This study aims to determine the seroprevalence rates of infectious bursal disease (IBD) in healthy, non-vaccinated male chickens raised in a traditional management system (backyard chickens), the study was conducted from June 2021 to September 2021 210 blood samples were collected. serum samples were screened for IBD virus antibodies using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The study revealed 72% total prevalence rates of IBDV antibodies. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that seropositivity to IBDV did not vary significantly between the study sites. The results of this study showed that IBD is an endemic and widely distributed disease in the studied areas.

The advantage of sprinkler irrigation is that it saves up to 50 % in water consumption during the application of water as compared to any other of surface irrigation system. The parameters of wind drift and evaporation losses (WDEL) are usually used to evaluate performance of a sprinkler irrigation system. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of operating pressure and nozzle diameter on WDEL using empirical and data mining models. For field experimental data collection, a solid set of sprinklers and collectors positioned per ASAE standards were employed. Noticeably, at a working pressure of 200, 300, and 400 kPa, WDEL increased with a decreasing nozzle diameter. Additionally, the predictive capacity of four empirical models and two data mining algorithms, namely, reduced-error pruning tree (REP tree) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) were evaluated to estimate the WDEL. The inputs to REP tree and MLP were working pressure, nozzle diameter, vapor pressure deficit, wind speed, air temperature, and relative air humidity (RH). It was made possible to conclude that one of the empirical models tested showed a remarkable performance with a confidence index value of 0.829. Meanwhile, the REP tree and MLP presented smaller errors for testing data and were qualified to be used owing to confidence index values of 0.956 and 0.964, respectively. The REP tree and MLP were classified as great models, indicating that the application of empirical models should be limited to the operational conditions of nozzle diameter, operating pressure, etc.

Genetic analyses of seedling vigor and important agronomic traits were studied in the ‎laboratory and field at the Experimental Farm of Rice Research and Training Centre ‎‎(RRTC) during 2019 and 2020 to find suitable rice genotypes having greater early ‎vigor. Seedling vigor, genotypes performance, phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of ‎variability, heritability in the broad sense, genetic advance, and correlation coefficients ‎were estimated from the lab and field trial results. Genetic relationships based on ‎quantitative characteristics among varieties were also investigated. The results showed ‎that Pusa Basmati, IR77510-68-1-3-3, and IR80732-34-2-1-2 gave the heights values ‎of grain length. As for root seedling length (cm), eight genotypes namely; Hassawi1, ‎YashiroMochi, IR80732-34-2-1-2, IR 77510-68-1-3-3, Hassawi2, BG35-1, Improved ‎Sabramati, Improved Sabramati, Pusa Basmati, Koshihikiari gave the highest value. ‎For duration and grain yield per plant, the genotypes Hexi12 and IR80732-34-2-1-2 ‎were found to be short duration and high yielding. However, the phenotypic ‎coefficient of variability was higher than the genotypic coefficient of variability under ‎different years in all genotypes for all traits. Also, high estimates of heritability were ‎found for all characteristics under investigation at different years, which ascertained ‎the presence of both additive and non-additive genetic variance in the inheritance of ‎most evaluated traits.‎

The impact of weeds on growth and yield of maize has tremendously reduced per hectare yield due to their competition with maize for water, nutrients and placement. Usually weeds in maize are controlled by either manual weeding or by herbicide application, even in some areas the farmers let the weeds to grow freely with this crop. Therefore, this study was framed with objectives to determine most suitable allelochemical crop and its dose as well as form for increasing maize yield through weed management. A series of field experiments were conducted during the autumn season in 2018 and 2019 at Student’s farm, Department of Agronomy, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam for yield improvement in maize through allelopathic impact of sunflower and Johnson grass aquatic extracts for weed management. As illustrated in the analysis of variance, the results for maize traits were found statistically significant (P<0.05) under various treatments. The treatments were weedy check, sunflower aquatic extract at 20 L and 40 L ha-1, Johnson grass aquatic extract at 20 L and 40 L ha-1, sunflower aquatic extract at 20 L with herbicide 1 L ha-1 and Johnson grass aquatic extract at 20 Lwith herbicide 1 L ha-1, Johnson grass aquatic extract at 20 L ha-1with herbicide 1 L ha-1, herbicide at 2 L ha-1 and interculturing twice. The application of sunflower and Johnson grass aquatic extracts resulted for weed traits that minimum weed density (m2), weed fresh and dry biomass (g m2) was recorded with Johnson grass aquatic extract at 20 L ha-1 with herbicide 1 L ha-1 at 1st irrigation. The maximum stem girth (cm), cob length (cm), kernel weight (g cob-1) and biological yield (kg ha-1) recorded with Johnson grass aquatic extract at 20 L ha-1 with herbicide 1 L ha-1 (1st irrigation). The treatment, Johnson grass aquatic extract at 40 L ha-1 (1st irrigation) produced maximum plant height (cm), kernel rows cob-1, kernel cob-1, kernel yield (kg ha-1) and straw yield (kg ha-1). It is concluded from the study that sunflower and Johnson grass application on weed management and yield enhancement had high allelopathic potential in maize crop. Therefore, aquatic extracts of sunflower and Johnson grass may be applied to control weeds in maize crop for enhancement of growth and yield parameters to overcome the issues of food security for human beings that is based on low input, high production.

Eleusine indica, a problematic weed in aerobic rice field causes interference to growth of rice plant. The phytotoxicity of pendimethalin and urea against E. indica was investigated. Irrespective of herbicide rate, higher application rate of urea was able to inhibit weed successfully, while stimulating the rice seedlings growth. T12 (1.00 kg ai ha-1 pendimethalin + 240 kg ha-1 urea) was the most potent combination and almost completely inhibit the germination and reduce the shoot fresh weight of E. indica (>90% inhibition), followed by T11 (0.50 kg ai ha-1 pendimethalin + 240 kg ha-1 urea) and T10 (0.25 kg ai ha-1 pendimethalin + 240 kg ha-1 urea) which inhibit > 84%. Across the banded treatments, 12 d growth stage is significant over 0, 4 and 8 d which indicate that the aerobic rice seedlings become less susceptible to the treatments with increasing growth stages. These results imply that the manipulations of N environment (urea) along with pendimethalin provide a good control of E. indica where it improves the competitive ability of crop over the weed.

Boron (B) is an essential element for plants, while it becomes toxic in high concentrations. This study was conducted to determine the effects of B toxicity on photosynthetic performance of sage (Salvia officinalis L.). Twenty-day old cuttings were exposed to toxic B concentrations (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 mM) for 20 days. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were determined and analysed by JIP test. Toxic B led to a gradual decrease in the efficiency of electron transport, the quantum yields, the photosynthetic performances, and driving force in sage, while they caused an increase in K-band, L-band, and the specific and phenomenological energy fluxes. Membrane damage and water loss were also determined. While reductions in photosynthetic pigment amounts and photosynthetic activity showed that sage was highly affected by B toxicity, even increased anthocyanin and flavonoid amounts could not alleviate this effect. Exposure to increased B concentrations was associated with the amount of B accumulation in sage leaves. This dramatic B accumulation in sage leaves, which is used as herbal tea and food flavouring, can threaten human health depending on the characteristics of the soil it grows. Evaluation of PSII photochemical efficiency might be used to determine the effects of B toxicity in sage.