Exploiting Genotypic Variability among Cotton Cultivars for Potassium Use Efficiency

Crop responses to potassium in Pakistan are sporadic. Furthermore farmers are reluctant to use K fertilizer, depleting K in soil. Cultivation of efficient K-utilization genotypes may be a promising alternate strategy. Therefore, an experiment was conducted in the greenhouse of the Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad to study the differential growth response and K-utilization efficiency among cotton genotypes. We evaluated growth response and potassium utilization efficiency of 7 cotton cultivars grown under adequate (3.0 mM) and deficient (0.3 mM) K supply in hydroponics. Cultivars were grown for 4-5 weeks to study growth physiological parameters relating tolerance against K deficiency. Cultivars differed significantly in biomass production, shoot K concentration, uptake and use efficiency at both levels of K supply. Shoot and root biomass production was significantly decreased due to K deficiency stress. Reduction in shoot dry matter varied significantly among cultivars and efficient cultivars showed minimum reduction in shoot dry matter due to K deficiency. The result indicated significant genetic differences in K utilization efficiency among cotton cultivars which can be exploited for breeding efficient cultivars to be grown under low K soils especially in low input sustainable agriculture Keywords: Cotton, potassium, genetic variations, nutrient use efficienc

Frequency of phantom limb pain, limb sensation and stump pain among amputees

Objective: To quantify the frequency of phantom limb pain, limb sensation and stump pain among amputees aging 20–75 years. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was done. A population of 75 amputees were selected using non-probability convenient sampling and after setting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Standard questionnaires; Groningen Questionnaire Problems after Arm Amputation (GQPAA) and Groningen Questionnaire Problems after Leg Amputation (GQPLA), were filled by interviewing the patients. All the patients were approached in the hospitals. Data was collected from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad and Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi. The duration of study was 6 months from June 2021 to December 2021. Results: After compiling all the results from the questionnaires, it was unveiled that among 75 amputees, mean age was 43.12±11.43 years. Out of these amputees, 53.3% were upper limb amputees and 46.7% were lower limb amputees. the frequency of phantom sensation was 62.7%, 57.3% reported phantom limb pain and 84% experienced stump pain. Conclusion: The study concluded that most prevalent among the population was stump pain, which was followed by phantom limb sensations and the least prevalent of these three was phantom limb pain among the population