ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0807-9262
Current Organisations
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
,
University of Agriculture Faisalabad
,
CSIRO
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Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2014
DOI: 10.1111/ASEJ.12038
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-09-2015
DOI: 10.1002/JSFA.6887
Abstract: Diminishing irrigation water supplies are threatening the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in Pakistan. Within the context of dwindling water resources and low agricultural water productivity, it is imperative to improve efficiency in agricultural production and to make efficient use of available water resources. This study employs a non-parametric approach to estimate the extent of technical and irrigation water efficiency in sugarcane cultivation in Pakistan. The mean technical efficiency score is 0.96 for tube-well owners whereas it is 0.94 for water buyers. The mean irrigation water efficiency score is 0.86 for tube-well owners whereas it is 0.72 for water buyers. We find that across all farms, 59% of the tube-well owners and 45% of the water buyers are fully technically efficient, whereas only 36% of the tube-well owners and 30% of the water buyer are fully efficient in irrigation water use. This study finds that sugarcane growers are operating at fairly high technical efficiency levels. But, there is considerable potential to improve irrigation water efficiency. This study proposes expanding the role of agricultural extension services from merely agronomic grounds to guide farmers to undertake cost benefit analysis of the available production technology, would help achieve higher efficiency levels.
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Date: 28-01-2022
Abstract: Assessing and managing nitrogen sustainably is imperative for achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targeted for 2030. South Asian countries, aware of the environmental and health impacts of nitrogen pollution, regionally as well as globally, piloted the 2019 UN resolution on sustainable nitrogen management, calling for urgent policy action. This paper assists South Asia policy development by providing new insights into nitrogen-related policies in the region it makes a step-change advance on an existing global analysis and database. We built on available methods to better identify, classify and analyse 966 nitrogen-related policies for the region. We compared the global and regional nitrogen policy landscapes to explain the benefits of a deeper policy assessment. The policies we classified as having ‘higher’ relevance—those with direct reference to nitrogen and/or its potential impacts—represent the current nitrogen policy landscape for South Asia. We show that a small proportion of policies (9%) consider multiple pollution sources, sectors, nitrogen threats and impacts, with integrative policy instruments. A 5% of policies also consider both non-point and point sources of pollution, representing standout policies. More such policies with an integrated approach are vital in addressing the complexities of nitrogen pollution. Adapting existing and drafting new policies are both required to deal with other current and emerging nitrogen issues. Our analysis provides evidence for a roadmap for sustainable nitrogen policy in South Asia and beyond and supports efforts to reduce the threats posed by nitrogen pollution to achieve the SDGs.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 02-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-04-2014
DOI: 10.1002/JSFA.6652
Abstract: Massive groundwater pumping for irrigation has started lowering water tables rapidly in different regions of Pakistan. Declining water tables have thus prompted research efforts to improve agricultural productivity and efficiency to make efficient use of scarce water resources. This study employs a restricted stochastic production frontier to estimate the level of, and factors affecting, technical efficiency of groundwater-irrigated cotton farms in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The mean technical efficiency estimates indicate substantial technical inefficiencies among cotton growers. On average, tube-well owners and water buyers can potentially increase cotton production by 19% and 28%, respectively, without increasing the existing input level. The most influential factors affecting technical efficiency positively are the use of improved quality seed, consultation with extension field staff and farmers' perceptions concerning the availability of groundwater resources for irrigation in the future. This study proposes that adopting improved seed for new cotton varieties and providing better extension services regarding cotton production technology would help to achieve higher efficiency in cotton farming. Within the context of falling water tables, educating farmers about the actual crop water requirements and guiding them about groundwater resource availability may also help to achieve higher efficiencies. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 22-12-2016
DOI: 10.2166/WP.2015.160
Abstract: This study employs the positive mathematical programming (PMP) approach to estimate groundwater derived demand for irrigation using a cross-sectional dataset of 200 predominantly groundwater irrigated farms from the Punjab province of Pakistan. First, we find that the PMP optimal solution uses less water than what is available (being extracted) in order to make farmers allocate all the available land to different crops. Second, when water supplies are constrained farmers allocate land to different crops based on their total returns, not on the irrigation water requirements. The study results suggest that the limiting/constraining groundwater extractions would induce farmers to reconsider their irrigation water demand. The study findings suggest an introduction of Rs. 0.04/m3 of groundwater would not decrease farm income rather it would make farmers aware of the economic value of water. We suggest that although water pricing can induce an efficient use of groundwater extractions, additional policies are also required that improve irrigation water use efficiency.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 22-07-2016
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 22-01-2019
Abstract: Pakistan provides seasonal hunting permits to the rulers of Gulf countries for hunting of Asian Houbara bustard ( Chlamydotis macqueenii) in different parts of the country. This research deals with (transnational) seasonal land acquisition of different rangelands/deserts of the Punjab province of Pakistan. So far, no comprehensive research has been conducted in Pakistan on this issue. This research attempts to address the impact of seasonal land grabbing by the foreigners on livelihood assets of local stakeholders in South Punjab, Pakistan. Based on the idea of ‘control grabbing’, this research uses ‘sustainable livelihood framework’ as an analytical framework. Quantitative and qualitative data were acquired from three (out of a total nine) randomly selected hunting sanctuaries in the districts of Rajanpur and Dera Ghazi Khan. The results revealed that natural assets of local population (agricultural land and rangeland) are adversely affected during the entire hunting season. Limited access to natural assets (especially livestock fodder) has long-term negative impacts on livelihood ersification of the locals as the number of livestock – one of the most important assets of respondents – is continuously decreasing in the case study area. We recommend that land enclosure should be restricted to a limited area for a limited time, and that the Government should develop an effective monitoring and evaluation system.
Publisher: Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences
Date: 09-2021
Abstract: Livestock sector seeks a multifold increase in production to sustain its role in achieving food sufficiency in the world. However, anxiety is observed in terms of its falling production particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. The livestock sector is vulnerable to numerous diseases followed by poorly adopted coping strategies. This study was conducted in the Punjab Pakistan, a prominent province in terms of livestock production. A list of 3808 livestock farmers was developed through a benchmark survey conducted in two purposively selected (Raheem-Yar-Khan and Muzaffargarh) districts. A s le of 400 livestock farmers was determined from the 40 selected villages through a multistage s ling technique. Collected data were analyzed through SPSS and tables were drawn to interpret the results. Results indicate that awareness of farmers about different diseases was considerably good but the extent of damage theses disease gives to the livestock business was not understood by the farmers. Apart from foot-and-mouth disease and hemorrhagic septicemia farmers rated either low threatening or very low threatening. Farmers had poor knowledge about internal and external parasites and their damage was also not recognized by them. Only tick was reported as a farm damaging parasite. Though farmers were adopting coping strategies at the farms, but clean cattle shelter, vaccination and disease prevention were the leading practices. While against the services provided by the Punjab livestock department, only vaccination against the different disease was prominent. The education and experience of the farmers had a significant association with most of the coping strategies.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-05-2206
DOI: 10.1038/S41477-023-01407-Y
Abstract: In plant cells, translation occurs in three compartments: the cytosol, the plastids and the mitochondria. While the structures of the (prokaryotic-type) ribosomes in plastids and mitochondria are well characterized, high-resolution structures of the eukaryotic 80S ribosomes in the cytosol have been lacking. Here the structure of translating tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum ) 80S ribosomes was solved by cryo-electron microscopy with a global resolution of 2.2 Å. The ribosome structure includes two tRNAs, decoded mRNA and the nascent peptide chain, thus providing insights into the molecular underpinnings of the cytosolic translation process in plants. The map displays conserved and plant-specific rRNA modifications and the positions of numerous ionic cofactors, and it uncovers the role of monovalent ions in the decoding centre. The model of the plant 80S ribosome enables broad phylogenetic comparisons that reveal commonalities and differences in the ribosomes of plants and those of other eukaryotes, thus putting our knowledge about eukaryotic translation on a firmer footing.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 08-06-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-04-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-06-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ITOR.12314
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Arif Watto.