Current Standing and Future Challenges of Dairying in Pakistan: A Status Update

Pakistan is considered among the leading raw milk producing countries. Unlike the production systems in the developed countries, milk production systems in Pakistan represent smallholding with subsistence- or market-oriented-level farming followed by peri-urban or commercial-level farming. Historically, dairy sector has been owned and managed by the private sector. During the past two decades, new initiatives have been taken because of the active involvement of corporate private sector. These efforts have resulted in improvements like enlargement of herds and import of high-quality milk germ plasm, the productivity per animal, milk collection, processing and marketing, the supply of dairy inputs (machinery, equipment, feeds, semen, and elite dairy animals), and farmers knowledge, and skills on modern management practices. Conclusively, the dairy sector is performing at some sustainable level to meet the food requirements of the growing population and helping save a handful of foreign exchange. Yet, challenges like local replacements of high genetic potential dairy animals, health hazards of β-casein proteins, antibiotics and aflatoxins, and uneconomical operational costs facing the dairy industry in the near future need to be addressed. The main objective of this chapter is to identify the current trends in dairy industry of Pakistan and describe those factors, which can influence the sustainability and profitability of dairying in the near future

Impact of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance: Evidence from Sugar Mills of Pakistan

This paper examines the impact of corporate governance mechanisms (Board Size, Board Composition, and CEO/Chairman Duality) on firm performance (Return on Asset) in sugar industry of Pakistan. The data of corporate governance mechanisms (Board Size, Board Composition, and CEO/Chairman Duality) collected from 12 listed sugar mills of Pakistan from 2005 to 2010. Using panel data methodology as a method of estimation Arithmetic mean, ANOVA and t-test applied on data by using SPSS. The results raveled that there is a significant impact of corporate governance on firm performance. Results further reveal that there is a significant impact of board size, CEO/Chairman Duality on ROA, and there is insignificant impact of Board Composition on ROA. Keywords: Corporate governance, Board of director, firm performanc

Board gender diversity and sustainable growth rate: Chinese evidence

This study investigates the impact of women directors on a firm’s sustainable growth rate. Using data from 2003 to 2017 for Chinese listed firms, we found a positive relationship between women directors and a sustainable growth rate. Our study also contributes to institutional theory by providing evidence that this positive relationship is more effective in legal-person-controlled firms than state-controlled firms. In comparison, women independent directors have a stronger influence than women executive directors on sustainable growth. Similarly, board gender diversity with three or more female directors substantially affects firms’ sustainable growth, consistent with critical mass theory. Our study’s findings are robust in terms of alternative estimations techniques, variable specifications, and different identification strategies, such as two-stage least squares and propensity score matching. Our study provides novel evidence on women directors’ role in increasing firms’ sustainable growth rate by adding a new dimension to the ongoing debate in the gender diversity literature

Role Of Motivational Factors In The Development Of Profession As A Teacher

The main objective of this study was to identify the motivational factors in selecting a teaching profession by the teachers.  A random sampling technique was used for the selection of the sample consisting of 27 girls’ schools of District Kohat as the sample. A structured questionnaire was developed in closed format on the basis of factors identified through observation by the teachers. The data collected through the questionnaires about various aspects of the study were presented in percentages in tabular form and applied to a Chi-square test

Problems Faced By Physical Handicapped Students In Educational Institutions In District Kohat

The purpose of the study was to explore the problems faced by physical handicapped students in normal educational institutions and to find solutions to the problems faced by physical handicapped students. All the physical handicapped students studying in educational institutions in District Kohat constituted the population of the study. The study was delimited to the physical handicapped students studying in 20 general educational institutions at four levels; i.e., Elementary, Secondary, Higher Secondary and Higher Education.  Forty students, both male and female, were selected from 20 educational institutions using a random sampling technique. A questionnaire was constructed using the problems faced by physically handicapped students. The results of the investigation revealed that the physically handicapped children constitute 2-3 % of the population and the majority of them are lame. They face a lot of problems while studying in normal educational institutions

Co-inoculation with Rhizobium and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for inducing salinity tolerance in mung bean under field condition of semi arid climate

Salinity stress severely affects the growth, nodulation and yield of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.). However, its growth can be improved under salinity stress by inoculation/co-inoculation with rhizobia and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) containing 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase enzyme. ACC-deaminase containing bacteria regulate the stress induced ethylene production by hydrolyzing the ACC (immediate precursor of ethylene) into ammonia and ketobutyric acid, thus improve plant growth by lowering the ethylene level. A study was conducted under salt affected field conditions where pre-isolated strains of Rhizobium and PGPR were used alone as well as in combination for mitigating the salinity stress on growth, nodulation and yield of mung bean by following the randomized complete block design (RCBD). The data were recorded and analyzed statistically to see the difference among treatments

Benefit Cost Ratio of Buds Chips Planting and its Effects on Yield and Quality of Sugarcane

Background: High price and poor quality of seed material is a great concern to Farmers. Sugarcane seed is 20% of total cost of production. Cane Growers used setts having 2-3 buds with 8-10 t ha-1 cane stalk as Seed. The large quantity of seed carriages a great problematic in handling, transport, seed treatment for diseases, storage ,  viability of buds and their germination. The use of bud chips is less bulky, easily handling in seed treatment, storage and transportation.Methods: In this view, a research experiment was designed at Sugarcane Research Institute, Faisalabad during 2016 and 2017, to study the feasibility of bud chips as an alternate to conventional planting in sugarcane crop. The experiment was planted with sugarcane variety CPF-252 in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement having three replications.Results: The results of study revealed that setts planting on 15 April gave maximum cane (61 t ha-1) and sugar yield (7.15 t ha-1). While bud chips sown on 15 April produced higher yield. The benefit cost ratio (BCR) was high in bud chips planting (1.63) than setts planting of sugarcane.Conclusion: The study concludes that bud chip planting on 15 April is an improved technique with greater potential to provide disease free seed, improve the yield with minimum quantity of seed than conventional planting.Keywords: Bud chips; Seedling; Setts; Benefit cost rati

Insect Pest Complex of Wheat Crop

Wheat Triticum aestivum L. is grown on broad range of climatic conditions because of edible grains, cereal crop and stable food of about 2 Billion peoples worldwide. Additionally, it is the rich source of carbohydrates (55–60%), vegetable proteins and contributed 50–60% daily dietary requirement in Pakistan. Globally, wheat crops is grown over 90% area of total cultivated area; facing devastating biotic and abiotic factors. The estimated economic losses in wheat quantity and quality are about 4 thousands per tonne per year including physical crop losses and handling. Economic losses of about 80–90 million USD in Pakistan are recorded due to inadequate production and handling losses. Wheat agro-ecosystem of the world colonizes many herbivore insects which are abundant and causing significant losses. The feeding style of the insects made them dispersive from one habitat to another imposing significant crop loss. Areas of maximum wheat production are encountered with either insect which chew the vegetative as well as reproductive part or stem and root feeders. This chapter provides the pest’s taxonomic rank, distribution across the globe, biology and damage of chewing and sucking insect pest of wheat. It is very important to study biology of the pest in accordance with crop cycle to forecast which insect stage is economically important, what the proper time to manage pest is and what type of control is necessary to manage crop pest. The chapter will provide management strategies well suited to pest stage and environment

Assessment of sublethal and transgenerational effects of spirotetramat, on population growth of cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The cabbage aphid (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) is a devastating pest of cruciferous crops causing economic damage worldwide and notably owing to its increasing resistance to commonly used pesticides. Such resistance prompts the development of integrated pest management (IPM) programs that include novel pesticides being effective against the aphids. Spirotetramat is a novel insecticide used against sap-sucking insect pests, particularly aphids. This study evaluated the toxicity of spirotetramat to adult apterous B. brassicae after 72 h using the leaf dipping method. According to the toxicity bioassay results, the LC50 value of spirotetramat to B. brassicae was 1.304 mgL−1. However, the sublethal concentrations (LC5 and LC15) and transgenerational effects of this novel insecticide on population growth parameters were estimated using the age-stage, two-sex life table theory method. The sublethal concentrations (LC5; 0.125 mgL−1 and LC15; 0.298 mgL−1) of spirotetramat reduced the adult longevity and fecundity of the parent generation (F0). These concentrations prolonged the preadult developmental duration while decreasing preadult survival, adult longevity and reproduction of the F1 generation. The adult pre-reproductive period was also extended by spirotetramat treatment groups. Subsequently, the population growth parameters such as the intrinsic rate of increase r, finite rate of increase λ and net reproductive rate R0 of the F1 generation were decreased in spirotetramat treatment groups whereas, the mean generation time T of the F1 generation was not affected when compared to the control. These results indicated the negative effect of sublethal concentrations of spirotetramat on the performance of B. brassicae by reducing its nymphal survival, extending the duration of some immature stages and suppressing the population growth of B. brassicae. Overall, we demonstrated that spirotetramat is a pesticide showing both sublethal activities, and transgenerational effects on cabbage aphid; it may be useful for implementation in IPM programs against this aphid pest

Customer Participation and Product Innovation in the Era of Industry 4.0 and 3D Printing: Evidence at Firm and Individual-Level

My PhD dissertation consists of two chapters which empirically analyse the impact of the modern technologies of Industry 4.0 on customer participation (CP) in new product development (NPD) process of firms in general, and the impact of 3D printing on individual-level innovation performance in particular. These studies aim to contribute to the debate on the evolution of CP from customers as passive recipients of products offered by firms to independent makers of their desired products. Initially, customers had no input in what was offered to them, and they were the submissive recipients of firms’ products. The market was perceived as the aggregate of demand and value transfer, whereas companies were the points of value creation (Kotler, 2002; Vargo & Lusch, 2004). With the advent and omnipresence of the Internet, information asymmetry reduced between firms and customers. As a result, the customers started taking part in the NPD process as mere information providers to active partners. Consequently, active customers happened to appear as lead users (Von Hippel, 1986) whose opinion carried weight which could influence the changes in product features and subsequent adoption of products by other customers. Companies also realized the importance of customers’ feedback and opinion; hence, CP evolved further, and customers were provided with toolkits (Von Hippel, 2001b). “User toolkits for innovation” provided customers with a free environment within defined bounds related to specific products and allowed them to develop their customized products via trial-and-error. Customers also started forming virtual customer communities (Nambisan, 2002) to discuss the ideas and information regarding products and desired new features. But it is the recent work which has given formal recognition to CP in NPD (Chang & Taylor, 2016) by acknowledging various participation roles a customer can 7 take on in NPD, e.g. a customer as an information source, a co-developer and an innovator (Cui & Wu, 2016; 2017). The world is forecasting the fourth industrial revolution prompted by advanced technologies, and the twenty-first century demands technological innovation and novel product development approach (L. Li, 2018a). The term ‘Industry 4.0’ (German: Industrie 4.0) – representing the much-anticipated fourth industrial revolution symbolising the increased use of modern technologies in the manufacturing process of firms – was coined at ‘Hannover Messe 2011’ in Germany as part of its high-tech strategy to sustain the competitive advantage and meet the requirements of future production. Other countries have also initiated similar ventures and use different terminologies like ‘Internet of Things’ in the United States and ‘Made-in-China 2025’ in China to represent the phenomenon of Industry 4.0. Consequently, there is an increasing trend of investment by firms in the technologies associated with Industry 4.0. Although some of these technologies like robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting are in use since over two decades, many of Industry 4.0 applications necessitate the combination of these technologies (Xu et al., 2018). However, the connectivity between these technologies is not extensively discussed before 2011. But now, the discussion has started as the technologies have reached a mature state of application and are materialized under the concept of Industry 4.0 (Santos et al., 2017). According to Gilchrist (2016), “Industry 4.0 is essentially a revised approach to manufacturing that makes use of the latest technological inventions and innovations, particularly in merging operational and information and communication technology.” The first chapter of this thesis is a firm-level analysis which focuses on analysing the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on CP in firms’ NPD process where customers work as co-developers. Customer participation is defined as the magnitude of the customer’s engagement in 8 the company’s NPD process (Fang, 2008). Scholars consider the investment in modern technologies a significant internal factor to cater to customized demand of consumers (Kotha, 1996). Industry 4.0 technologies are interactive because of the digital connectivity of tools and remote inputs and have the potential to take the magnitude of customer’s participation to a higher level and engage them in the product design and production process. Hence, it is essential to empirically investigate this claim as the Industry 4.0 technologies will not only help to develop new products and services (Lee et al., 2014), but the provision of customized products will also help to reduce the number of goods returned. For empirical analysis, we collected the data from 123 North Italian firms by using a structured questionnaire targeted to chief operating officers or managers in charge of technological and manufacturing processes. The firms were currently using Industry 4.0 technologies like 3D scanner, additive manufacturing, IoT and intelligent products, robotics, big data and cloud, augmented reality and laser cutting. Another facet of recent technological scenario is that it takes the empowerment of customers and end-users one step further from toolkits and customer communities. Now some technologies are in direct reach and use of individuals. One potentiality linked with such technologies, especially 3D printing (3DP), is the transformation of customers into real “makers” (Anderson, 2012). 3DP is “a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies” (ASTM, 2012). A computer-aided design (CAD) file of the object idea is generated by using a software which contains all the information of the physical object. To develop the physical object, the 3D printer receives the print command and based on the digital file, transforms the information in the arrangement of material layers upon layers. As the material layers bind together directly from a CAD file, it reduces the product development time and intensity of physical flows (Holmström et 9 al., 2017). The additive style of manufacturing also eliminates many intermediaries like labour (Ford & Despeisse, 2016) and expensive and time-consuming tools. 3DP is ideal for the economies-of-one and is not resource-intensive. These features make 3DP ideal for end-user and open innovation. Subsequently, 3DP aids firms as well as individual makers to execute a project from the design stage to final output (Rayna & Striukova, 2016a). Apart from knowledge creation and social exchange, the use of technology forms the basis of the relationship of makers movement with entrepreneurship (Browder et al., 2019). The prices have decreased considerably, and 3DP is in access to end-user and makers. Recent research shows that makerspaces are significant platforms for 3DP spread and adoption (Woodson ey al., 2019). 3DP has the potential to empower makers and boost end-user innovation and entrepreneurship linked with the maker movement. Despite the increasing importance and relevance of 3DP, very little is known about the factors affecting the acceptance and use of 3DP among the exiting users. More importantly, the impact of the use of 3DP on innovation performance is not empirically acknowledged at individual-level. The second chapter is an individual-level empirical analysis of the factors affecting the acceptance and use of 3DP by makers in makerspaces. Makerspaces have been used as local places of shared resources and provision of manufacturing technologies that are not as commonly available as internet connectivity and computers (Kostakis et al., 2015). This chapter uses an extended model of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) (Venkatesh et al., 2012) to explore the factors affecting the acceptance and use of 3DP by makers. The model is extended on the outcome side to analyse the impact of the use by incorporating a new construct, ‘innovation performance’ as a consequence of use. For empirical analysis, I developed a survey, using the scales validated by exiting studies and distributed it to the visitors 10 of makerspaces registered on three platforms; hackerspaces.org, makerspaces.make.co and fabfoundattion.org and had the facilities of 3DP. In total, 338 responses were used for the empirical analysis of the study. The results of the first chapter confirm that the use of Industry 4.0 technologies does have a positive impact on CP in the development of product design and production process of the firms. The effect is stronger for CP in design than CP in the production process. The firms which report product flexibility as their competitive advantage, are more like to allow CP in the product design and production process. The findings of the second chapter, focused at the individual-level adoption and impact of 3DP on innovation performance, show that the makers are adopting 3DP printing because they expect an increase in their performance and the opinion of the important people around them also matters in the adoption decision. Empirical results indicate that the adoption of 3DP also depends on the availability of facilitating conditions and the hedonic motivation extracted from the use of 3DP. The results also provide empirical evidence of the impact of the use of 3DP on makers’ innovation performance