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    • The following are important:

      1. Growing crops which need less water

      2. Increasing organic carbon or organic matter in soil using plant residues and animal manures

      3. Dicouraging plantation of trees which take more water e.g. eucliptus

      4. Decreasing land degradation especially decreasing erosion. Degraded land store less water than fertile lands.

      5. Contouring on slope soils

      6. Mulching

      7. Deep tillage in some areas increase water infiltration in the soil

      8. Cover crops conserve soil moisture

      9. Drip and sprinkler irrigation use less water than flood irrigation

      10. Subsurface irrigation

      11. Cleaning waste water

      12. Use less water for cars cleaning

      13. Use less water for animal's cleaning

      14. Ridge and bed plantation use 50÷ less water than flat plantation

      15. Cementing water channels

      16. Removing weeds which transpire more

      17. Big dams and small dams

      18. Conservation of runoff water

      19. Application of potassium in field crops

      20. Use of benificial microbes in field crops production

      Etc.

      Amanullah
      Associate Professor of Agronomy The University of Agriculture Peshawar PAKISTAN

    • I want to share the experience of my rural area (upper swat) which is well known as peach producing area. The prices of agricultural products are minimum in rural area, and are too low in our country e.g equal to cheating poor farmers. The example of peaches produced in rural areas indicates that the farmers in rural areas sell their products at one USD (100 PKR) to the rich people outside (middle men). The middlemen then sell that product at 50 USD in the fruit market of big cities of Lahore and Karachi to rich men. The peaches are processed in big cities and the products of peaches (jam and juice, etc.) are sold back in rural areas at very high prices, which poor people cannot afford to buy.

      This is the cheating of rural people (80% to 90 % smallholders). This is because of the weak policies of our government which give no attention to rural people. This is the major cause of rural people i.e. agriculture people migration to big cities. This has a negative impact on agriculture development in rural areas. The government, FAO and other donor agencies must concentrate on rural development in Pakistan. The very bad political system is responsible for non development of rural areas.

      Installing processing units for vegetables and fruits in rural areas can make the rural area highly developed and will significantly stop rural migration to cities. I am ready to help free of cost FAO if FAO is interested in rural area development in our country.

      I will write more in detail. But at the moment I don't have access to a computer.

      Dr. Amanullah
      Associate Professor of Agronomy
      The University of Agriculture Peshawar

    • Q1. The issue is because of unemployment due to high population. As men have job problems so it is very difficult for women to find jobs in rural areas and therefore women are ignored. The second issue is because of religion i.e. in Islam women are not allowed to move freely in the society like men. In urban areas however due to more education and more jobs opportunities women face less or no problems as compared to rural women. Jobs for rural women is most important otherwise no success.

      Q2. I do not agree the approaches and policies are ok for every region in the world. I means different policies and approaches are required for different regions, different countries and different religions.

      Q3. Education in rural areas for women. Jobs in rural areas especially for women. The religious scholars can play a huge role to give importance to women in rural areas, etc.

      Dr. Amanullah

    • Dr. Amanullah, The University of Agriculture Peshawar, Pakistan
      21.04.2017

      Proponent

      Phosphorus and zinc fertilization improve food and feed nutrition under rice-wheat cropping system
      Dr. Amanullah* (Associate Professor Agronomy, The University of Agriculture Peshawar) &
      Dr. Inamullah (Agriculture Officer, Department Agriculture Extension, Batkhela, Malakand)

      Date/Timeframe and location

      Two years: 2011-2012 (year one) & 2012-2013 (year two). Conducted on smallholder field at Batkhela, Malakand (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in Northwest Pakistan.

      Main responsible entity

      Three factors experiments under rice-wheat cropping system:

      Factor A: Three Genotypes:
      G1 = Basmati-385 (fine)
      G2 = Fakhr-e-Malakand (coarse)
      G3 = Pukhraj (coarse)

      Factor B: P levels (kg P/ha):
      P0 = 0
      P1 = 40
      P2 = 80
      P3 = 120

      Factor C: Zn Levels (kg Zn/ha):
      Zn0 = 0
      Zn1 = 5
      Zn2 = 10
      Zn3 = 15

      Subsequent wheat crop = (cv. Siren-2010)

      Cropping System: Rice-Wheat Cropping System

      Nutrition context

      Food (grains) and feed (straw) quality improve i.e. zinc concentration in rice and wheat grains (human food in Asia) and rice & wheat straw (animal feed in Asia) increase significantly with proper P and Zn nutrition under the dominant rice-wheat cropping system in Asia. Significant increase in Zn concentration in both grains and straw was recorded with higher zinc rates (10 or 15 kg Zn/ha) as compared with lower rate (5 kg Zn/ha) and control (Zn not applied).

      Significant variation among rice genotypes i.e. Pukhraj (coarse hybrid rice), Fakhre-Malakand (coarse rice) and Basmati-385 (fine rice) was also observed. Interaction between years and rice genotypes (Y x G) indicated that Zn concentration in grain and straw of all three rice genotypes was higher in year two than year one of the experiment. The increase in Zn concentration was more in case of coarse rice genotypes (Pukhraj & F-Malakand) than fine rice genotype (B-385).

      Interaction between phosphorus and zinc (P x Zn) indicated that increase in Zn level increased both grain and fodder quality (with higher Zn concentration) in plots having higher phosphorus level in the soil. The increase in phosphorus level reduced zinc concentration in both grain and straw with a correspondence decrease in Zn level in the soil.

      The two higher rates of phosphorus (80 and 120 kg P/ha) and zinc (10 and 15 kg Zn/ha) application in combination had significantly improved crop productivity, profitability, food (grain) and feed (straw) quality as compared to the control plots (where no P and Zn applied) under rice-wheat cropping system.

      Key characteristics of the food system(s) considered

      Zinc content is low in food (grains) and feed (straw) of rice and wheat crops in Asia especially under rice-wheat cropping system. As the rice-wheat cropping system has been in practice in Asia for more than 1000 years. Therefore, the continuous cropping of rice-wheat system for several decades has resulted in depletion of plants nutrients (major and micro nutrients) which have negative effect not only on crop yield but also on grain (food) and straw quality (feed).

      Key characteristics of the investment made

      Integrated nutrients management under rice-wheat cropping system in Asia is key to improve food and feed quality. Our two years field experiments confirmed that proper phosphorus and zinc fertilization under rice-wheat cropping system improve crop productivity and its quality as well as growers income under cereal based cropping systems.

      Key actors and stakeholders involved (including through south-south/triangular exchanges, if any)

      University (faculty & students)
      Agriculture Extension (officers & field assistants)
      Smallholders (growers, farmers)

      Key changes (intended and unintended) as a result of the investment/s

      Rice yield is very low (2000 kg/ha) in northwest Pakistan. Growing hybrid rice and proper nutrients management not only improve rice yield (more than 6000 kg/ha) and its quality but also improve yield of subsequent wheat crop under rice-wheat cropping system. The rice growers in the area appreciated our efforts and like to grow rice hybrid rice than the old low yielding rice cultivars in the area.

      Challenges faced

      Growers or smallholders in the area are very poor.
      Unavailability of chemical fertilizers.

      High cost of chemical fertilizers & farmers can’t purchase.
      Unavailability of good quality and high yielding rice hybrids/cultivars.
      Farmers do not accept the modern production technology of field crops due to lack of eduction.
      Small land holding and high population.
      Transport & Market problems (dominant middle man).
      Government polices?

      Lessons/Key messages

      The donor agencies like FAO and others must focus on the smallholders in developing countries of Asia and Africa. Big or small, long- or short-term projects need to be sponsored by the donor agencies in the backward area. Most of the international and national experts are not ready to go and train the smallholders in these areas. The local experts from universities, research system and agriculture extension department need funding to disseminate the modern production technology of field crops cultivation in these areas, thanks.

      Dr. Amanullah
      Associate Professor of Agronomy
      The University of Agriculture Peshawar-Pakistan
       

       

    • I have noticed in my recent studies that inter-cropping of legumes (peas, faba bean) and canola in winter cereals (wheat, barley) can result in a stronger attraction of honeybees (pollinators) as compared to sole wheat and barley crops cultures. Likewise, more honeybees/pollinators were noticed when summer legumes (pigeon pea or mung bean) were inter-cropped in summer cereals (sorghum or millets) while no honeybees were found on sole cereals crop. 

      I conclude from my studies (2015-2016) that the cereal based cropping system decreases the number of honeybees in any climatic zone. Giving proper space to dicot crops, especially grain legumes (pulse crops, e.g. chickpea, lentil, peas, cowpea, faba bean, kidney bean, pigeon pea, mung bean, mash bean) and forage legumes (shaftal, berseem and alfalfa etc.) or introducing oil-seed crops (canola, sunflower, soybean, sesame, groundnut etc.) could significantly increase the population of pollinators and beneficial microbes in the soil.

      In conclusion I could say that replacing the cereal based cropping system (monocot crops only) with suitable cropping system (having both monocot and dicot crops) could improve the soil and environmental quality.

      Thanks.

      Regards

    • The Swat valley in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan is well known for its peach orchards. However, the peach plants introduced new pathogens and insects to the area. To restrain them the farmers using up to 20 sprays of toxic chemicals each year.

      As a result, the once dominant insect of the area, the honeybee no longer exists there. The honey of the Swat valley that was sold at twice the price of regular honey is not available anymore.

      We definitely need protection of the pollinator, the honeybee.

      Thanks to FAO for their initiatives for the protection of pollinators.

      Dr. Amanullah

    • Dear FSN Forum,

      • Eating more animal products than cereals crops (especially wheat and rice) products in your daily food program is a very good strategy to reduce overweight.
      • Using more green tea with no sugar in it also help to reduce weight.
      • Using more water before eating is very helpful to reduce food eating and so reduce weight. Do not use water after eating food which  is not only bad for stomach  & but also harmful to health.
      • Walking/running according to a time table (better in morning) reduce weight loss.
      • Do not sleep after eating at night. Walking after dinner is very good for reducing weight.
      • Eating too much junk food increase wight so reduce or stop eating junk food.

      Thanks and best regards

    • Malnutrition is one of the major problems in Pakistan is mainly due to protein deficiency in our diet. Pulses are the major and cheaper source of protein as compared to animal protein. The production of pulses which are high yielding, disease resistant and environmentally adaptable is the key to overcome the malnutrition problem. The development of high yielding pulses cultivars needs an ample and diversified gene bank of pulses germplasm. The poor yields and overall production of many food legumes (pulses) in many parts of the world is attributed to several major constraints which include; strong competition from other food and cash crops which gave better economic returns, lack of effective research programmes and shortage of experienced personnel, and so the inevitable constraints on varietal improvement, plant introduction, and germplasm evaluation, lack of production technologies designed to maximize resource use and so ineffective crop management, inadequate extension services whereby information about new technologies can be channeled to the farming community, and the poor state of seed multiplication, certification and distribution systems. Pulses crops, because of their several unique features, including biological nitrogen fixation ability, as a rich source of vegetable proteins, adaptability to stress conditions, amenability to varying cropping patterns and multipurpose use, such as food, feed and fuel, constitute an extremely important group of crops for increased and sustained food production and food security. Because of the high N concentration in their tissues, pulses crops can increase soil N for subsequent crops or inter-crops. The high protein concentration of pulses products makes them very valuable food for humans and animals. In countries where the price of meat is too high for most people, legumes are the best protein substitute. Food legumes have an important role to play not only in increasing the quantity of food but in improving the quality of cereal based diets in many parts of Asia and Africa. The low yield potential of the existing cultivars of pulses crops (chickpea, lentils, mung bean, black bean, common bean, cow-pea and pigeon pea etc.) and the negative impact of climate change (biotic and abiotic stresses) are the major constrains for increasing availability of pulses. Efforts should therefore be made to improve the yield of pulses especially under stressful conditions.

       

      Please also find enclosed an article on Effect of tillage and phosphorus interaction on yield of mungbean
      (Vigna radiata L., Wilczek) with and without moisture stress condition

    • Dear FSN Forum,

      I am more than happy on the international year of pulses by FAO/UN. I am sending my published work on pulses and soybean so far (see attached file). My two good new research papers on pulses are coming soon. I am also interested to write a book on the Pulses of Pakistan. However, due to unavailability of funding not able to print it.

      Dr. AMANULLAH PhD (Pak) & Post-Doc (USA)
      Associate Professor
      Department of Agronomy
      Faculty of Crop Production Sciences
      The University of Agriculture Peshawar
      PAKISTAN-25130