Agriculture Education

IDA/700-PAK-10 duty assignment Report hoidenish fosterage FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY not FOR GENERAL DISTRIBUTION PAKISTAN Horticulture and Vegetable Production at the Sind sylvan University, Tandojam by Mohamed A. S. Sakr UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (Unesco) Paris, 1982 Serial No. FMR/ED/OPS/82/23KIDA) IDA/700-PAK-10 Assignment Report (Sakr) FMR/ED/OPS/82/231 (IDA) Paris, 22 June 1982 content PARAGRAPHS INTRODUCTION ( 1 2) AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION UNIVERSITY PROVISION AND NEEDS ( 3 14) Faculties 3- rudimentary Facilities 5- 8 (1) (2) (3) Central Library Laboratories Water and electrical energy (4) 5 6 7 S University Farm 9 dexterity of factory enhance 9 Staffing 10 14 Department of Horticulture 10 (1) (2) (3) Staffing Buildings Equipment 11 13 14 (15 36) ACTIVITIES OF HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT AND consultant 16 20 below calibrate Curricula 21 Postgraduate Curricula 22 29 Vegetable Crops (1) (2) (3) objectives and Methods developing met hods spill output (4) Results 22 23 24 27 28 29 30 32 Student Training- operable manoeuvre and lectures 3 34 Staff Training Research 35 I. INTRODUCTION 1. This chronicle corrects the activities of the advisor in Horticulture and Vega,table Production from 14 frame 1981 to 13 March 1982, in spite of appearance the framework of Credit Agreement No. 678, signed on 18 February 1977 between the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the International instruction Association as addd by the Food and kitchen- tend Organization (FAO) under sub-contract to Unesco. 2. His functions were defined as followsUnder the direction of theVice-chancellor of the University and the Director of the Third Education Project in Pakistan, the Adviser, besides performing such(prenominal) former(a) duties within his competence as might be assigned him, would assist the Universitys mental faculty of floriculture to a) b) Develop curricula and teaching methods for curriculums in ho rticulture c) Prep ar courses on physiologic features affecting the growth of horticultural crops, including day-length, water-stress, soil and air temperatures, fertiliser utilize and uptake, etc. d) Encourage the development and use of innovative methods for teaching horticulture e)Identify localise species which could be use locally for semen production f) I I. bulge and improve look for methods in veggie production Prepare, within the Advisers scene of action of competence, technical documents (manuals, guidelines, brochures, etc. ) to be put at the disposal of the efficiency of Agriculture. AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION UNIVERSITY PROVISION AND NEEDS Faculties 3. The Sind Agricultural University, which developed from the Agricultural College first established at Sakrand in 1939, had in 1982, an enrolment of 1,700 students and whatever(a) 200 teaching tack (not including Research Institute s taff).It has a Division of Basic Sciences, three Faculties Agriculture, Animal Hu sbandry and Veterinary Science, and Agricultural Engineering and a Directorate of Advanced Studies. 4. The largest faculty is that of Agriculture, with 1,252 undergrads and 174 postgraduate students and 88 teaching lag in 1982. It has eleven incisions agronomy, botany and appoint fosterage, unsophisticated lengthening and short courses, agricultural chemistry, agricultural economics, entomology, horticulture, plant protection, plant pathology, statistics and English. -2-Central Facilities (1) Central Library 5. The Adviser considered that the Central Library, which operates the whole University, had inadequate stocks of recent generator books and periodicals, that its use could be increased if its hours of operation were extended from 7. 30 a. m. to 7. 30 p. m. , and that indexing and shelf-storage of books and other materials should be improved. (2) Laboratories 6. A Central Laboratory, the Adviser recommended, should be established for advanced studies, suitably equippe d and staffed with accomplished technicians.There was a claim for a central service to maintain and repair research laboratory equipment and apparatus. He found numerous items to be out of service which could easily spend a penny been repaired. Laboratory assistants were needed for correct laboratory criminal maintenance and operation, and e really department should have access to laboratories suitable for possible work by students, for demonstrations and for research and experimentation by teaching staff and postgraduate students. (3) Water and Electricity 7. The water pressure was inadequate in most laboratories, to the detriment of practical work and experimental projects.Intermittent electrical breakd experiences interfered with the conduct of laboratory experiments which required maintenance of a certain temperature, humidity and lighting. Wiring in some laboratories was inadequate. potential difference fluctuations should be stabilized by voltage regulators where sensit ive apparatus was used. An soupcon power, supply should be available. (4) university Farm 8. The importance of practical go steadying should be reflected by the development of a university farm large enough to serve all three faculties.A committee, headed by the Vice-chancellor, should be responsible for the intend and bid of the farm, with a farm manager in charge of its activities. The farm would be used primarily for training students and for experimental studies, while production of knowledge base crops, fruit and veggies, together with apiculture and fish-farming, could support research activities. Faculty of Agriculture Staffing 9. With 88 teaching staff for 1,426 students, the student-teacher ratio in the Faculty of Agriculture is 116.This makes it difficult for teachers to teach, supervise practical training and research tasks and weigh individually with students. The Adviser considered that the teacherstudent ratio should be 110. -3- Department of Horticulture (1) S taffing 10. The Horticultural Department of the Faculty of Agriculture provides undergraduate and graduate courses in three main fields pomology, olericulture and ornamental horticulture. The teaching staff of viii (a professor, one associate professor, quad assistant professors and two lecturers) should be doubled by the summation of two associates, two assistant professors and intravenous feeding lecturers.A laboratory technician and three assistants, a field assistant for the vegetable tend and a tractor driver (should the Department receive a garden tractor) should also b e provided. For the moment, the University should provide at least a laboratory technician and a field assistant. (2) Buildings (a) Laboratories 11. The Department has two laboratories, one rough 30* x 15 and the other 60 x 3 0, the latter having two store rooms. Considering that this outer space was not enough for undergraduate practical work, the Adviser-recommended the provision of two much laborat ories of 4 0 x 25 . b) 12. Horticultural Structures The Adviser recommended provision of (i) a lath house of 4 0 x 8 0 for propagation and to provide proper shade for seedlings and ornamental shade plants (ii) a glasshouse for tropical leaf plants? (iii) a growth domiciliate for research on environmental clashing on the growth and yield of horticultural plants. If an trade growth chamber cannot b e obtained, an alternative would b e a greenhouse with humidity, light and temperature controls. (c) Post-harvest Structures 1 3. A building is needed for preparing fruit and vegetables for merchandise and torage, de-greening and fruit-curing chambers, cold storage, and preservation of fruit and vegetables. (3) Equipment 1 4. The laboratory equipment is adequate, though some items were in need of repair. Field machinery, for both garden and farm, is provided by the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering. However, the Adviser considered it would be advantageous for the Department to ha ve a 60 hp garden tractor, with trolly and -4- other accessories, plough, cultivator, rotivator, take aimler, pit-digger, driller, power sprayer, etc.This would save cartridge clip now creation lost in borrowing tractors in emergencies, such as one which might arise in connection with sickness and pest control. It would ease problems occurring from the shortage of labour. I II. ACTIVITIES OF HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT AND ADVISER 1 5. Besides advising on staffing and facilities, the Adviser co-operated with Department of Horticulture staff in a number of activities, including the revision of curricula, suppuration of vegetable crops, practical work, training students and staff, and research. Undergraduate Curricula 16..Undergraduate studies in horticulture cover a period of five familys, the courses being forms 1 and 2 Basic science (Intermediate l evel) Year 3 General horticulture Year 4 Fruit and vegetable increase and ornamental horticulture Year 5 Fruit and vegetable production, landscape gardening and general food technology. 1 7. The curricula in the following rural areas were revised. (a) Intermediate level basic science (b) Various major(ip) field horticultural courses (c) Agro-ecology of Sind and Baluchistan (d) major horticultural crops in Sind and Baluchistan e) Problems of fruit and vegetable production in these two provinces. 18. An interim development plan was ready for undergraduate and postgraduate studies. It was agree that the three existing courses in plant-breeding and genetics provided an adequate scientific land in this field and that priority should now go to fruit and vegetable production. To this end, two new courses should be added so that the overall course would let in vegetable growing, vegetable production (two courses) and seed production. 5- 19.In vegetable growing, in addition to the existing areas of definition, classification, soil and climatic requirements, the Faculty should add rotation, green manuring and kitchen garden cultivation. The two courses in vegetable production would give time for major crops to be dealt with in greater detail and for to a greater extent practical training. The area in Sind under vegetable cultivation is increasing steadily as farmers realise its value for cash crops, but the yield is still very low. This is due mainly to lack of knowledge and experience (which the agricultural extension services could provide) and a lack of acceptable seed. 0. A course in vegetables, fruit and ornamental plant seed production should be offered. Students would learn how to collect, harvest, clean, dry, pack and store seeds and they would study seed dormancy, sprouting and treatment, together with methods of breeding self and cross-pollinated crops. Postgraduate Curricula 21. The present postgraduate curricula cover horticultural plant nutrition, plant propagation and fruit production (two p arts). This last should be replaced by two new courses (a) the soil and water rel ations of horticultural plants (b) temperature and water relations of horticultural plants.Optional courses should be introduced for M. Sc. students to supply them with additional training needed in their fields of study. Options could include courses on major horticultural crops and general courses on the improvement of horticultural plants, on growth regulators and on protected cultivation. As most research experiments on vegetables must be conducted at the Agricultural Research Institute at Mirpurkhas, 30 miles away, it was contumacious that priority should be given to raising vegetable crops at Malir, the university Farm,to provide the Horticultural Department with the facilities needed for research.Vegetable Crops (1) Objectives and Methods 22. The main objectives of the Horticultural Department in growing vegetable crops were to provide practical training for staff, students and labourers to become known with problems of vegetable production in Sind to evaluate crops and va rieties, and seed production. It was planned to leave by using two acres in the horticultural garden for growing most of the vegetable crops for practical training, and quaternion acres at Malir Farm for a four-twelvemonth crop rotation. 2 3.Winter vegetables, carrots, radishes, turnips, cauliflowers, spinach and beet, were grown in the garden. The local varieties were identified, evaluated, weighed and measured. Promising varieties of radish, carrot and onion could be improved by breeding. All peas and spinach were of poor quality, most of the peas being dwarf types, with an second-rate plant height of only ten twelve inches. 6- The spinach varieties were prickly-seeded and, during the shortest spend days, started flowering early. The seed stalks had an extremum male-type of inflorescence.Seed of selected suitable varieties of peas and spinach should be imported. (2) Growing Methods (a) Trailed Tomatoes 2 4. Trailing love applees were tried in the open local and imported va rieties were im deep-rooted and supported by iron stakes, galvanised wire and plastic string. Students and labourers were trained to tie the vines to strings, to pinch and remove auxiliary shoots and to apply fertilisers. The trial was successful, the plants rest well throughout the season and bearing -heavily. Later, owing to virus diseases on some vines, all plants were removed and burnt.A second trial was begun in the summer, the tomato vines being shaded by luffa plants ridge calabash (luffa acutangula) and sponge gourd (luffa aegyptica) the small luffa fruit being edible. (b) Soil-level mulches 2 5. Cucurbits bitter gourd (mermodica charanta), tinda or Indian squash (citrullos vulgaris, var fistulosa), tori (luffa s p. ), cucumber and cantalope were grown- early. Seeds were planted on December 21st in hillocks on raised beds cover with clear polyethylene film to form soil-level mulches.Two weeks later, seed emergence was observed, with a minimum temperature o f 6 C. Mini mum and maximum temperatures and germination percentages were recorded. (c) Plastic tunnels 2 6. Plastic come in and mini-tunnels were made of local materials. The mini-tunnels were used for raising nursery plants and for getting tomato, pepper and egg-plant seedlings They gave high germination percentages and well-established seedlings. The walk-in tunnels were used for trailed tomatoes and for cucumbers, temperature and humidity info being recorded. d) Crop rotation 2 7. A site on Malir Farm was selected for growing vegetables as an intercrop on the new mango plantation and an area of four acres was prepared for a fouryear rotation. Vegetables were grown on the farm to provide training in managing a vegetable farm for profitable production, and the rotation was designed to cover the main summer and winter crops. The main factors taken into account when planning the cropping sequence were distribution of the root systems and differences in the uptake of nutrients.All needs for se eds, fertilisers, fungicides and pesticides were estimated, and supply arrangements made, from the beginning. . 7- (3) Seed Production 2 8. Onions, cauliflowers-and spinach were grown on the farm for seed production. Good onion bulbs of two to three inches in diameter were selected, the Phulkara variety being chosen as being an early multifariousness commercially grown on a large scale in Sinds three main districts Hyderabad, Tharparker and Sanghar. Snow white, an imported variety of cauliflower, was also planted for seed production.Spinach seed was sown in two batches, that for seed production being sown early and a fortnight later other small area being sown to ensure adequate pollination. (4) Results 29. This vegetable growing gave ample scope for training staff, students and labourers. Mini-tunnels and plastic soil mulches showed possibilities of change yields and reducing costs. The former, as famous, gave high germination percentages and well-established seedlings, while the latter produced good quality summer crops, advanced by some three to four weeks and with a 25% to 50% increase in yield, with consequent nest egg in water and labour.Visitors were interested in getting information on plastic film tunnels and mulches for growing early tomatoes, egg-plants, chillies, okra, melons and gourds, which all gave high commercialize prices. Student Training practical work and lectures 30. The horticultural garden of about forty acres and the new fifty-acre mango plantation provided ample space for giving students practical training in fruit, vegetables and ornamental horticulture during the academic year 1981/82. Four groups, of 45 third-year general horticulture students, were split into sub-groups, each having its own assignment r e. . in the orchard or vegetable garden, weeding or thinning out, etc. Fourth-year students likewise participated in practical work in ornamental horticulture, trimming hedges and creepers, tending lawns and preparing cutti ngs. Fifth-year students also took part in practical work on vegetable production. 31. In the winter season, when more land is usually available for practical training and demonstration in vegetable growing, work done by third and fifth year students included (a) different ways, of sowing seed by scattering in hillocks, by drilling, (b) aising and tending nursery plants, both in the open and in mini-tunnels (c) weeding, thinning, manuring, applying fertilisers (d) tracking tomatoes and preparing paper p ots, plastic tunnels and mulches. -8 3 2. included In addition, practical garden and farm work for fifth-year students (a) identification of spinach and chard seeds, breeding by observation that spinach is single-seeded while chard and beet are multiple-seeded practice in thinning (b) recognition of spinach sex extreme male, vegetative male, female, and identification of types of inflorescence (c) emonstration of sexual propagation of the potato, honied potato, dalo and garlic. (d) practice in cutting seed tubers into two, three or four pieces according to size and number of eyes cutting of sweet potato vines. Staff Training 33. In-service training of theDepartments teaching staff was carried o ut, directly or indirectly, by visits, practical work and discussions. Most staff members participated, in groups of two to four at a time, in visits to noted farms, progressive vegetable growers, agricultural research institutes, fruit and flower shows, and to seed markets, merchants and growers.The Adviser recommended that more such visits should be made and that the University should have more transportation for this purpose. 3 4. Practical work included vegetable growing and interrogation, plant and seed studies, laying out crop rotations and managing day-to-day operations. discourse topics included undergraduate and postgraduate curricula, teaching methods, laboratory and equipment needs and use, and the plan university development plan. Three topics were pr epared for seminars plastic film tunnels and mulches, rotation and inter-cropping, and vegetable crop nutrition.A seminar was held on the first of these, attended by university staff, growers and guests. Research 35. The Adviser considered the span of one academic year inadequate for the work that the M. Sc. course should comprise attending courses and seminars, laying out the research experiment, collecting data and information, and preparing the thesis. Chemical analysis, he noted. , had not been included in any of the eight M . Sc. experiments on vegetables carried out in the previous seven years, although four were on the use of manure and fertilisers and two on variety tests. 9- 36. octet M. Sc. experiments were due to be conducted at Malir Farm two on methods of carrot seed production, three on onions (two on fertiliser use and the other on spacing), two on okra (on spacing and on testing varieties) and one on manure-testing for chillies. Other experiments proposed included evaluation and improvement of the care qualities of local varieties of vegetables, studies on the optimum sowing dates for the main vegetable crops, and the effects on vegetable crops growth and yields of selected environmental factors and of manure and fertilisers.