technology in agriculture

INTRODUCTION  Maize is a popular kharif fodder in Pakistan and finds much use as fodder for livestock and poultry. The crop can be harvested in 60 - 65 days and it can be grown in most parts of the country. The green stalk has high carbohydrate contents so it is an enchanting feed for poultry. Hybrid seed should not be used for fodder purposes because they have less foliage, and short stature with less nutrition. Maize (Zea mays L.) VARIETIES Neelum, Akbar, Sargodha 2002 and Sultan. Sargodha 2002 is a new promising variety. It can remain green in the field for longer duration of time and the production can also be increased to 50 mand per acre with an average yield of around 600 mands per acre. SOIL REQUIREMENTS AND PREPARATION The fodder grows well in well irrigated loams and gives low yields in areas with high rainfall. The soil can be prepared by ploughing 4 times followed by planking each time. TIME OF SOWING March - September Good crop stand is possible when sown in early Marc

INTRODUCTION In the soils where wheat, maize, rice and sugarcane cannot be cultivated easily, we can cultivate barley (Jou - ??) because it is a tolerant crop and can resist harsh environments . Not only barley gives good yields with lesser agriculture inputs but it can also replenish the damaged soils . Barley, like all other crops is affected by the saline soils , but due to its high resistance it can give better yields than other crops.  Spikes of Barley Sowing of barley starts with wheat, but due to fast growth rate, it matures early for harvesting. In this regard following points should be followed for the better crop yield off barley; SEEDBED PREPARATION Barley is adapted to a wide range of soils such as less fertile, fertile, sandy or soils. But to get a good crop stand and better crop yield soil preparation is an important step. To prepare soil for barley, plough field with a deep plough it twice with sub-soiler or chisel and then level the field by planking. To remove the stu

In the modern age of urban life and industrialization, the land for cultivation is continuously decreasing and hence more problems for getting fresh vegetables, grains and other edible commodities is also arising. But to cope with this situation, the concept of kitchen gardening has been introduced formally in metropolitan cities of this world. A representation of Kitchen Gardening in Lahore In kitchen gardening , vegetables for domestic use are grown in home lawn or other space available. This is also a hobby for many people as well as quick source of healthy food. But like any other form of cultivation, kitchen gardening should also be managed and have some inputs. A generalized production technology is given below which is recommended in Lahore. INITIAL PLANNING Following points should be kept in mind before starting kitchen gardening; Different types of vegetables should not be mixed. This is helpful to prepare the land each time for sowing new seeds. Availability to the light is

Vegetables are very important in our daily diet because they contain components essential for the grown and developments of our bodies. Following are a few measures which can be followed in Pakistan to preserve the nutritional value of vegetables both a farmer and consumer level. Vegetables INSECT-PESTS AND DISEASES Insect-pests and diseases are major sources to cut 20-30% of vegetable production and in some cases entire crop may be destroyed. Hence vegetables should be kept safe from insect pests and diseases to control losses in yield and save nutritional value. CONTROL STRATEGIES To control pests and diseases, chemicals with large residual capabilities should not be used rather such chemicals should be used whose effect last only for 24 hours. Such sprayed vegetables should be used after washing. HARVESTING AT PROPER TIME Vegetables should be harvested at physiological maturity . For example, if melon and watermelon are picked before ripening, they will be less sweet. Similarly if

INTRODUCTION Potato ( Solanum tuberosum  L.) is a very important vegetable and ranks fourth in the world with respect to production, in United States of America it is ranked fifth. Pakistan has further lower ranking in this regard. Potato is also staple food in many communities and it has a large spectrum of cultivar based on shape, size and colour of its edible tuber. Warts on Potato Tubers Potato wart disease is an important disease. This is an ancient and widely spread disease across the globe. There had been records of its presence in the ancient tribes of Africa and later it appeared in Americas. Other names also include; black scab, black wart, potato canker, potato cancer, warty disease and many other names in other regional languages. The spread of disease has been mainly due to trade of the diseased potato across the continents. In modern times, the quarantine approaches has largely reduced the impact of disease yet this disease continues to exist. Synchytrium endioticum  L. P

INTRODUCTION Citrus are the fruits belonging to the Rutacease family and mostly from the genus Citrus which are usually mix of sweet and acidic fruits. They are widely cultivated fruits in the world with areas under cultivation and production increasing greatly from 2000 - 2010. Citrus is ranked world number 2 1st in Pakistan w.r.t its area and production among fruits. There is a huge demand from both the fresh and processed oranges by the consumer. Citrus varieties PRODUCTION STATS According to FAO, Brazil is the largest producer of citrus in the world, followed by China and USA, data for Pakistan is not available. In Pakistan, it is cultivated its 95% area of cultivation is in Punjab because of favorable temperature and environmental conditions and the total production according to approx. 1.8  annually on an estimated area of 194,000 ha with the per acre yield standing at 4.6 tons. IMPORTANCE AND USES a)  S weet orange, mandarin and grapefruit are eaten fresh or processed for squash

The technology for growing and taking good produce successfully, of the crops either before or after their natural time of cultivation is called off-season cultivation. It may be early sowing or late sowing. In this regard, summer vegetables are cultivated in the winter sunlight under the cover of polythene sheet and the heat is provided artificially to get an early crop. This technology is called Tunnel Farming. Tunnel Farming What is meant by off-season crop ? The cultivation and getting successful yield from any fruit or vegetable out of their normal growth season is called 'off-season crop'. Why Off-season? It has been human psychology to capture and buy those things which are rare or available in small quantity. Early (?????) vegetables or fruits are sold at high prices. The climate in Province Sindh is quite different from rest of the provinces of Pakistan. So almost all the crops are harvested earlier then other provinces and marketed at high price. For example, bitter g

In horticulture, a fruit is defined as the ripened ovary produced from the ovary of the carpel. So many of the species considered as vegetables so far in our daily life; they are regarded as 'fruits' in horticulture. And the production of fruits in farms and orchards is called Pomology . Pomology is an art as well as science. In Pakistan the overall fruit production around the calender is enough to fulfill nutrition requirements of the population, most of the highest quality fruit produced is exported. And the fruits of Pakistan origin are very much popular around the globe for their taste. The following table enlists almost all of the fruits (horticulture) being produced and cultivated throughout Pakistan. Table: List of Fruits of Pakistan  (in alphabetical sequence of Plant Families) Sr. no. FAMILY FRUITS 01 ANACARDIACEAE- sumac family 1.        Mango 2.       Cashew nut 02 ANNONACEAE - custard apple family 3.       Annanas 4.        Sugar apple 03 APIACEAE   � Carrot famil