 91 (37.8%), and 89 (36.9%) children respectively. Ultrasonography findings were evident of bilateral moderative hydronephrosis in 60 (24.9%) children. E. coli followed by Pseudomonas and Klebsiella species were the most commonly found etiological agents noted in 98 (40.7%), 50 (20.7%), and 40 (16.6%) children respectively. Conclusion: The majority of the children with complicated UTIs were male. Fever/chills, nausea/vomiting, urinary urgency, and dehydration were the most frequently noted clinical presentations. The most commonly observed ultrasonography findings were bilateral moderative hydronephrosis

Suitability Analysis of Groundwater for Eco-friendly Agricultural Growths in Food Basket of Pakistan

Water is an important component of earth’s atmosphere and it sustains ecosystems, agriculture and human settlements on earth (Samson et al., 2010). Salinity, sodicity and toxicity generally need to be considered for the evaluation of suitable quality of groundwater for irrigation (Khan et al., 2014; Cobbina et al., 2012; Todd and Mays, 2005). In Thal Doab Aquifer (TDA) groundwater occurs as a layer of fresh water over saline water and its availability is subjected to recharging potency of the Indus and Chenab rivers (Hussain et al., 2017 a, 2016 a)

Effect of Serine on Growth and Biochemical Constituents of Zea mays L., Triticum aestivum L., and Abelmoschus esculentus L. under Arsenic Toxicity

Background: Various human activities, such as industrialization, modern farming methods, and mining increase the concentration of heavy metals in air, water and soil. Heavy metal poisoning of soil results in a number of environmental issues and has deleterious effects on both plants and animals. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Arsenite (As) and As+ Serine (Ser) on growth and biochemical components in the early growth stages of Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, Triticum aestivum L., and Zea mays L. (selected crops).Methods: Pot experiments were carried out at completely random manner, with 10-12 seeds grown in each pot with three replicates. Seeds and seedlings in pots treated with different concentrations of As and As+Ser. After a 21-days of germination period, we gathered the growth-related parameters (root number, root length, shoot length, and leaf number) and conducted a biochemical analysis.Results: The growth of selected plants was adversely impacted by Arsenic stress, whereas the detrimental impact was minimal after treatments with Serine. Compression of the selected crops showed that Abelmoschus esculentus L. had the most detrimental impact on agronomic parameters. Biochemical constituents such Chlorophyll “a” “b”, Total-chlorophyll (Photosynthetic pigments), protein and carotenoid contents formation were reduced at individual treatments of As (25, 50, 75 and 100pmm) compared to As+Ser and control treatment, while the proline contents were increased considerably at treatment 100 ppm (As) of the selected crops.Conclusion: The results showed that As had a greater negative impact on growth and biochemical constituents, whereas Ser had a reduced adverse impact on selected crops. Abelmoschus esculentusL. had a higher sensitivity compared to other selected crops

Impact of Fiscal Policy on GDP Growth Rate: a Case of Pakistan

Fiscal policy plays a key role in the economic growth of every country. In this article, we investigate the impact of fiscal policy on economic growth in case of Pakistan by using time series data from 1981-2016. For analysis, we built a model of gross national expenditure and applied autoregressive distributed lag model for empirical analysis this study on the base of bound test value. The result indicates that gross national expenditure had a positive relationship with the growth rate. Moreover, industry value added had a positive and significant relation with growth rate because since countries with reliable industrial sector results in more development and growth

Frequency of Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders in Children with Recurrent Abdominal Pain

Background: Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common disorders characterized by chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, not related to structural or biochemical abnormalities Objective: To determine the frequency of FGIDs in children with complaints of recurrent abdominal pain. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done at the outpatient department of pediatrics, National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan from October 2022 to March 2023. Children of either gender aged 1-12 years with complaints of recurrent abdominal pain were analyzed. Socio-demographic characteristics along with presenting complaints and types of FGIDs were noted. Results: In a total of 188 children, the mean age was 7.22±1.96 years while 107 (56.9%) children were boys. The mean duration of symptoms was 2.7±1.8 months. The most frequent presenting complaints were pain during bowel movement, nausea, and epigastric pain reported by 88 (46.8%), 75 (39.9%), and 64 (34.0%) children respectively. Frequency distribution of functional GI disorders revealed that functional abdominal pain was the commonest noted in 72 (38.3%) children while irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and functional dyspepsia were found among 38 (20.2%) and 37 (19.7%) children respectively. Stratification of functional GI disorders showed a statistically significant relationship (p<0.001) concerning presenting complaints. Conclusion: Among children with FGIDs, the most frequent presenting complaints were pain during bowel movement, nausea, and epigastric pain. Functional abdominal pain, IBS, and functional dyspepsia were the most frequent types of FGID

Development of a GIS based hazard, exposure, and vulnerability analyzing method for monitoring drought risk at Karachi, Pakistan

peer reviewedDroughts have an adverse influence on agriculture, the environment, water supplies, and the global economy. The drought risk was computed using an integrated prospective approach: drought hazard, exposure, and vulnerability based on biophysical and socio-economic conditions over Karachi, Pakistan during 2000–2019. Drought hazard map (DHM) was created using annual Palmer drought severity Index (PDSI). Drought exposure map (DEM) was derived using population density and gross domestic product (GDP), as well as land surface temperature (LST), Normal difference vegetation index (NDVI), Night light images (NTL), land use land cover (LULC), and Distance to water were used for drought vulnerability map (DVM). An estimation of drought Risk (EDR) was derived by integrating layers of DHM, DEM, and DVM. Results showed that Central, South, and East regions of Karachi were at high risk, whereas the North East and North were less affected by the drought. The estimated average drought hazard (EDH) was 0.84, with minimum (maximum) value of 0.68 (1). Similarly, the average estimated drought exposure (estimated drought vulnerability) for EDE (EDV) was 0.27 (0.42), with the maximum value of 0.55 (0.84) and the minimum value of 0 (0). The drought risk assessment map (DRAM) shows that the average risk values is 0.18 while highest value is 0.36

Efficacy assessment of garlic extract as a natural aphid control agent on infected tomato plants

This controlled pot experiment aimed to assess the effectiveness of garlic extract as a natural aphid control agent on infected tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum). The study investigated the impact of different doses of garlic extract on plant height, leaf damage, fruit production, and overall yield. The garlic extract was prepared by diluting crushed garlic bulbs with water to achieve the desired concentrations. The experiment employed a randomized complete block design with four treatment groups: a control group (0%), low dose (10%), medium dose (30%), and high dose (50%) of garlic extract. The treatments were applied using a handheld sprayer, and the plants were monitored for aphid populations using visual inspection and sticky traps. Data collected were subjected to statistical analysis, including analysis of variance (ANOVA), to determine significant differences between treatments. The results revealed that higher doses of garlic extract led to increased plant height, decrease in leaf damage caused by aphids, higher fruit production, and improved overall yield. The control group exhibited the lowest values for all parameters, while treatments with garlic extract showed significant improvements. The highest yields were observed in Treatment 50%, where plants treated with the highest dose of garlic extract yielded 41.2 kg per treatment. These findings demonstrate the potential of garlic extract as an effective aphid control agent, capable of enhancing tomato crop yield and economic returns for farmers