[Environment] Chief Editor Iftikhar A. Raja comsats institute of Information Technology Abbottabad (Pakistan)

ABSTRACT

Economic pressures, rapid development, unplanned human activities, urbanization and expansion of unplanned industries are the major reasons to degrade and pollute the environment rapidly. After 18^th Constitutional Amendment environmental protection has become a Provincial subject. Consequently Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) 1997 was amended in 2012 in the light of the 18^th amendment and its nomenclature has been changed and is now called the Punjab Environmental Protection Act (PEPA). The environment related laws are also being enforced through the Environmental Tribunal under Section 20 of the Act. The rationale of the article is to identify, evaluate and articulate the current practices and trends of the Punjab Environmental Tribunal towards enforcement of environmental laws and to stop illegal activities throughout the province. Environmental protection is a significant step towards sustainable development and helpful to maintain balance between development and the environment. This study is based on literature review, Environmental Tribunal Rules, 2012 and the secondary data of filed, decided cases and the landmark judgments of Environmental Tribunal, Punjab. For the analysis data linear correlation model is used. The findings of study show that Environmental Tribunal, Punjab decided maximum cases in 2013 and provided guidelines for various industries to control and mitigate environmental pollution. The results of study also show the sharp decline in progress of Environmental Tribunal in 2014 due to its non-operational status.

CEM-02

HISTOMORPHIC FOLIAR ADATATIONS OF GRASSES IN CHOLISTAN DESERT-PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Khawaja Asad Abbas^{1, 3}, Khizar Hayat Bhatti^2*, Sadaf Zahra³ and Amin Shah<sup>4

1</sup>Deaprtment of Botany, Sadiq Egerton College, Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan.

^2*Department of Botany, Institute of Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Gujrat, Gujrat-50700, Pakistan

³Department of Life Sciences, Islamia University, Bahawalpur-63100, Pakistan

⁴Dpartment of Biological Sciences, University of Sargodha, Sargodha-40100, Pakistan

[e-mail]

ABSTRACT

Leaf epidermis is very important taxonomic character of grasses family Poaceae. The currents study was carried out to tag six grass species of Aeluropus lagopoides Linn. Cenchrus ciliaris Linn. Ochthochloa compressa, Cenchrus setigerus Vahl, Cymbopogon jawarancusa (Jones) Schult. and Lasiurus scindicus Henr. in the drought hit areas of Cholistan Desert, Pakistan. All the grasses were collected from various locations/habitats of Cholistan. Both abaxial and adaxial epidermal surfaces were examined for each representative species to determine the patterns of variation in epidermal characteristics for species identification, classification, and exploring taxonomic relationship among the species. The parameters of study were the frequency, shape, and distribution of silica bodies, short cells, and prickles including long cells morphology. Data regarding abaxial and adaxial epidermis examination revealed the differences in anatomical features among the selected under prevailing drought stress. Generally, isodiametric small cells with undulate/sinuous anticlinal walls, silica bodies of variable shape viz., round, elliptical and/or elongated. However, stomata were commonly found around intercostals with dome-shaped subsidiary cells being in the plants. Nonetheless, elongated cells in all the species studied were found with undulated and thickened anticlinal walls. While, periclinal walls were relatively flat with variable morphology and distribution and frequency of silica bodies were uneven. Based on data, it may be concluded that length and width of silica bodies, prickle hairs, small and large cells, width of costal and intercostals zone, number of the zones and stomata size, number and types are very important diagnostic anatomical features of grasses’ study under drought conditions.

AGRICULTURE SYSTEM: FOOD SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENT


DAE-01

PLANT FUNGAL PATHOGENS A THREAT FOR ENVIRONMENT AND ITS CONTROL THROUGH FUNGICIDES

Sundus Akhtar.^* and Muhammad Jarrar Ahmed**

Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

[e-mail]^*, [e-mail]^**

ABSTRACT

Soil borne fungi can reduce the yield and quality in vegetable crops. In the present study the diseased samples of tomato plant i.e., root, shoot and soil were collected from the field near Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab Lahore. Different fungi like Penicillium spp., Mucor, Alternaria alternata, Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium oxysporum were isolated from the root, shoot and soil sample. The isolated fungi was further control by applying copper oxychloride at different level i.e., 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%. The results revealed that Fusarium oxysporum was acting as pathogenic fungi in the field and causing wilt symptoms in plants. While, the higher doses of copper oxychloride showed significant reduction in each fungal growth. Further studies are required to check the impact of copper oxychloride on the growth of tomato plant.
DAE-02

RISK ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL POLLUTION FOR WHEAT PLANT AND ITS MITIGATION THROUGH BIO-CONTROL
Muhammad Jarrar^* Ahmed and Sundus Akhtar^**

Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

[e-mail], [e-mail]

ABSTRACT

Heavy metals known to be accumulated in plants adversely affect human health. The present study aims to control the heavy metal pollution in soil and to enhance the plant growth by compost and Trichoderma harzianum. Sehar variety of wheat was selected for this study. Experiment was organized in completely randomized design in different sets i.e., 1^st set received only inoculum of T. harzianum (TH), 2^nd set of treatment received 10 ppm of Mg and Zn alone, 3^rd set received Zn/Mg + compost + TH and 4^th set was incurred by C + TH. While control treatment contained compost only. The experiment was conducted in growth room at 25°C with 16h photoperiod. Results revealed that metal alone (Mg and Zn) showed the drastic effect on plant growth. Both the metals significantly inhibit the growth of wheat plant. While, the polygonal interaction of compost-metal-fungi-plant showed significant increase in plant shoot, root length and biomass as compared to other treatments. The growth trend was found as: Compost + Zn/ Mg + TH > Compost + TH > Compost + Zn + Mg > Compost + Zn/ Mg. The result revealed that both the bio-control (Compost and TH) could be used to control the heavy metal pollution in soil.

DAE-06

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE DURING GRAIN FILLING ON RUMEN STARCH DEGRADATION OF MAIZE KERNELS DIFFERING IN AMYLOSE AND AMYLOPECTIN CONTENT AT TWO MATURITY STAGES

M. Ali^{a, b,c}, Hafiz Muhammad Rashad Javeed^c, J.W. Cone^b, W.H. Hendriks^b, P.C. Struik<sup>a

a</sup> Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Department of Plant Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands

^b Animal Nutrition Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands.

^c COMSATS Institute of Information technology, Vehari, Punjab, Pakistan

[e-mail]

ABSTRACT

Starch is the major component of maize kernels, contributing significantly to the feeding value of forage maize when fed to ruminants. The effects of genotype, climatic conditions and maturity stage on starch content in the kernels and on in vitro starch degradability in rumen fluid were investigated. Kernels of two maize genotypes, differing in amylose and amylopectin contents grown under three contrasting day/night temperature regimes during grain filling and harvested at different maturity stages from two greenhouse experiments were investigated. Starch content was measured using an enzymatic method and the gas production technique was used to assess starch degradation in rumen fluid of dairy cows. The extent of starch degradation at different incubation times (6, 12 and 20 h) was calculated from measured gas production data (6, 12 and 20 h, respectively) and a published equation. Gas production (ml gas/g organic matter) showed a positive linear relationship with starch content in the kernels up to a certain level of starch accumulation. At each maturity stage, whole kernel and starch degradation in rumen fluid depended on the genotype (P<0.0001), growing conditions (P<0.0001), and starch content (P<0.0001) and starch amount (P<0.0001) in the kernels. While starch content increased with advancing maturity, starch degradation similarly increased up to a certain level of starch content. In vitro starch degradation of the maize kernels in rumen fluid was affected by the starch composition, e.g. amylose and amylopectin content. Starch degradation was inversely related to the amylose content. Higher starch degradation was observed in the waxy (Amylopectin with no amylose). The highest starch degradation was observed when plants were grown at intermediate temperatures in both experiments. The difference in starch degradability of each genotype at the same accumulated thermal time, i.e. maturity stage, was due to differences in grain filling rate, caused by the different temperature regimes. This effect of genotype and climatic conditions was consistent for all incubation times (P<0.0001). Rumen in vitro starch degradation is significantly influenced by genotypic, differences in starch content of the maize kernels and their growing conditions.