Production In Pakistan Research Articles

Asymmetric Determinants of Renewable Energy Production in Pakistan: Do Economic Development, Environmental Technology, and Financial Development Matter?

Asymmetric Determinants of Renewable Energy Production in Pakistan: Do Economic Development, Environmental Technology, and Financial Development Matter?

Customers’ willingness to choose family takaful: extending the theory of interpersonal behaviour

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the customer’s willingness to participate in family takaful using the theory of interpersonal behaviour (TIB) in Pakistan.Design/methodology/approachFor this study, purposive sampling was used, and 310 useable questionnaires were received from the respondents who were postgraduate students, non-users of family takaful. The respondents are residing in the largest city of Pakistan, which is Karachi. The software Analysis of Moments Structures (AMOS v.25) was used to analyse the data.FindingsThe findings of this study reveal that awareness, affect, facilitating conditions and religious obligation are pivotal in determining the customers’ intention to purchase family takaful products. In addition, perceived risk and social factors are found not to be significant predictors. Resultantly, it may also be necessary to look into the factors examined in this study and other factors that may have played a great role in the acceptance of family takaful in the case of Pakistan.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited in terms of geographic coverage as it only covers part of Karachi city as a place of investigation, and therefore, the results cannot be generalised fully. On the same note, the sampling method can also be broadened to have the actual number of respondents for generalisability purposes. Future studies may focus on the random sampling method using cluster sampling to cover other regions and provinces for a clear picture and understanding.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is one of the first studies to be carried out on empirical grounds using the TIB in the context of family takaful products in Pakistan.

Microbial Marvels in Cotton Farming: Unveiling the Potential of Plant Beneficial Microbes for Enhanced Growth and Disease Resistance in Pakistan

Cotton is a crucial cash crop in Pakistan, playing a pivotal role in the country's economy, agricultural sector, and employment opportunities. Its cultivation spans over 3 million hectares, primarily concentrated in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. Cotton production in Pakistan contributes significantly to the country's foreign exchange earnings, accounting for a substantial portion of its exports However, cotton pest and disease management is always a challenge as their impact change over time. The widespread use of agrochemicals and synthetic pesticides in major field crops poses significant threats to human and animal health, as well as environmental degradation. Use of beneficial microbes for sustainable cotton production can be a natural ally in the field, as they promote the plant growth as well as protect them from disease, insects and pests. They act as a reservoir of beneficial metabolites, enzymes, and nutrients, and they play a crucial role in biological pest control and disease resistance induction. Additionally, PGP rhizobacteria possess bioremediation potential, enabling them to phytoextract and detoxify pollutants and pesticides. Beneficial microorganisms like PGPR hold immense potential to replace and supplement these toxic chemicals, offering promising applications in organic farming and contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. Despite their potential, only a limited number of bio-formulations have been developed using PGPR strains with plant growth promotion, metabolite production, enzyme synthesis, nutrient mobilization, and biocontrol activities. An increasing body of evidence underscores the potential of diverse microorganisms to enhance plant productivity and yield within cropping systems. Unlocking the full benefits of these advantageous microbes requires a profound understanding of their role in promoting growth, specifically in the realms of fertilization and disease control, along with the elucidation of underlying mechanisms. It is imperative to confront challenges associated with the application of plant growth-promoting (PGP) microbes. This review focuses on the application of PGP microbes in the context of cotton production. Given the scarcity of information on beneficial microbes for cotton production, a comprehensive examination of current research becomes crucial, especially given the increasing interest in cotton inoculants, particularly in developing nations. The heightened attention towards PGP applications underscores the importance of advancing sustainable agricultural practices.

Fusarium wilt disease of chili: pathogen, its mechanism of infection, eradication, and impacts

Cotton is a crucial cash crop in Pakistan, playing a pivotal role in the country's economy, agricultural sector, and employment opportunities. Its cultivation spans over 3 million hectares, primarily concentrated in the Punjab and Sindh provinces. Cotton production in Pakistan contributes significantly to the country's foreign exchange earnings, accounting for a substantial portion of its exports However, cotton pest and disease management is always a challenge as their impact change over time. The widespread use of agrochemicals and synthetic pesticides in major field crops poses significant threats to human and animal health, as well as environmental degradation. Use of beneficial microbes for sustainable cotton production can be a natural ally in the field, as they promote the plant growth as well as protect them from disease, insects and pests. They act as a reservoir of beneficial metabolites, enzymes, and nutrients, and they play a crucial role in biological pest control and disease resistance induction. Additionally, PGP rhizobacteria possess bioremediation potential, enabling them to phytoextract and detoxify pollutants and pesticides. Beneficial microorganisms like PGPR hold immense potential to replace and supplement these toxic chemicals, offering promising applications in organic farming and contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. Despite their potential, only a limited number of bio-formulations have been developed using PGPR strains with plant growth promotion, metabolite production, enzyme synthesis, nutrient mobilization, and biocontrol activities. An increasing body of evidence underscores the potential of diverse microorganisms to enhance plant productivity and yield within cropping systems. Unlocking the full benefits of these advantageous microbes requires a profound understanding of their role in promoting growth, specifically in the realms of fertilization and disease control, along with the elucidation of underlying mechanisms. It is imperative to confront challenges associated with the application of plant growth-promoting (PGP) microbes. This review focuses on the application of PGP microbes in the context of cotton production. Given the scarcity of information on beneficial microbes for cotton production, a comprehensive examination of current research becomes crucial, especially given the increasing interest in cotton inoculants, particularly in developing nations. The heightened attention towards PGP applications underscores the importance of advancing sustainable agricultural practices.

The Empirical Nexus between Data-Driven Decision-Making and Productivity: Evidence from Pakistan’s Banking Sector

The effective use of digital technologies to create business value has generated enormous data, and using data in decision-making is vital. Although there is growing empirical evidence in favour of a positive association between informed decision-making and firm performance in developed countries, there is little to no evidence of a large-scale study in an emerging economic context. Moreover, there has been scant empirical evidence on how DDDM affects productivity in the banking sector of developing countries. This study examined the impact of DDDM on the productivity of Pakistan’s banking sector from 2016 to 2020 based on primary and secondary data collected from banks registered in Pakistan. The findings suggest that banks who adopt DDDM practices show a 4–7% increase in productivity depending on adjustment to change. We believe this study would shed light on the importance of DDDM in the banking sector of developing countries.

The Impact of Foreign Remittance on Labor Productivity: A Case of Pakistan

This study attempts an empirical analysis of the effect of external remittance on labor productivity in Pakistan. This study used the time series data from 1975 to 2019. The Johanson co-integration approach and Trace and Maximum Lamda tests were used for economic analysis. The personal remittance, Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF), and Officially Exchange Rate (PER) depicted significant and positive relationships and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and Trade both variables show positive but insignificant impacts on labor productivity. This study suggests that government should provide incentives for transfer payments to overseas Pakistanis for enhancing the remittances.

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF KETONE BODIES IN BLOOD AND URINE FOR THE DETECTION OF SUBCLINICAL KETOSIS IN POSTPARTUM BUFFALOES

Buffaloes are one of the major contributors of milk production in Pakistan. Like other dairy animals, it also faces a variety of metabolic disorders right after parturition. Among these problems ketosis is a major one in high producing buffaloes when energy demands (e.g. high milk production) exceed energy intake and result in a negative energy balance. When large amount of body fat is utilized as an energy source to support production, fat is sometimes mobilized faster than the liver can properly metabolize it. If this situation occurs, ketone production exceeds ketone utilization by the animal, and ketosis results. At early stage Sub-clinical ketosis occurs which if not detected and controlled proceeds to clinical ketosis that has economic impact in terms of both production and reproduction losses. Early detection of sub-clinical ketosis is of vital importance to minimize thesubsequent losses associated with this condition. Many studies have been conducted in past to diagnose sub-clinical ketosis in cattle, but a very little data is available for buffaloes. This study was aimed to compare digital ketometer and conventional urine strips method to detect Ketone bodies in blood and urine samples respectively for the early diagnosis of subclinical ketosis in buffaloes. For this purpose, blood (n=100) and urine (n=100) samples were collected from buffaloes at post-partum period, from three different herds and were processed for the presence of ketone bodies. The data obtained from both cow-side detection assays was analyzed statistically. The results of this research study laid the foundation of early detection of sub-clinical ketosis in buffaloes that was made possible using the cowside Abott Optium Neo Ketometer.

Adaptation and High Yield Performance of Honglian Type Hybrid Rice in Pakistan with Desirable Agricultural Traits

Honglian type cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is one of the three known major CMS types of rice (Oryza sativa L.) commercially used in hybrid rice seed production. Hybrid rice generated by the Honglian type CMS is a special group of hybrid rice, having distinct agricultural characteristics. The main objective of the study was to screen out the Honglian hybrid rice adapted for growing in Pakistan based on desirable traits. Different Honglian-type hybrid rice varietieswere tested locally in different locations in Pakistan based on various desirabletraits. Three Honglian types of hybrids (HP1, HP2, HP3) performed well, had better agricultural traits and showed high yield potential over the check variety. Different qualitative and quantitative traits were studied to conclude the advantages of these varieties for Pakistani local adaptation evaluations. Forty-eight SSR markers were used to study the genetic diversities of the hybrids. Nine selected polymorphic SSR markers (RM-219, RM-236, RM-274, RM-253, RM-424, RM-567, RM-258, RM-481, RM-493) showed genetic variations among Honglian hybrid rice varieties through PCR analysis. In 2019 and 2020, the increment of the yield potential of HP1, HP2 and HP3 was better (+43.90%, +35.44%, +37.13% and +30.91%, +33.37%, +33.62%, respectively, in both years)than the check variety KSK-133. All the desirable traits were analyzed through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The principal components with more than one eigenvalue showed more variability. The average variability of 74.78% was observed among genotypes and their desirable traits in both years. National Uniform Yield Trial (NUYT) and Distinctness, Uniformity, Stability (DUS) trials are being conducted under the supervision of National Coordinated Rice (NCR) and Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department (FSCRD), Government of Pakistan. In the 2020 trial, the average yield of 104 rice varieties/hybrids was 8608 kg/ha; HP1, HP2 and HP3 (8709 kg/ha, 8833 kg/ha, and 9338 kg/ha, respectively) were all higher than the average yield, and HP3 yield was higher than over check varieties (D-121, Guard-53). In the 2021 trial, the average yield of 137 varieties was 7616 kg/ha; the HP1 yield (7863 kg/ha) was higher than the average overcheck varieties/hybrids. Various qualitative and quantitative traits showed desirable genetic diversity among the rice hybrids. It was also observed that, under higher temperatures, the seeds setting rate of Honglian-type hybrid rice was stable, which is the guarantee for stable yield and rice production in Pakistan. Moreover, it was considerably better, suggesting that Honglian-type hybrid rice varieties can be grown in Pakistan because they are less risky under climate change, especially the global warming challenges.

Triticum aestivum: antioxidant gene profiling and morpho-physiological studies under salt stress.

Soil salinity drastically reduced wheat growth and production in Pakistan. It is a need of an hour to identify the best suitable salt tolerance or resistant wheat varieties which shows good growth under salinity affected areas. In presented study, two wheat varieties Johar (salt tolerant) and Sarsabaz (salt sensitive) were examined under NaCl stress conditions. Antioxidant enzyme activities were investigated in 10-days old wheat seedlings under 200mM NaCl stress in hydroponic conditions. To investigate the various growth parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities such as superoxide dismutase (SOD: EC 1.15.1.1), catalase (CAT: EC 1.11.1.6) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX: EC 1.11.1.11) were monitored and studied. Besides this various growth parameters such as length of the roots, shoots, as well as Physiological parameters likes lipid peroxidation by malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and proline contents and antioxidant enzyme activities were estimated. The effect of salinity was also observed on gene transcription level and eventually expression level. Shoot and root length were decreased in Sarsabaz variety while it showed opposite trend in johar at 200mM salt concentration. The concentration of proline showed a noticeable rise in salt dependency. Higher concentrations of Proline in Johar were observed as compared to Sarsabaz. SOD showed the increase in activity for antioxidant enzymes. Significant increase of SOD levels were observed in shoot tissues as compared to root tissues. The results indicated that the shoots were more susceptible to salt stress. Activity of APX showed similar affects in both varieties. The production of CAT enzyme in the shoot and root tissues of both varieties showed substantial growth under increased salt stress. Furthermore, NaCl stress has increased the expression of certain genes coding for antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase. Maximum expression of all the antioxidant enzyme coding genes were observed in Johar (tolerant) at 48h exposure to salt. In contrast the expression of the all mentioned genes in Sarsabaz variety were found maximum at early hours (24h) and gradually decreased at 48h. The study showed that the selected salt tolerant wheat variety Johar is significantly resistant to 200mM NaCl salt level as compared to Sarsabaz.

PREVALENCE AND CHEMOTHERAPY OF WARBLE FLY INFESTATION IN GOAT POPULATION OF DISTRICT KHUSHAB, PAKISTAN.

Warble fly (WF) is one of the serious threats affecting the goat production inPakistan. The objective of the current study was to find out the prevalence and control of goat warblefly infestation (GWFI) in district Khushab, Pakistan. In the field, 780 goats were examined for theperiod of one year. Out 780 goats, 106 (13.58%) were found infested with WF. The rate of infestationin young animals (9.24%) was low as compared to the older animals (16.18%). Higher prevalence wasobserved in males (15.11%) as compared to the females (12.83%).The highest prevalence of GWFIwas recorded in December. The nodules appearance on infested animals started in September andended in the month of February. Geography of the study area favors the onset of fly activity andenhances the prevalence of the disease. Ivermectin was found highly -effective against all developmentstages of Przhevalskianasilenus (WF)and no side-effects were observed.

Multi-objective optimization model for uncertain crop production under neutrosophic fuzzy environment: A case study

<abstract> <p>In real world uncertainty exist in almost every problem. Decision-makers are often unable to describe the situation accurately or predict the outcome of potential solutions due to uncertainty. To resolve these complicated situations, which include uncertainty, we use expert descriptive knowledge which can be expressed as fuzzy data. Pakistan, a country with a key geographic and strategic position in South Asia, relies heavily on irrigation for its economy, which involves careful consideration of the limits. A variety of factors can affect yield, including the weather and water availability. Crop productivity from reservoirs and other sources is affected by climate change. The project aims to optimize Kharif and Rabbi crop output in canal-irrigated areas. The optimization model is designed to maximize net profit and crop output during cropping seasons. Canal-connected farmed areas are variables in the crop planning model. Seasonal crop area, crop cultivated area, crop water requirement, canal capacity, reservoir evaporation, minimum and maximum storage, and overflow limits affect the two goals. The uncertainties associated with the entire production planning are incorporated by considering suitable membership functions and solved using the Multi-Objective Neutrosophic Fuzzy Linear Programming Model (MONFLP). For the validity and effectiveness of the technique, the model is tested for the wheat and rice production in Pakistan. The study puts forth the advantages of neutrosophic fuzzy algorithm which has been proposed, and the analyses derived can be stated to deal with yield uncertainty in the neutrosophic environments more effectively by considering the parameters which are prone to abrupt changes characterized by unpredictability.</p> </abstract>

Prevalence of Cestode Parasites of Gallus Domesticus in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

Background: Poultry production in Pakistan is growing remarkably and contributing significantly to the economy. However, disease outbreaks are the most serious threat to poultry productivity. Among other poultry diseases which cause huge damage to poultry, parasitic diseases are also included, but no significant work has been done on this area of concern in Pakistan.
 Objective: This study is carried out to evaluate the prevalence rate of one of the major helminth parasite groups, Cestodes, and their effects on the health of chickens in the districts of Korangi, Karachi, Sindh.
 Method: Between February 2018 and January 2019, 76 chickens were examined for Cestodes infection. Cestodes were extracted from the gut and fixed in F.A.A. fixative for 24 hours with a little cover slip pressure. The cestodes were then thoroughly cleaned with 70% ethanol, stained with Mayer's carmalum, dehydrated in progressively stronger alcohol, clarified with clove oil, rinsed with xylene, and permanently mounted in Canada balsam.
 Results: The overall prevalence was 52.6%. Parasite burden is high in males (63.8%) compared to females (45.6%). Six species of Cestodes parasites were identified from the intestine of the infected chickens. Raillietina tetragona, R. cesticillus, R. echinobothridia, R. ransomi, Choanotaenia infundibulum, and Raillietina sp. are the Cestode species that have been found. Their prevalence was 42.1%, 34.2%, 26.3%, 22.2%, 15.7%, and 7.8%, respectively. The prevalence rate also varies from season to season. Spring had the highest rate of infection at 60%, summer was next at 58%, and autumn and winter both had a rate of 40%.
 Conclusion: The study concludes that heavy infestation has a negative impact on the physical health of chickens and points to the need to control Cestodes parasite infection in order to reduce mortality and increase poultry yield.

MONITORING AND DETECTION OF WHEAT BLAST DISEASE CAUSED BY MAGNAPORTHE ORYZAE TRITICUM PATHOTYPE IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

The wheat blast caused by the Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum pathotype has become a serious threat to wheat production in Pakistan and India after its severe outbreak in Bangladesh in 2016 and intermittent occurrence since then. Thus, planned systemic surveillance of wheat crops in two phases in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 began to determine the status of wheat blasts in Punjab, Pakistan. In the first phase, a survey of 160 wheat fields in districts in Punjab ensued for typical blast symptoms. The surveillance‟s second phase occurred after the threshing of the wheat crop, with composite grain samples collected from all over Punjab, then analyzed in the lab. The surveillance results indicated that all the wheat fields were free from the typical blast symptoms. Similarly, none of the analyzed samples showed the presence of wheat blast pathogens. Therefore, the study validates that this dreadful disease (blast) does not exist in Punjab, Pakistan. Hence, the reason to remain calm needs dissemination among the farming community and the training of technical agriculture extension staff for vigilance in the future for monitoring this disease in different agro-ecological zones of Punjab.

The efficacy of biopesticides and synthetic pesticides in managing Cotton Jassids (Amrasca devastans Dist.) and enhancing cotton yield in Pakistan

Cotton production in Pakistan is significantly affected by pest infestations, with cotton jassid being the most damaging pest during the early growing season. To evaluate safer and more sustainable alternatives for pest control in cotton production, a study was conducted using biopesticides and synthetic pesticides against cotton jassids. The randomised complete block design experiment included seven treatments, with neem oil (T2), Datura (T3), and tobacco leaf extract (T4) as biopesticides, and Mospilan (T5), Tamaron (T6), and Confidor (T7) as synthetic pesticides. Standard plant inspection was used to sample and record pest populations, and all treatments were found to be effective in reducing jassid infestation compared to the control. Confidor was the most effective treatment, followed by Tamaron, neem oil, Mospilan, Datura, and tobacco leaf extract. The efficacy of all treatments was highest immediately after application and decreased over time. Using neem oil and Datura can help manage cotton jassids and increase cotton yield in Pakistan while reducing reliance on conventional chemical pesticides and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

Boeremia Exigua Leaf Spot: A New Emerging Threat to Gossypium hirsutum L. in Pakistan

Cotton is grown all over the world including Asian countries. Severe foliar disease symptoms were observed on cotton in fields from different districts of cotton zone of the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Infected plant leaves were sampled from various areas and processed for the isolation of the causal organism. Fungal isolates were identified morphologically. The conidia of the fungus were observed oblong to ellipsoid, hyaline, and aseptate, but occasionally 1-septate with dimensions ranging from 2.7 to 7.8 × 1.6 to 3.5 μm. A total of two isolates were characterized further for genetic diversity. Both the isolates showed moderate reactions to the NaOH test for E metabolite. The pathogen was morphologically identified as Boeremia exigua. Further, the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) and TUB gene of the fungal isolates were amplified and analyzed. The sequence of partial ITS and TUB showed 99% homology with the isolates of B. exigua. The pathogenicity test was performed on three months old cotton plants by using two isolates of B. exigua. After 15 days of inoculation, necrotic spots started developing on the leaves that were very similar to those observed in the field. The fungal pathogen was re-isolated from the leaves of all the inoculated plants, identified morphologically following Koch's postulates. This disease might be a potential threat to cotton production in Pakistan in the future. However, further studies are required to know the virulence, behavior, alternate hosts, and spreading nature of the pathogen.

State of Technology and Productivity in Pakistan’s Manufacturing Industries: Some Strategic Directions to Build Technological Competence

Historically, Pakistan’s economic growth record, especially of the manufacturing sector, has been quite satisfactory. However, since the late 1980s Pakistan has been facing a slow growth of manufacturing industries, particularly of the large-scale manufacturing units. This has led some economists to express the apprehension that perhaps de-industrialisation is taking place in the country. A careful analysis of the causes of this sluggish growth suggests that one of the main contributory factors is the slow growth in total factor productivity (TFP)—the best overall measure of competitiveness. What has caused this productivity slow-down? For Pakistan there is clear evidence of a relationship between the growth in total factor productivity and the ailing S & T apparatus. The results presented in the study also lend support to the hypothesis that knowledge capital, human capital, openness, and government policies are crucial determinants of total factor productivity growth. Given a liberal economic environment in the country, which is essential to improve efficiency and productivity, the paper offers four strategic directions in order to improve the status of the S & T system in Pakistan: (1) augment the public sector S & T apparatus with the private sector funding and oversight; (2) take measures to upgrade scientific research institutions to the international standard; (3) streamline the technology creation, absorption, and diffusion system; and (4) enhance the demand for S & T in industries. These strategic directions are designed in such a manner that they work together towards a series of phased reforms, which can create incentives and market-based mechanisms to enhance the technology system without relying on a radical shift in the governance element of the bureaucracy.

Predicting Forecast of Sugarcane Production in Pakistan

Predicting Forecast of Sugarcane Production in Pakistan

Shifting to a green economy: Asymmetric macroeconomic determinants of renewable energy production in Pakistan

Given the imperative significance of renewable energy production in the debate on sustainable and reliable energy future, it is imperious to comprehend the main determinants of renewable energy and to draw appropriate implications for designing energy policy. This study aims to examine the asymmetric determinants of renewable energy production for Pakistan for a time horizon ranging from 1980 to 2019. For regression analysis, the study adopted symmetric autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) and asymmetric autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) approaches. The findings of the NARDL approach illustrate that positive change in GDP, CO2, and financial development lead to a significant positive increase in renewable energy production in the long-run. In contrast, the negative changes in GDP, CO2, and financial development exert no significant impact on renewable energy production in the long-run. However, the outcomes of ARDL approach reveal that GDP is the only determinant that leads to enhanced renewable energy production in the long-run.

Quantifying the impacts of climate change on wheat phenology, yield, and evapotranspiration under irrigated and rainfed conditions

Global climate change associated with increasing temperature and unreliable rainfall events will have consequences for crop production. Therefore, strategizing crop management gained the attention of crop scientists to curtail the adverse impacts of climate change on crop production. However, the projected effects of climate change on wheat may vary in different cropping systems as wheat production is reported to be significantly impacted by future climate change in major cropping systems worldwide. In the present study, ten experiments were conducted under irrigated (2007–2013) and rainfed (2010–2014) cropping systems of Pakistan to quantify the interactive impacts of future climate change (CO2, temperature, and rainfall) on wheat phenology, grain yield, crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and water use efficiency (WUE) using the DSSAT-CERES-Wheat. The DSSAT-CERES-Wheat was executed using 17 Global Climate Models (GCMs) and four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs; 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5) to forecast the climate projections for 2030, 2050, and 2090. The average temperature at both sites will increase by 1.3, 1.9, 1.9, and 2.9 ℃ under RCP 2.6, 4.5, 6.0, and 8.5. The simulated output varies among GCMs, RCPs, CO2 concentration, and future periods. A general reduction in wheat phenology, grain yield, ETc, and WUE was anticipated. However, higher CO2 concentration and early maturity improved the WUE of wheat under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Nevertheless, this gain in WUE was at the cost of a relatively higher yield loss. Wheat yield is expected to decline by 2–19% and 9–30% under irrigated and rainfed conditions, respectively by aggregating the simulated future climate change impacts across GCMs and RCPs. Adaptation strategies to mitigate the climate change impacts on wheat production in irrigated and rainfed areas will be required. Our findings will serve as a foundation for designing future climate change adaptation strategies to sustain wheat production in Pakistan's irrigated and rainfed cropping systems.

Linkages between trade openness, natural gas production and poverty in Pakistan: A simultaneous equation approach

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a recent trade project which intends to increase trade between the two countries and has the potential to boost industrial production in Pakistan. Since Pakistan's energy production is mostly fossil fuel-based, the recent natural gas discoveries could potentially impact local industries and poverty. The past research has not explored the association between Trade, Poverty and Natural Gas production; therefore, this study investigates a nexus between trade, natural gas, and poverty in Pakistan for the period 1990–2018. We applied the simultaneous equation method for data analysis. The results of the study suggest that trade liberalization and natural gas both increase industrial production, which, in turn, reduces the level of poverty in the country. Therefore, the government needs to further strengthen trade ties with neighbor countries and encourage the discovery of natural gas exploration to overcome ongoing energy shortage. Additionally, the government should find alternate sources of energy, like solar energy and wind energy.