Soil Fertility Research Institute Punjab, Lahore

Farmer Day for Tunnel Farmers at Village Bhikki on 30-4-2015

A farmer day was arranged by Soil Fertility Research Institute Lahore at Bhikki near Sheikhupura with Tunnel Farmer Ch Hakim. The beneficial effect of addition of micronutrients to tunnel vegetables was demonstrated to farmers. Standing chillies crop, where micronutrients were applied in soil, was also shown to farmers. The results of harvested cucumber crop were also presented. Soil application of micronutrients i.e. Zinc, copper, iron, manganese and boron costs only about 5000 Rs but the benefit to the farmers is substantial. The demonstration was carried out with the collaboration of ICARDA. One time application of micronutrients gives benefits for two years. Therefore, addition of micronutrients is recommended only on alternate years.

Micronutrients Recommendations Brochure for citrus growers in Punjab
Micronutrients should be applied to citrus orchards to improve yield and quality of fruit.

Recommendations for Citrus Orchards
Many surveys of citrus orchards have shown deficiency of Zinc and other micronutrient elements. Soil Fertility Research Institute Lahore conducted field trials of Zinc, Copper and Iron application on Citrus. Application of these elements have resulted in higher number of fruits per plant where micronutrients were applied.

Following recommendations have been formulated for citrus orchards of Punjab Province

1. Zinc Sulphate (33% Zn) = 300 Gram per plant
2. Borax (11% B) = 200 Gram per plant
3. Ferrous Sulphate (20% Fe) = 375 Gram per plant

Micronutrients should be spread under the canopy of the plants and mixed well at the start of the season. These recommendations are for mature plants of age 10 years or more.
Micronutrients should be applied on alternate years not every year

Recommendation for Vegetable Tunnel Farmers

High vegetable yields take up heavy amounts of nutrients from soil including micronutrients. Deficiency of micronutrients lowers the vegetable yields and quality. Therefore, Soil Fertility Research Institute Lahore has recommended use of micronutrients for tunnel vegetables in following amounts.
1. Zinc Sulphate (33%) = 6.0 Kg/acre
2. Copper Sulphate (24%) = 2.5 Kg/acre
3. Iron Sulphate (20%) = 20 Kg/acre
4. Manganese Sulphate (30%) = 8 Kg/acre
5. Boric Acid (17%) = 2.4 Kg/acre

Micronutrients should be added to the soil at sowing or with first irrigation. Micronutrients should be applied on alternate years not every year.

WATER SHORTAGE IN RIVERS CANALS AND MOUNTAIN DRAINS.
STEP WATER STORAGE RIVERS MAY BE A SOLUTION. MAY BE THIS IS A NEW NAME TO RIVERS AND IRRIGATION ENGINEERING BUT SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY IS IN USED FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSE IN THE WORLD. I HAVE OBSERVED SIMILAR WATER SYSTEM IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE WORLD.

HOW TO DESIGN STEP WATER STORAGE RIVER, CANALS AND DRAINS, SIMPLY YOU CAN DIVED RIVERS IN THE SHAPE OF LAKES WITH VERY MINOR SLOPE TO ITS NATURAL SURFACE LEVEL IN MILES AT THE END OF EACH LAKE YOU HAVE TO BUILD WATER FALL RETAINING WALL TO STOP WATER IN PREVIOUS LAKE WITH PROVISION OF DROP THE EXTRA WATER TO FILL THE NEXT SEGMENT OF RIVER OR NEXT LAKE. EACH LAKE WILL BECOME SMALL WATER STORAGE DAM IN MILES FOR THE USE IN WATER SHORTAGE SEASON DAYS.

WATER SHORTAGE IN CHOLISTAN AND THAR IS SERIOUS THREAT TO HUMAN LIFE AND ECONOMY OF THE PAKISTAN.

INDIAN WATER TERRORISM AGAINST PAKISTAN IS ANOTHER THREAT TO PAKISTANS RIVERS AND ECONOMY, NOW RIVER RAVI IS BECOME DRY AND SHAPE OF DIRTY DRAIN BECAUSE OF INDIAN WATER TERRORISM , AND FURTHER INDIA IS BUILDING 12 HYDRO-POWER PROJECTS WITH WATER STORAGE CAPACITY AT KABUL RIVER IN AFGHANISTAN.

THE BENEFITS OF STEP WATER STORAGE RIVERS ,

1-LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER STORAGE CAPACITY WILL USE IN WATER SHORTAGE SEASSON DAYS.

2-RIVER LAKES CAN BE USED FOR FISH FARMING.

3-RIVER LAKES CAN BE USED FOR WATER SPORTS.

4- IT WILL CREATE NEW PICNIC SPOTS IN THE COUNTRY WHICH WILL BRING NEW JOBS, BUSINESSES AND INVESTMENT.
5- STORAGE WATER CAN BE USED FOR AGRICULTURE.

6-STORAGE WATER IN LAKES WILL MAINTAIN THE UNDER GROUND WATER LEVEL.

7-RIVER LAKES CAN BE USED FOR GOODS TRANSPORTATION. THE TECHNOLOGY TO GO UPPER LAKE LEVEL AND TO LOWER LAKE LEVEL IS BEING USED IN THE WORLD.

8-IT WILL BRING GOOD CHANGE IN WEATHER AND ENVIRONMENTS.

9- IT WILL CREATE NEW PARKS NEW LAND SCAPPING AREAS AND WATER RESERVOIR AND WILD LIFE AREAS AND ATRACTION TO NEW INVESTMENT IN THE COUNTRY.

GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN AND ALL PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD TAKE SERIOUS ACTION AGAINST THE SHORTAGE OF WATER IN THAR, CHOLISTAN AND OTHER SIMILAR AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.

WRITER OF THIS ARTICLE, ALREADY WROTE LETTERS TO PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN ON 09-06-2012. THE PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN’S OFFICE SEND MY PROPOSALS TO PUNJAB AND SINDH GOVERNMENTS. I RECEIVED ANSWERS FROM PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS. BOTH GOVERNMENTS WROTE TO CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS BUT THE CONCERNED DEPARTMENTS DID NOT THINK TO THE PROPOSALS.
THE WRITER WROTE LETTERS TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF PAKISTAN ABOUT THE MATTER IN 2010 ALL CORRESPONDENT IS IN THE RECORD OF GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN AND PROVINCIAL GOVRNMENTS AND WITH ME.
Written by. Shahid Hameed dated xx-xx2010
Research by. Shahid Hameed
Post to facebook 07December 2014.

Soil Fertility Research Institute Thokar Niaz Baig under the project “Development of Digitized Profile of Land for Agriculture in the Punjab Province” launch first Web Base GIS System for agriculture yield enhancement, Farmer and Researcher Support. Here farmer and researcher can access the general information of soil condition/Status, crop suitability and fertilizer recommendation. After the keen struggle of GIS Team for the sake of project success team worked with special guts of collaboration with each other. It’s remarkable for us that Mr. Ather Ashraf (Assistant Professor PUCIT) provided throughout technical support on this project.
http://www.sfripunjab.gov.pk/
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FROM
SFRI GIS TEAM

http://www.sfripunjab.gov.pk/

In the name of Allah, the most Gracious, most Compassionate

Dr. Shahzada Munawar Mehdi
Director, Soil Fertility Research Institute, Punjab