Salinity, livelihood and agricultural productivity: A case of Hafizabad District

Background: Soil salinity; concentration and or accumulation of salts may pose severe risk on soil productivity and in turn concerned population and farmers. Salt-influenced lands in Pakistan were spread over 6.63 million hectare which is diminishing the agrarian profitability. This study will explore the impact of salinity on livelihood of farmers in district Hafizabad.Methods: Data of 192 small, medium and large farmers was collected from four randomly selected villages of salinity affected area of Hafizabad district of Punjab province of Pakistan using multistage probability sampling technique. SPSS version 21.0 was utilized to analyze the data for generating logical results.Results: Farmers belonging to saline area communities were characterized on the basis of their education, experience, cultivated area, and method of irrigation and technological adoption for analyzing their livelihood typologies. Average yield of wheat was found to be 26mnds/acre, while marketable surplus was high for large farmers due to ownership of more area. Livelihood typologies were derived mainly from on-farm and off-farm income activities of the farmers. Agriculture farm earning in the saline area was estimated as Rs. 10 to 12 thousand per acre. Contribution of off-farm income in household cash flows was estimated in 79% of small, medium and large farmer as less than 15000 indicating the dependency status of the households.Conclusion: Major livelihood source in Salt-affected soils was still agricultural cash inflows beside their contribution to the food basket of consumers. Farmers were in favour of provision of farming inputs on subsidized rates i.e. lime and gypsum as a poverty alleviation strategy in the area for positive promotion of sharing culture with public sector.    Keywords: Salinity; Livelihood; Productivity; Farming experience; Farm size

Salinity and sodicity influence on Taramira (Eruca sativa), A medicinal crop

Seeds of Taramira (Eruca sativa) as medicinal plant were sown in a pot study under various salinity cum sodicity levels. Out of different levels tested, 4 dSm-1+ 13.5 (mmol L-1)1/2 treatment got maximum biomass yield (34 gpot-1). It was declined due to salinity increase. At 10 dSm-1 + 30 (mmol L-1)1/2 minimum biomass yield (22.33 gpot-1) was gotten. Results also indicated decrease (%) of biomass yield over lowest level of salinity cum sodicity. Least reduction % over control (15.73) was attained by 5 dSm-1 + 25 (mmol L-1)1/2 treatment showing better tolerance. Growth least reduction % over control was ranging from 15.73% to 34.32% due to toxic salts. This variation was linked with toxic influence of salts on plant growth. At the nutshell, Taramaria (Eruca sativa) was produced maximum growth under 4 dSm-1+ 13.5 (mmol L-1)1/2

2-(4-Bromo­benzene­sulfonamido)acetic acid

The title compound, C8H8BrNO4S, a halogenated sulfon­amide, was prepared by basic hydrolysis of the methyl ester. In the crystal, mol­ecules form centrosymmetric hydrogen-bonded dimers via the carboxyl groups. These dimers are further linked by N—H⋯O inter­actions involving the carbonyl O and amide H atoms, forming a ribbon-like structure propagating in [010]. These ribbons are further linked via C—H⋯O inter­actions, forming a three-dimensional network

2-Chloro-4-(2-iodo­benzene­sulfonamido)­benzoic acid

In the title compound, C13H9ClINO4S, the dihedral angle between the aromatic rings is 81.04 (17)°. The disposition of the I and Cl atoms attached to the two rings is anti. In the crystal, mol­ecules are connected via O—H⋯O and N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

N-[2-(Amino­carbon­yl)phen­yl]-4-hydr­oxy-2-methyl-2H-1,2-benzothia­zine-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide

In the title compound, C17H15N3O5S, the thia­zine ring adopts a distorted half-chair conformation. The mol­ecular structure is stabilized by intra­molecular N—H⋯O, N—H⋯N and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding. Pairs of mol­ecules are bound together as centrosymmetric dimers through N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds

3,3,6-Tribromo-1-methyl-1H-2,1-benzo­thia­zin-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide

In the title compound, C9H6Br3NO3S, a halogenated benzothia­zine derivative, the thia­zine ring adopts a sofa conformation. The crystal studied was a racemic twin with a contribution of 72 (1)% of the major domain

4-Chloro-1-iodo-2-nitro­benzene

In the mol­ecule of the title compound, C6H3ClINO2, the nitro group is disordered over two sites with occupancies of 0.506 (6) and 0.494 (6). The dihedral angles between the benzene ring and the two disordered components of the nitro group are 29.0 (2) and 51.0 (3)°. The disordering avoids short O⋯O inter­molecular contacts in the crystal

4-Hydr­oxy-N-(2,4,6-tribromo­phen­yl)-2H-1,2-benzothia­zine-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide

In the title compound, C15H19Br3N2O4S, the thia­zine ring adopts a distorted half-chair conformation. The enolic H atom is involved in an intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond, forming a six-membered ring. In the crystal, the mol­ecules are linked into a three-dimensional network through inter­molecular N—H⋯O, N—H⋯Br and O—H⋯Br hydrogen bonds