The fingerprints of climate warming on cereal crops phenology and adaptation options

Growth and development of cereal crops are linked to weather, day length and growing degree-days (GDDs) which make them responsive to the specific environments in specific seasons. Global temperature is rising due to human activities such as burning of fossil fuels and clearance of woodlands for building construction. The rise in temperature disrupts crop growth and development. Disturbance mainly causes a shift in phenological development of crops and affects their economic yield. Scientists and farmers adapt to these phenological shifts, in part, by changing sowing time and cultivar shifts which may increase or decrease crop growth duration. Nonetheless, climate warming is a global phenomenon and cannot be avoided. In this scenario, food security can be ensured by improving cereal production through agronomic management, breeding of climate-adapted genotypes and increasing genetic biodiversity. In this review, climate warming, its impact and consequences are discussed with reference to their influences on phenological shifts. Furthermore, how different cereal crops adapt to climate warming by regulating their phenological development is elaborated. Based on the above mentioned discussion, different management strategies to cope with climate warming are suggested

Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in renal masses taking computed tomography as a gold standard

Objective: To evaluate diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in renal masses taking computed Tomography as a gold standard. Methodology: A cross-sectional study of 198 study subjects with renal masses was conducted at District Head Quarter Hospital (DHQ) and Allied Hospital, Faisalabad. Patients of age 18 years and above and of both genders with complaints of hematuria and/or palpable mass in the flank region was included. Patients with nephrolithiasis, any other gross renal pathology and patients with any contraindication to the contrast agent, were excluded. Results: Ultrasound had the Sensitivity of 76.67%, Specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 80.56%, and the diagnostic accuracy of 88.14% respectively for the assessment of renal cell carcinoma. Conclusion: Ultrasound is a reliable tool for the differentiation of renal masses, and other renal pathologies such as simple cysts, complex cysts, and polycystic kidney disease

Resource Use Efficiencies of C3 and C4 Cereals under Split Nitrogen Regimes

Resources are limited, thus improving resource use efficiency is a key objective for cereal-based cropping systems. This field study was carried out to quantify resource use efficiencies in selected C3 and C4 cereals under split nitrogen (N) application regimes. The study included the following treatments: six cereals (three C3: wheat, oat, and barley; and three C4: maize, millet, and sorghum) and four split N application regimes (NS1 = full amount of N at sowing; NS2 = half N at sowing + half N at first irrigation; NS3 = ⅓ N at sowing + ⅓ N at first irrigation + ⅓ N at second irrigation; NS4 = ¼ N at sowing + ¼ N at first irrigation + ¼ N at second irrigation + ¼ N at third irrigation). Results revealed that C4 cereals out-yielded C3 cereals in terms of biomass production, grain yield, and resource use efficiencies (i.e., radiation use efficiency (RUE) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE)), while splitting N into three applications proved to be a better strategy for all of the selected winter and summer cereals. The results suggest that C4 cereals should be added into existing cereal-based cropping systems and N application done in three installments to boost productivity and higher resource use efficiency to ensure food security for the burgeoning population