HIGHLIGHTS OF AZRI RESEARCH DI KHAN PAKISTAN

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HIGHLIGHTS OF AZRI RESEARCH DI KHANPAKISTAN
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Welcome to Arid Zone Research Institute Dera
Ismail Khan
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Dera Ismail Khan
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Agric Statistics of Dera Ismail Khan

• Land Use Pakistan NWFP D.I.Khan
• (million hectares)
• Geographical Area 79.610 10.170 0.896
• Cultivated 20.150 1.836 0.300
• Irrigated 14.360 0.808 0.105
• Rainfed 5.760 1.028 0.195
• Forest 2.810 0.965 0.049
• Culturable Waste 10.920 1.357 0.374

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CLIMATE

• Arid to semi arid and sub tropical continental
• Mean annual rainfall ranges from 180 mm to 300 mm
  
• About 60 rainfall in summer (Kharif) season
  while 40 rainfall occurs in winter (Rabi) season

Highest rainy month is July while driest month
is November The temperature remains extreme.
Above 45 0C in July and 300C in January The
underground water in rainfed area is brackish
varying in salts content from 500 ppm to 10,000
ppm.
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SOIL
The soil of spate area of D.I.Khan is categorized
below as per its physical condition and moisture
availability.
I. Heavy textured soils with incident rainfall
plus run off water from adjacent hills (Rod Kohi)
In this situation, both summer crops (sorghum and
millet) and winter crops (wheat, chickpea and
barley) can be successfully grown, provided
run-off water from adjacent hills of good quality
irrigate the area at proper time while in the
remaining areas, the ground water is too saline
and deep to be used for irrigation.
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NATIVE FLORA
The common plant and grass species found in the
area are as follows
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NATIVE FLORA Contn.
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ESTABLISHMENT OF AZRI D.I.KHAN
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OBJECTIVES

• Management of existing natural resources in such
  a way to uplift the livelihood of arid farmer.
• Identification of problems of the arid areas and
  under taking research for their solution.
• Screening of germplasm of cereals and legumes
  best suited to the areas.
• Development of more production technologies and
  cropping systems for dry land agriculture.
• Demonstration and dissemination of developed
  technologies to the end users/farmers.

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AVERAGE YIELD UNDER RAINFED/ SPATE CONDITIONS
Crop Yield (kg/ha-1) Millet 560 Sorghum
502 Wheat 1050 Barley 900 Chickpea 95
0 Rapeseed/mustard 420
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REASONS OF LOW YIELD

• Poor moisture conservation practices.
• Differences in soil quality, even with in one
  embanked field.
• Non-availability of suitable certified seed with
  higher germination percentage.
• Un-scientific methods of sowing instead of
  improved methods.
• Lack of fertilizer application.
• Un-awareness about insect/pest control.

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Major Agricultural Issues

• Scarcity of moisture/rainfall.
• High temperature.
• Soil erosion.
• Salinity, alkalinity and water logging.
• Low soil fertility.
• Poor quality of under-ground water.
• Low yielding crop varieties and range management.

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ACHIEVMENTS OF AZRI D.I.KHAN
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Wheat
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• 1. Two wheat lines have been selected from elite
  material (NARC and CIMMYT) which are in pipeline
  for varietal evaluation. The seed of one entry
  with the proposed named AZRI DN-1 has been
  included in NUYT 2006-07 for variety development
  for the area.
• 2. Planting wheat from October 15 to November
  increased the yield 50 over early planting of
  October.
• 3. Use of mold/disc plough appeared best for weed
  control, water conservation and increased the
  yield of wheat 53 over traditional cultivator.
• 4. Drill sowing of wheat increased the yield 50
  over broad- cast.
• 5. The Quality (bold) seed of wheat increased the
  yield (33 ) over poor shrinkle seed.

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• 6. Seeding rate in wheat 100 kg ha-1 increased
  the yield 18 over 70 kg ha-1.
• 7. Split application of NP (50-25 NP kg ha-1) as
  half dose at sowing and half dose after 30 days
  of sowing increased the wheat yield by 25 over
  whole application in rainfed areas.
• 8. Fertilizer rate of 50-25 kg NP ha-1 was found
  optimum for maximum grain yield of wheat.
• Weedicide Buctril-M _at_ 1 lit ha-1 showed the best
  broad- leaf weeds control in wheat crop which
  increased the yield 28 over control.
• 10. Sarkanda proved to be the best mulching
  material for water conservation and weed control
  in wheat crop followed by rice-straw which
  increased the grain yield by 50 and 42 over
  control, respectively.

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• 11. Wheat cutting at 6-8 leaves stage for fodder
  purposes proved economical in rodkohi soil as the
  grain yield decreased was compensated through
  fodder yield for livestock production during
  short-fall season for other grasses.
• Recommended package of practices resulted in
  increased seed yield of wheat (25 ) over
  traditional practices.

13. Application of 60 kg ha-1 nitrogen when
applied in the form of ½ basal and ½ after 30
days increased the seed yield up to 22.58 over
whole application as a basal dose. 14. Effect of
different fertilizer application methods revealed
that side bending application of 60400 (NPK)
increased the seed yield up to (21.52 ) of wheat
in rod kohi D.I.Khan.
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Chickpea
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1. October 10-25 planting increased the yield in
chickpea 42 over late planting. 2. Chickpea
seed treated with inoculum increased the yield 28
over untreated seed. 3. The quality seed of
chickpea increased the yield (60 ) over
poor/inferior quality seed. 4. Seeding rate of
chickpea 80 kg ha-1 increased the yield 60
over 40 kg ha-1. 5. Different application rates
of methamedophos (insecticide) revealed that 1
liter ha-1 significantly controlled the short
horn grass hopper and increased the seed yield
up to 45 over control. 6. Chickpea appeared 5
to 6 times more economical than wheat or barley
in arid areas of D.I.Khan.
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7. Intercropping of chickpea in wheat with 11
ratio gave the highest return of Rs.1301 ha-1
over wheat alone. 8. Intercropping of local
cucumber in chickpea gave an increase 26 over
chickpea alone. 9. Use of improved technologies
in chickpea increased the yield 30 over
traditional practices. 10. Rotation of one year
chickpea and wheat appeared the best rotation
over continuous cropping of wheat for obtaining
maximum yield. 11. Chickpea crop gave higher
yield of 24 in rice based soils as compared to
non rice based. 12. Light grazing of chickpea
increased the yield 30 over ungrazed crop and
also provided approximately 2 tonnes green
fodder/acre in Rodkohi soils. Overall 39 more
income produced over ungrazed crop.
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13. Row spacing of 30 cm was found optimum for
chickpea and lentil. 14. Optimum fertilizer rate
2040 kg NP ha-1 was found for maximum grain
yield of chickpea.
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Canola Rapeseed
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1. Introduced canola type rapeseed to create the
awareness about its oil to be used as edible oil
among the farmers for its promotion. 2. Canola
type rapeseed cut at bud stage as a fodder/
vegetable (Saag) decreased the yield but the
aggregate profit increased by 45 over control
(un-cut) with the compensation through fodder
yield. 3. Removal of secondary branches in canola
(rapeseed) at flowering stage produced 8 tones
green fodder without reducing yield while oil
content also increased by 2-2.5 with the said
practice.
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Mungbean
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1. Planting from June 15 to late June increased
the yield in mungbean 40 over July
planting. 2. The insecticide (Methamedophos) _at_ 1
lit ha-1 appeared the best rate for short horn
grass hopper control in mungbean and gave maximum
VCR (115) ha-1. 3. The recommended inputs i.e
fertilizer (205 kg N P2O5), insecticide
Methamedophos ( 1 lit ) and weed control (3.7
lit) Pendemethaline gave maximum yield increase
i.e. (71 over control/ ha). 4. Different
application rates of phosphorus with basal dose
of 20 kg N ha-1on mungbean revealed that 50 kg P
ha-1 increased the seed yield 33 over control
and appeared economical over higher rates.
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Sorghum
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1. Application of 90 kg N ha-1 in three equal
splits through soil appeared the best method for
obtaining maximum yield. 2. Nitrogen (90 kg ha-1)
applied through soil appeared superior than
foliar application. 3. Intercropping 2 rows of
sorghum followed by 2 rows of mung bean gave
higher monetary return of Rs. 6643/- per hactare
over sole cropping.
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Arid Horticulture
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• Collected sixteen (16) improved cultivars of date
  palm germplasm i.e, Dhakki, Zaidi, Mobini,
  Obaidullah Wali, Sarkari, Shamran, Bharam,
  Khudravi, Basra, Hussaini, Muzawati, Sabzo,
  Shakri, Gulistan, Noll and Denra to have true to
  type cultivars for further multiplication among
  the areas farmers.
• 2. Established local root stock of ber
  (zizyphus) and grafted with fourteen (14)
  improved ber cultivars, i.e, Sufi Sanaghar,
  Ajmeri Gilli, Haq Nawaz, Chambeli Gubba,
  Karela, Sufan, Late Gola, White Gola, Sufi
  Sialkoti, Dehli White, Mehmood Wali, Ajooba,
  Mustaq wali and Gola to strengthen improved
  germplasm for further dissemination to area
  growers.

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Range Grasses
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• 1. Maintained five range grasses spp. i.e, Mott
  grass, N.B.Hybrid, Elephant grass, Kazangola and
  Chloris gayana for further multiplication.
• 2. Row spacing of 50 cm was found most
  appropriate as compared with 100 and 150 cm for
  all the above spp.
• 3. Out of five range grasses the highest green
  fodder yield of 39 t ha-1 was obtained from N.B.
  hybrid followed by Mott grass with 35 t ha-1 with
  the irrigation interval of 30 days.
• 4. The irrigation intensity significantly
  affected the green fodder yield of all above
  grass species. In case no irrigation N.B. was
  highly effected (65 ) while Chloris gayana (23
  ) with 30 days interval.

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Mazri (Nannorrhops ritchieana)
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1. Identified mazri plant as a best source of
earning among the local flora in sandy belt,
use for making different types of ropes, utensils
and handicrafts. 2. The highest emergence value
of 87 of mazri plants recorded in the treatment
having 6 inches seed depth followed by 8
inches. 3. Kharif (July) rainy season was found
most appropriate season for sowing of mazri as
compared to spring (february) season.
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Mazri Products
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Prepared by Dr Rahmatullah Khan, AZRI DI Khan