Agriculture Sector Of Pakistan Research Articles

Toxicity Assessment of Various Insecticides on Oxycarenus Hyalinipennis Costa (Lygaeidae: Hemiptera) in Laboratory Settings across Various Districts of Punjab, Pakistan

Cotton contributes 0.6% to the value added in GDP and 3.1% to the value added in the agriculture sector of Pakistan. The dusky cotton bug (DCB), Oxycarenus hyalinipennis (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), is among the insect pest species of highest economic significance in cotton production in the country. Adults and nymphs feed on seeds and cotton bolls, affecting seed germination. The dusky cotton bug is a polyphagous insect that feeds on a variety of host plants. Its adults and nymphs typically feed on squares of the cotton plant, resulting in a pale yellow color of squares and subsequent shedding of infested squares. Insecticide resistance in cotton insect pests is an emerging threat to sustainable cotton production in Pakistan. A thorough understanding of resistance might be a valuable tool for implementing pest control approaches. In the present study, Clothianidin, Fipronil, Bifenthrin, Triazhophos, Deltamethrin, and Clothianidin + Imidacloprid insecticides were used in different cotton-growing districts of Punjab. Among all the insecticides used for controlling the DCB population, Clothianidin + Imidacloprid was found to be the most effective in all districts, while Deltamethrin was the least effective in District Khanewal, Bifenthrin in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, and Vehari, and Clothainidin in Multan. Therefore, we recommend the use of a pesticide mixture (Clothianidin + Imidacloprid) as a beneficial strategy against the dusky cotton bug in various cotton-growing districts of Punjab.

The impact of carbon emissions from lag fertilization on wheat production.

This study examines the influence of lag fertilization techniques on Pakistani wheat production, highlighting the need to understand and mitigate the environmental impacts of farming methods. The basic purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of CO2 emission from fertilization and other factors on wheat production in Pakistan, using a time series of data from 1990 to 2020. CO2 emission from fertilization (CO2EF) is estimated using the default values provided by the IPCC guidelines. The ARDL approach analyses the short-run and long-run effects of CO2EF, technology level, energy use, agricultural land, and agricultural labor on wheat production. The results show that all factors have significantly impacted wheat production in Pakistan at levels of 1% and 5% significance, both in the short and long run. These findings suggest that reducing CO2EF, technology level, energy use, agricultural land, and agricultural labor on wheat production can help to increase wheat production in Pakistan. The study also highlights the importance of adopting sustainable and efficient fertilization practices, exploring alternative fertilizers, and using crop rotation systems to mitigate the adverse effects of carbon emissions from nitrogen fertilization, energy use, and the use of technology. These measures can contribute to a more sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture sector in Pakistan.

SWOT ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY OPTION IN DEVELOPMENT: A CASE OF PAKISTAN’S AGRICULTURE SECTOR

The intransigent concern of agriculture sector in Pakistan is to address the food security issue by providing the fiber, safe and nutritious food for growing population and feed and fodder for the livestock as well as ensuring modest export surpluses. To attain food secure and pro-poor agricultural growth, Pakistan needs to adopt wide-ranging approach towards increasing agricultural production by enhancing per unit productivity rather concentrating upon area expansion approach. Keeping in view the availability of natural resources (land, water, human labor), the management of human food, animal feed and fiber security in future is more challenging and difficult than it was in the past. This paper presents an encapsulated overview of Pakistani agriculture considering its strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. To study the aforementioned facts about Pakistan’s agriculture sector the SWOT analysis was performed. This paper focused on the agricultural development by performing a brief overview of agriculture sector, bringing out the salient characteristics, the inherent constraints, and problems. With a focus to simplify the performance and productivity in-line with sustainable growth in Pakistan, irrigation techniques, water management, value addition, storage and marketing system must be reformed and modernized regarding of food supply chain.

Impact of Perceived Overqualification on Job Satisfaction and Performance of Employees: Evidence from Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC)

Overqualification is emerging in today’s modern world, especially in COVID-19. This study was based on data collected from the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, a renowned scientific and research organization in agriculture sector of Pakistan. A total of 250 Questionnaires were sent online using Google Forms and few were completed physically. The final sample size for data analysis was 214 after questionnaires collection and data cleaning. Results revealed that perceived over qualification has a moderate positive impact on the Job Satisfaction level and performance of employees. It is projected that perceived over qualification does not always have a negative impact on job outcomes and that the organizational environment plays an important role in mitigating the negative effects. Additionally, if an employee's job is effectively planned and the employees believes that they have career and growth chances in the organization, perceptions of over qualification may have a favorable impact on job outcomes.

Analyzing the Impact of Subsectors and Population Growth on Agricultural Sector in Pakistan

The agriculture sector in Pakistan plays its vital role for providing food security and economic stability. Pakistan's agriculture sector comprises various subsectors i.e. crops, livestock, fisheries, and forestry. Agriculture growth is threatened by the growth of these subsectors and the impact of population growth on it. No significant research has been conducted in Pakistan to study the statistical significance of these subsectors and their relationship with population growth. This study analyzes data from 2005 to 2023. Regression analysis is used to identify and to compare the statistical significance of all sub sectors of agriculture growth with population growth rate. Average growth rates found positive for agriculture, major crops, livestock, fisheries, and population, while negative for forestry. Model found good fit with R2 0.936. Major crops, livestock, and fisheries have positive and statistically significant impacts on Pakistan's agricultural growth, with coefficients of 0.316, 0.426, and 0.015, while forestry and population reported negative and statistically insignificant results with coefficients of -0.019 and -0.273. This research laid out good policy decisions aimed at boosting agricultural growth in Pakistan.

Poverty, Women Empowerment and Role of Agriculture Sector in Pakistan: Estimation of Women Empowerment Index

Women's empowerment is crucial for sustainable economic progress and poverty reduction in developing nations. The study interviewed 1000 households in Punjab Province, Pakistan, using Shoaib et al.'s (2012) sampling methodology and dividing the province into four regions. The index was calculated using Alkire and Foster's (2007) methodology. The study reveals that leadership and income are the most significant factors contributing to female disempowerment in the Punjab province. The Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index score is 0.70, with 21% of women empowered and 79% disempowered. The study found that 7% of women's disempowerment contributes to autonomy in production, 23% to income control, 19% to organizational membership, and 10% to public speaking. Males' insufficient accomplishment differs from girls, with leadership contributing at 35% and time allocation at 25%. Male disempowerment is 7% in wealth control, while males face similar disempowerment in production and resource access. Men contribute 5% to asset ownership, 6% to purchase and sale, and 11% to credit access and control. Men's disempowerment index includes 22% group participation, 13% public speaking, 13% workload, and 12% leisure. The gender parity index shows that 51.7% of women experience gender disparity, with an average empowerment difference of 45.7%.

Sustainable livelihood capital and climate change adaptation in Pakistan's agriculture: Structural equation modeling analysis in the VIABLE framework

This study aims to assess the role of sustainable livelihood capital, the mediation of investments and farming purposes, and the moderation of climatic and non-climatic factors in the adaptation process, particularly in the aspects of Crop, Farm, Irrigation, and Economic Management. Moreover, guided by the VIABLE (Values and Investments for Agent-Based Interaction and Learning in Environmental Systems) framework, we analyze stakeholders' actions, priorities, and goals in the climate change adaptation process. A structured questionnaire was designed based on a five-point Likert scale covering the concepts of livelihood capital, climate change adaptation, investment priorities, farming constraints, and farmers' decision-making factors. Field data were collected from 800 farmers during December 2021 to February 2022 in the irrigated agricultural regions in the Indus Plain of the Punjab and Sindh provinces, Pakistan. We employed the Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling approach to the VIABLE framework (VIABLE-SEM) to analyze the collected data. The results confirm livelihood capital as the most significant determinant (beta = 0.57, effect size = 0.503) for farmers’ adaptation strategies in the Indus plain. Other variables, such as the principal purpose of farming, available investment options, natural and human constraints, appear less important. We identified 13 significant viability pathways that show investment priorities, farming purposes, and constraints faced by the farmers in climate change adaptation. The study also found that non-climatic factors negatively influence (beta = −0.156) the relationship between capital and adaptation, while climatic factors positively influence (beta = 0.050) this relationship. Interestingly, the presence of these influencing factors increases the adaptive capacity of farmers. These findings have important implications for policymakers and researchers in designing and implementing effective climate change adaptation strategies in the agricultural sector of Pakistan.

Implications of Climate Change on Agriculture Sector of Pakistan

Climate change is a significant phenomenon with socio-economic effects that concern experts. Pakistan, with its diverse geographical features, is particularly vulnerable to such climate changes. Its long latitudinal area covers almost 5000 glaciers in the northern areas, which remain frozen and provide water throughout the year. The melting glaciers in northern areas and rainfall from the Arabian Sea play vital roles in water supply, agriculture, and energy production. However, Pakistan ranks at number 7 in the Global Climate Risk Index of 2017 which lists Pakistan as the most vulnerable country to climate change. It faces grave threats due to climate change and perhaps it is at the crossroads of climate change effects. These risks are further aggravated by high rates of nutrition and food insecurity. Due to changes in climatic conditions, weather becomes more erratic, resulting in severe climatic disasters which ultimately lead to food insecurity in Pakistan. It is estimated that climate changes affect every facet of food security in Pakistan, that is, its availability, access to food, utilization, and stability. Resultantly, Pakistan’s agriculture sector suffersconsiderably, exposing the country to critical economical, developmental, and social challenges that wreak great havoc on mankind and plant lives. The current study explored the correlation between climate changes and its effects on agricultural production in Pakistan.

Agriculture-related energy consumption, food policy, and CO2 emission reduction: New insights from Pakistan

Fossil fuel energy consumption in the agriculture sector of Pakistan has created serious climate change issues, adding extremely to CO2 emissions, economic growth, and food production. The current research has investigated the most carbon-emitting agriculture factors based on human activities, such as transportation, land, multiple crops, distribution, and consumption under various crops. The study objective is to provide a roadmap for decarbonizing the food supply chain and its current framework toward food policy. The different machines and frameworks applied in agricultural farming can mitigate the CO2 emissions of the agriculture sector if renewable energy technologies (RETs) and renewable energy sources are organized with proper agrarian loads. The major concerns of this paper show a roadmap among a) CO2 emissions in the food supply chain and per capita CO2 emissions, b) food chain activities in the agriculture farming process, c) the agriculture output units and energy consumption, and d) the decarbonization of traditional agriculture and sustainable development in the agriculture sector. The analysis shows that the RETs and mitigation frameworks can lessen the CO2 emissions of farming depending on the type of farm and energy utilization. Finally, the present research highlights possibilities and opportunities for gaining CO2 emissions in crop production linked to Pakistan’s good management practices. In respect to agriculture efficiency and productivity, the government should increase the water, energy, and modern machinery for huge productivity and sustainability. Further policies are provided below.

Evaluating the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector of Pakistan using Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM)

In Pakistan, the agriculture sector plays a fundamental role in the economy's growth. However, this sector also faces many problems due to the drastic climatic variation. To handle this problem, we need to investigate the critical atmospheric changes and how they affect the major agricultural crops. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the influence of climatic diversity on agricultural crops of the country using a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach. The fuzzy VIKOR method has been used to describe the impact of atmospheric factors such as high temperature, heavy rainfall or sleeting, drought, smog, heat waves, poisonous gases, associated humidity, and storms on the agriculture sector of Pakistan. The results indicate that high temperatures and storms are the most critical climate factors which affect agricultural crops. Furthermore, it indicates that tobacco is the most sensitive crop to climate change, whereas sugarcane is the least affected by these climate changes. By analyzing and evaluating the impact of these climate factors, we can efficiently plan to cultivate these crops in areas that are least vulnerable to the adverse effects of these climate changes.

INDO-PAK KASHMIR RELATIONS ON THE EVE OF AGTECH IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

Indo-Pak relations throughout the seventy-five years of co-existence have been no less than a roller coaster ride. Scholars have attributed this peculiar and toxic romance to various factors among them Kashmir stands out in it being the jugular vein of Pakistan as all three western rivers, on which Pakistan’s agriculture sector solely depends, flow from the Indian administered Kashmir. India is using this to their advantage by planning to construct hydropower dams on the western river, likely affect Pakistan’s agriculture sector, all while publically proclaiming “Blood and water cannot flow together” Countries around the world have started introducing Agtech like Water Conserving Technologies (WCTs) in their agriculture sector in the face of growing water demand and water security. These WCTs not only use less water but also increase the overall yield of the crop. This study is an interdisciplinary endeavour which intends to link the impact of introduction of WCTs in the agriculture sector with the Indo-Pak relations in the context of Kashmir. The Secondary data was collected by searching through key words and reviewing the literature and was analysed through meta-analysis. The study concludes that introduction of AgTech in the agriculture sector of Pakistan has the potential to bring India and Pakistan closer in the context of Kashmir

Genetic basis and principal component analysis in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) grown under water deficit condition.

Cotton is considered as the main crop in the agricultural sector of Pakistan. Water deficiency in this region in recent years has reduced the chances of high yields of cotton. Selection and creation of high-yielding varieties of cotton, even in water deficit conditions, is one of urgent tasks of today. For this purpose, 40 diverse genotypes of upland cotton were screened in normal and water deficit conditions in triplicate arrangement under split plot in a randomized complete block design. All the genotypes showed significant difference under both water regimes. Ten upland cotton accessions were screened out as water deficit tolerant (VH-144, IUB-212, MNH-886, VH-295, IR-3701, AA-802, NIAB-111, NS-121, FH-113, and FH-142) and five as water deficit sensitive (IR-3, CIM-443, FH-1000, MNH-147, and S-12) based on seed cotton yield and stress susceptibility index. These tolerant and sensitive genotypes were crossed in line × tester mating design. For further evaluation of genetic material, the seed of 50 F1 crosses and their 15 parents were field planted under normal and water deficit conditions during next cotton growing season. Traits related to yield under the study showed significant variations among the accessions and their half sibs. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) exhibited that total variation exhibited by factors 1 and factor 2 were 55.55 and 41.95%, respectively. PCA transformed the variables into three factors, and only two factors (F1 and F2) had eigenvalue > 1. The degree of dominance revealed that all parameters were highly influenced by non-additive gene action under both water regimes. Furthermore, the line VH-295 and tester CIM-443 had better yield performance under water deficit stress. The cross-combinations, viz., VH-144 × S-12, NIAB-111 × IR-3, and VH-295 × MNH-147, were the best for yield contributing traits. These combinations may be helpful for germplasm enhancement on large scale under water scarcity. All the studied traits have non-additive types of gene action suggesting the usage of these genotypes in cotton hybrid development program against water deficit tolerance.

Influence of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Green Revolution on Agriculture Production in Case study of Pakistan: Policy Adoption

Anthropogenic actionsamplify the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere since the 19th century which lead to noticeable variation in climate that has a significant influence on different regions across the globe. World-wildly, Pakistan is participatinginsignificantly in greenhouse gas emissions but facing significant effects on several segments of the economy. The green revolution boosts agriculture production and a significant increase in productivity against to before it. The agriculture sector is considered to be lifeline of Pakistan's economy it contributes significantly to the gross domestic product, gives employment opportunitiesto huge number of the working population and provides raw materials to other sectors. A drastic increase in population had led to rising demand for agricultural products in Pakistan and it highlights the importance of agriculture sector in Pakistan. Several current studies had concentrated on greenhouse gas emissions in the agriculture sector in Pakistan but ignored the green revolution aspect. It is a pioneer study which has a central aim to explore the influence of greenhouse gases emission and the green revolution on agriculture production with the help of Cobb Douglas Production Function (CDPF). The current study uses the four decades’time seriesdata usingAuto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach with the help of Bound Test run to observe the long and short-run impact of greenhouse gas emissions and green revolution on agriculture sector in Pakistan. Findings revealed that greenhouse gas emissions have a negative while the green revolution has a positive influence on agriculture production in the long and short run. These results have some policy implication,government should spend more budget on research and development related to the agriculture sector and levy high taxes on those sectors which are emitting greenhouse gases and these policies can dramatically boost agriculture production which will boost Pakistan's economy.

A Systematic Review on Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies in Pakistan toward Climate Change

Pakistan is among the countries that are highly vulnerable to climate change. The country has experienced severe floods and droughts during recent decades. The agricultural sector in Pakistan is adversely affected by climate change. This systematic review paper set out to analyze the existing literature on adaptation measures at the farm level toward climate change in Pakistan. Adopting a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method, a total of 62 articles were identified from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The review paper indicates that the main adaptation strategies adopted by farmers are as follows: changing cropping practices, changing farm management techniques, advanced land use management practices, and nonagriculture livelihood options. Further, this review shows the factors influencing the farmer’s adaptation measures to climate change. Influencing factors were examined and classified into three groups: demographic, socioeconomic, and resources and institutional. Barriers hindering farmers’ adaptive capacity were identified as lack of access to information and knowledge, lack of access to extension services, lack of access to credit facility, and lack of farm resources.

Identification of Key Adaptation Practices adopted by Wheat Growing Farmers of Punjab, Pakistan: A Qualitative Approach

Climate change has now become a subject of concern for the whole world especially for developing countries. According to Global Climate Risk Index (GCRI) 2021, Pakistan lies at eight number amongst top ten countries of world which are facing severe impacts of climatic changes. Climate change has serious repercussions on the agriculture sector of Pakistan. Mitigation and Adaptation are considered to be options by climate change experts to counter negative impacts of climate change. By keeping above in view, the objective of this study was to identify adaptation practices adopted by farmers in Punjab, Pakistan. The Primary data was used and collected through qualitative data collection techniques i.e. In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Based on the research plan, five IDIs were conducted with experts related to agriculture sector and with farmers of study area. Further, five FGDs were conducted in five selected districts of the study area. Based upon discussions with experts and with local farmers, key adaptation practices adopted by majority of farmers were: Rice crop residues incorporation, Change in sowing time, sowing method for wheat crop (Broadcast, Ridge sowing), certified seed varieties of wheat, change of seed rate, deep ploughing using chisel plough, laser land levelling (LLL), application of potash, changing the number of irrigations, application of farm yard manure (FYM), drainage of water from field (pumps or other means) and use of weather forecasting. NVivo qualitative data analysis software was used to depict this qualitative discussion into two types of structures i.e., Word Tree and Word Cloud.

PREVALENCE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT AMONG WOMEN AGRICULTURAL LABORERS AND PERCEIVED IMPACTS ON THEIR PHYSICAL & MENTAL HEALTH

Large number of women is working as laborers in agricultural sector of Pakistan particularly in cotton picking, wheat harvesting, rice transplanting, and dairy sector. Gender based Violence and sexual harassment is fairly observable and reported in the formal sector of the urban areas but a research gap exists to study sexual harassment in informal sector, and particularly in agriculture sector. Present study is intended to understand the patterns and types of sexual harassment of woman laborers in agriculture sector. A sample of 250 women agricultural laborer/workers from five districts of Punjab province were selected for a face to face survey to explore the patterns of sexual harassment and its perceived impact for their health and the stigma attached to report such incidences. The views of male counterparts were obtained through key informant interviews of agricultural contractors and landlords. The results revealed that majority of the respondents faced gender based discrimination (50 %), low wages as compared to men (64 %), lack of respect (45.2 %) and negative attitudes of male workers (44 %). The data regarding verbal harassment indicated that such incidences are on the higher side (38.4 %) as compared to non-verbal (28.8 %) and physicaal (9.6 %) types of sexual harassment. The woman laborers also suffered different physical and psychological consequences of sexual harassment like; sleeping problem, depression, anxiety and isolation. However, the trend of not lodging the complaints by the victims was clearly evident i.e. 91.6 % representing the stigma and fear of disgrace associated with sexual harassment in the rural communities of Pakistan. Strong advocacy campaigns by academia and Non-governmental agencies to sensitize the rural communities are seriously required coupled with extending the purview of labor laws and harassment act of Pakistan to informal workers by policy makers.

The Women Empowerment in Agriculture Sector of Pakistan

The study interviewed 100 households in the Sargodha District of Pakistan's Punjab Province, which is the largest and most populated province. The study used a multistage sample process for sampling and interviewed male and female residents of the Sargodha district. The WEAI was calculated using Alkire and Foster's (2011) technique. The women empowerment agricultural index is used to assess women's empowerment. These five factors 5DE identifies the important areas where empowerment must be strengthened, whereas gender parity depicts the relative discrepancy between male and female members of the same family. For the Sargodha district, the Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index value is 0.61. It is calculated by taking 90% of the 5DE sub index value of 0.66 and adding 10% of the GPI value of 0. 68.

Identifying the Demand-Based Financial Issues in the Agriculture Sector of Pakistan: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis

Pakistan is an agrarian economy with a booming Islamic financial system, but the low share of Salam financing does not do justice to the agricultural financing needs. This forces poor farmers to resort to usurious and non-institutional financing leading to a poverty trap. Literature has explored different dimensions of lack of financing facilities. The primary objective of this study is to categorize different dimensions pertaining to the under fulfilled financing needs of farmers to derive restructuring suggestions for Salam applicability in Pakistan. The variables are drawn using thematic analysis of studies published between 2008 to 2020, which conducted exploratory surveys of financial issues from farmers in agriculture sector of Pakistan. The studies are selected from databases including Google Scholar, EBSCO and Web of Science. The derived variables are validated using an independent rater using the interclass correlation coefficient. Rater validated all generated variables via thematic analysis. Most studies pointed to issues of finance accessibility and resource availability. The closest study pointed out the financing of agricultural machinery is the most discussed issue.

Climate Impacts on the agricultural sector of Pakistan: Risks and solutions

Sixty percent of the population of Pakistan is directly or indirectly reliant upon rain-fed agriculture that depends on predictable weather patterns. Global climatic change affects our agriculture and its impacts seem to increase daily. Pakistan produces wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane, and maize and these crops are affected by climate change. Incessant escalation in earth temperatures globally is changing precipitation patterns including a shift in our monsoon season. These conditions affect agricultural production, farm livelihoods and agribusiness infrastructure that is leading to food insecurity and malnutrition among the farming communities. The aim of this review is to highlight the climate change impacts on Pakistan's agricultural sector, current risks, and mitigation potential to insure resilient agricultural practices that provide household food security.

Impact of Management Control Systems on Sustainability of Agricultural Small and Medium Firms: Mediating Role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practices

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of management control systems such as self-control and organization’s norms on the sustainability of an organization with mediating role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. The study focused on small and medium enterprises in the agricultural sector and how they can be sustainable by using these factors.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: This is a primary study based on quantitative data. The non-probability, convenience sampling is used. The research design includes hypotheses testing whether they are accepted or rejected. Data collection was done through closed-ended questionnaires with a Likert scale. The chosen sample size was 200 however, 184 questionnaires were received back after filling. Smart PLS was used for data analysis.
 Findings: Based on the analysis, all the hypotheses were accepted which show that there is indeed an impact of management control systems and organizations norms on an organization’s sustainability and CSR practices play the role of mediator.
 Implications/Originality/Value: Originality this study is testing the mediating effect of CSR practices on control systems, organizations norms and sustainability of the firm in the agricultural sector of Pakistan where small and medium enterprises related to the agricultural sector are targeted. There are very few researches that focused on SME’S in the agricultural sector of Pakistan, this study provided a detailed insight into this sector. The study will be of great value to agricultural and SME’s owners on how they can create sustainability in their firm.