This study measures the cost-effectiveness of alternate energy sources for irrigation in Pakistan... more This study measures the cost-effectiveness of alternate energy sources for irrigation in Pakistan. Primary data has been collected from eight districts of three provinces of Pakistan. Overall, 223 farmers were personally interviewed out of which, 58 farmers were using electric tube-well, 95 diesel tube-well, and 35 each for solar and biogas-operated tube-wells. The cost of extracting one cubic meter of water through electricity, diesel, subsidized electricity, biogas, and solar was $0.180, $0.013, $0.011, $0.010, and $0.005, respectively. The paper concludes that water pumping using alternative energy sources is cost-effective. Major constraints to adopting solar-powered water pumping systems were the high upfront cost, the lack of awareness, and the lack of available spare parts. The constraints to adopting biogas were difficulty operating and managing through winter.
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and Thailand’s Department of Agriculture (Do... more Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and Thailand’s Department of Agriculture (DoA). All rights are reserved by these parties. Rights to all original content supplied for this publication remain with the original authors. The designations employed in the presentation of materials in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Organizers of the Conference, concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and are not necessarily those of APAARI, CIMMYT, FAO or DoA-Thailand. The organizers encourage fair use of this material.
A field trial was carried out to assess the efficacy of maize based intercropping systems under d... more A field trial was carried out to assess the efficacy of maize based intercropping systems under different fertility treatments at National Agriculture Research Center Islamabad, Pakistan. Maximum seed yield of mungbean (1527 kg ha-1) was in F2 followed by F5 with 1399 kg ha-1. Maximum grain yield of wheat (3438.39 kg ha-1) was recorded in preceded with sole PM @15 t ha-1 while minimum yield of wheat (2796.98 kg ha-1) in control plots. Maize + mungbean intercropping recorded the highest MEY of 1819 kg ha-1 followed by sole mungbean (1303 kg ha-1). Total system productivity of maize + mungbean-wheat system was the highest (3197 kg ha-1) in terms of MEY followed by mungbean-wheat system (2514 kg ha-1). Maize + mungbean-wheat in F5 accrued maximum net benefit of Rs. 119589.92 ha-1. Highest nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic matter were recorded in PM amended plots in both years. farmers. So in the present scenario of preponderance of small holding, surplus farm family l...
The International Rice Research Institute, in collaboration with partner institutions, collected ... more The International Rice Research Institute, in collaboration with partner institutions, collected rice varietal release and adoption data for 11 countries in Asia: China, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. For China, data were collected for the top eight rice producing provinces (Anhui, Guangxi, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan). For India, five states with predominantly irrigated rice were included in this study (Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana). Adoption data in some countries were derived from existing farm surveys or seed sales. Fourteen expert elicitation meetings were conducted between 2014 and 2016 in areas where there are no data on varietal adoption. Overall, adoption rate of modern rice varieties was 92%. The average varietal age ranged from four to 40 years. Varietal turnover was fastest in China, where there are several breeding institutions that release many variet...
The improvement in the livelihood of the poor people while conserving natural resources is always... more The improvement in the livelihood of the poor people while conserving natural resources is always a great challenge in rainfed ecologies. This study was conducted to address the key issues in land use management and soil conservation for Thal ecology of Punjab, Pakistan. The study is based on deliberate, participatory process, started in March of 2013. An objective assessment of needs and technological gaps was done through multiple visits, stakeholder consultations including community and line departments followed by a rigorous review of literature of past practices and knowledge built relevant to the area. The study provided an analysis of issues, opportunities and challenges in the area and had developed technical feasibility of possible interventions that would help in poverty alleviation and economic growth through sustainable use of natural resources in Noorpur Thal. Diversified natural resource availability from river flood plains to water logged areas and within irrigated and rainfed environment having lot of available water in the aquifer provides opportunities for a number of technological options from conservation to intensification, range land development and forestry to high value agriculture beside number of agro-based enterprises in livestock and aquaculture. Based on the above principles and compatibility with farming system and resource endowments, household livelihood, food security, employment and gender aspects, a package of key technological options are identified and supported through feasibility and financial analysis of major investment options to achieve the long term development objectives and sustainability goals. The present study unlike past project oriented and subsidized interventions looked forward for promoting interventions and technological options that are market driven, profit oriented and competitive beside embarking upon sustainable use of natural resources for livelihood improvement. Therefore for sustainable business model with in agrarian farm economy of Thal value chain financing is suggested on commercial lines. Complete feasibility and engineering designs have been laid out for important technological options and interventions proposed at the end of report.
This publication reviews the historical and current literature on land degradation in Pakistan. I... more This publication reviews the historical and current literature on land degradation in Pakistan. It is intended as a useful guide for Government officials, donor agencies, NGO’s, farmers, rural groups and others in determining a route forward to combat land degradation in-country and in delivering practical assistance on the ground. Desertification and degradation affect about 68 million hectares of fragile lands across the country. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Pakistan has a highly complex and diversified agro-ecological and socio-economic structure that makes it difficult to control the different types of land degradation. Such damage is mainly due to water erosion, wind erosion, depletion of soil fertility, deforestation, unsustainable livestock grazing and water logging practices (little recharge and overexploitation). These problems of land degradation in Pakistan are aggravated by water scarcity, frequent droughts and mismanagement of land resources that contribute to reduced productivity and increased rural poverty. Land degradation has been worsening in the absence of effective land policies and political will to address the long-lasting effects from land degradation. At present there is no organization in the country responsible for coordinating and monitoring the use of land according to its potential. The Pakistan government has recently launched the National Action Plan as a strategy to combat desertification. This strategy aims at implementing a land policy plan to overcome degradation through the three policy pillars of conservation of natural resources, sustainable development and improved efficiency in the use and management of resources. The priority programs to recover degraded lands include projects of afforestation, improved crop production in dry lands, improved range/livestock feeding and management, soil and water conservation, water harvesting and increased water use efficiency, rehabilitation and reclamation of saline/sodic soils, improved drainage and on-farm management, improved production of horticultural crops, improved biodiversity. The sustainable management of a huge, inter-linked and very complex natural resource base is the single most challenging long-term task for natural resource managers in Pakistan and requires the development of world-class capacity in adaptive management of the natural resources, development and management of water resources and new institutional arrangements involving communities in natural resource management. Pakistan has been striving to streamline the use of natural resources in a manner to provide a decent to living to its more than 117 million peoples, further growing at annual rate of around 2%. There is real urgency in merging the economic and the environment in decision making and in the use of economic instruments rather than regulation to control land degradation.
Mechanization, Machinery, Social Impact, Technology Adoption, Qualitative Research Agricultural m... more Mechanization, Machinery, Social Impact, Technology Adoption, Qualitative Research Agricultural mechanization is important to increase farm incomes through greater farm labour productivity, but could also have adverse social consequences, for instance, by marginalizing the role of women in agriculture. The study aims to gain better indulgent of how mechanization of the smallholder farming affects the role of and benefits for women from agricultural work using case of mungbean in Pakistan. Mungbean is an important summer pulse in Pakistan, but average yield is very low at about 1 t/ha. Mungbean production is partially mechanized in all parts of the country, but harvesting and weeding are done using manual labour, most of it provided by women. Primary data come from interviews with 106 persons in two villages; one in which mechanical harvesting had been adopted and one comparable village where it had not been introduced. The data collection methods were mostly qualitative. The results...
Maize is the second most important crop in Asia. China is the biggest maize producer and consumer... more Maize is the second most important crop in Asia. China is the biggest maize producer and consumer of maize in Asia. Maize is the second most important crop in China and the demand for its domestic consumption is very high; therefore China is the biggest importer of maize in Asia. There is a very huge investment opportunity in China for maize R&D and its expansion to reduce the import dependency of such an important crop. In India, maize is the third most important crop after wheat and rice. However, India followed China in terms of maize production and consumption. It is a net exporter of maize. Increased domestic consumption, coupled with export prospects, place India in a unique place to catalyse investment in maize R&D. Indonesia followed India in production and consumption, with the third-highest area and production levels in Asia. Demand for maize in Indonesia is again, very high; it cannot produce the required quantity, therefore, it imports maize as was the case of China. Ban...
This study measures the cost-effectiveness of alternate energy sources for irrigation in Pakistan... more This study measures the cost-effectiveness of alternate energy sources for irrigation in Pakistan. Primary data has been collected from eight districts of three provinces of Pakistan. Overall, 223 farmers were personally interviewed out of which, 58 farmers were using electric tube-well, 95 diesel tube-well, and 35 each for solar and biogas-operated tube-wells. The cost of extracting one cubic meter of water through electricity, diesel, subsidized electricity, biogas, and solar was $0.180, $0.013, $0.011, $0.010, and $0.005, respectively. The paper concludes that water pumping using alternative energy sources is cost-effective. Major constraints to adopting solar-powered water pumping systems were the high upfront cost, the lack of awareness, and the lack of available spare parts. The constraints to adopting biogas were difficulty operating and managing through winter.
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and Thailand’s Department of Agriculture (Do... more Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and Thailand’s Department of Agriculture (DoA). All rights are reserved by these parties. Rights to all original content supplied for this publication remain with the original authors. The designations employed in the presentation of materials in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Organizers of the Conference, concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and are not necessarily those of APAARI, CIMMYT, FAO or DoA-Thailand. The organizers encourage fair use of this material.
A field trial was carried out to assess the efficacy of maize based intercropping systems under d... more A field trial was carried out to assess the efficacy of maize based intercropping systems under different fertility treatments at National Agriculture Research Center Islamabad, Pakistan. Maximum seed yield of mungbean (1527 kg ha-1) was in F2 followed by F5 with 1399 kg ha-1. Maximum grain yield of wheat (3438.39 kg ha-1) was recorded in preceded with sole PM @15 t ha-1 while minimum yield of wheat (2796.98 kg ha-1) in control plots. Maize + mungbean intercropping recorded the highest MEY of 1819 kg ha-1 followed by sole mungbean (1303 kg ha-1). Total system productivity of maize + mungbean-wheat system was the highest (3197 kg ha-1) in terms of MEY followed by mungbean-wheat system (2514 kg ha-1). Maize + mungbean-wheat in F5 accrued maximum net benefit of Rs. 119589.92 ha-1. Highest nitrate nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic matter were recorded in PM amended plots in both years. farmers. So in the present scenario of preponderance of small holding, surplus farm family l...
The International Rice Research Institute, in collaboration with partner institutions, collected ... more The International Rice Research Institute, in collaboration with partner institutions, collected rice varietal release and adoption data for 11 countries in Asia: China, India, Pakistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. For China, data were collected for the top eight rice producing provinces (Anhui, Guangxi, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Sichuan). For India, five states with predominantly irrigated rice were included in this study (Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana). Adoption data in some countries were derived from existing farm surveys or seed sales. Fourteen expert elicitation meetings were conducted between 2014 and 2016 in areas where there are no data on varietal adoption. Overall, adoption rate of modern rice varieties was 92%. The average varietal age ranged from four to 40 years. Varietal turnover was fastest in China, where there are several breeding institutions that release many variet...
The improvement in the livelihood of the poor people while conserving natural resources is always... more The improvement in the livelihood of the poor people while conserving natural resources is always a great challenge in rainfed ecologies. This study was conducted to address the key issues in land use management and soil conservation for Thal ecology of Punjab, Pakistan. The study is based on deliberate, participatory process, started in March of 2013. An objective assessment of needs and technological gaps was done through multiple visits, stakeholder consultations including community and line departments followed by a rigorous review of literature of past practices and knowledge built relevant to the area. The study provided an analysis of issues, opportunities and challenges in the area and had developed technical feasibility of possible interventions that would help in poverty alleviation and economic growth through sustainable use of natural resources in Noorpur Thal. Diversified natural resource availability from river flood plains to water logged areas and within irrigated and rainfed environment having lot of available water in the aquifer provides opportunities for a number of technological options from conservation to intensification, range land development and forestry to high value agriculture beside number of agro-based enterprises in livestock and aquaculture. Based on the above principles and compatibility with farming system and resource endowments, household livelihood, food security, employment and gender aspects, a package of key technological options are identified and supported through feasibility and financial analysis of major investment options to achieve the long term development objectives and sustainability goals. The present study unlike past project oriented and subsidized interventions looked forward for promoting interventions and technological options that are market driven, profit oriented and competitive beside embarking upon sustainable use of natural resources for livelihood improvement. Therefore for sustainable business model with in agrarian farm economy of Thal value chain financing is suggested on commercial lines. Complete feasibility and engineering designs have been laid out for important technological options and interventions proposed at the end of report.
This publication reviews the historical and current literature on land degradation in Pakistan. I... more This publication reviews the historical and current literature on land degradation in Pakistan. It is intended as a useful guide for Government officials, donor agencies, NGO’s, farmers, rural groups and others in determining a route forward to combat land degradation in-country and in delivering practical assistance on the ground. Desertification and degradation affect about 68 million hectares of fragile lands across the country. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Pakistan has a highly complex and diversified agro-ecological and socio-economic structure that makes it difficult to control the different types of land degradation. Such damage is mainly due to water erosion, wind erosion, depletion of soil fertility, deforestation, unsustainable livestock grazing and water logging practices (little recharge and overexploitation). These problems of land degradation in Pakistan are aggravated by water scarcity, frequent droughts and mismanagement of land resources that contribute to reduced productivity and increased rural poverty. Land degradation has been worsening in the absence of effective land policies and political will to address the long-lasting effects from land degradation. At present there is no organization in the country responsible for coordinating and monitoring the use of land according to its potential. The Pakistan government has recently launched the National Action Plan as a strategy to combat desertification. This strategy aims at implementing a land policy plan to overcome degradation through the three policy pillars of conservation of natural resources, sustainable development and improved efficiency in the use and management of resources. The priority programs to recover degraded lands include projects of afforestation, improved crop production in dry lands, improved range/livestock feeding and management, soil and water conservation, water harvesting and increased water use efficiency, rehabilitation and reclamation of saline/sodic soils, improved drainage and on-farm management, improved production of horticultural crops, improved biodiversity. The sustainable management of a huge, inter-linked and very complex natural resource base is the single most challenging long-term task for natural resource managers in Pakistan and requires the development of world-class capacity in adaptive management of the natural resources, development and management of water resources and new institutional arrangements involving communities in natural resource management. Pakistan has been striving to streamline the use of natural resources in a manner to provide a decent to living to its more than 117 million peoples, further growing at annual rate of around 2%. There is real urgency in merging the economic and the environment in decision making and in the use of economic instruments rather than regulation to control land degradation.
Mechanization, Machinery, Social Impact, Technology Adoption, Qualitative Research Agricultural m... more Mechanization, Machinery, Social Impact, Technology Adoption, Qualitative Research Agricultural mechanization is important to increase farm incomes through greater farm labour productivity, but could also have adverse social consequences, for instance, by marginalizing the role of women in agriculture. The study aims to gain better indulgent of how mechanization of the smallholder farming affects the role of and benefits for women from agricultural work using case of mungbean in Pakistan. Mungbean is an important summer pulse in Pakistan, but average yield is very low at about 1 t/ha. Mungbean production is partially mechanized in all parts of the country, but harvesting and weeding are done using manual labour, most of it provided by women. Primary data come from interviews with 106 persons in two villages; one in which mechanical harvesting had been adopted and one comparable village where it had not been introduced. The data collection methods were mostly qualitative. The results...
Maize is the second most important crop in Asia. China is the biggest maize producer and consumer... more Maize is the second most important crop in Asia. China is the biggest maize producer and consumer of maize in Asia. Maize is the second most important crop in China and the demand for its domestic consumption is very high; therefore China is the biggest importer of maize in Asia. There is a very huge investment opportunity in China for maize R&D and its expansion to reduce the import dependency of such an important crop. In India, maize is the third most important crop after wheat and rice. However, India followed China in terms of maize production and consumption. It is a net exporter of maize. Increased domestic consumption, coupled with export prospects, place India in a unique place to catalyse investment in maize R&D. Indonesia followed India in production and consumption, with the third-highest area and production levels in Asia. Demand for maize in Indonesia is again, very high; it cannot produce the required quantity, therefore, it imports maize as was the case of China. Ban...
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