Salinity stress negatively impacts agricultural yield throughout the world affecting plant production, whether it is for subsistence or economic gain. Salinity threat to global agriculture is also aggravating by becoming more prevalent with the intensity of land use increase worldwide (Meloni et al., 2003; Rangasamy, 2006).

Salinity often reduces shoot growth more than root growth (Läuchli and Epstein, 1990). However, when plants are growing in high salt concentrations, an adequate sequestration of ions in the vacuole can become a limiting factor, especially in the case of glycophytes. In this scenario, undue amounts of Na⁺ accumulated by plants in their cytosol, disrupt many aspects of cellular physiology. Antagonistic effects on nutrient uptake may occur, causing deficiencies, particularly of K⁺ and Ca²⁺ under conditions of excessive Na⁺ content (Shahzad et al., 2012). For example, the physiochemical similarities between Na⁺ and K⁺ lead to competition at transport and catalytic sites that normally bind the essential cation K⁺ and maintaining a high cytosolic K⁺/Na⁺ ratio is believed to improve salt resistance (Maathuis and Amtmann, 1999; Zhu, 2001).  In our project combined treatments of K⁺ and Na⁺ have been added to examine physiological differences with varying salinity levels.

It is expected that exposure of plants to salinity will also result in a wide range of metabolic responses. Intracellular concentration of a range of soluble, neutral organic compounds that are collectively titled as ‘compatible solutes’ are the well explained metabolic changes (Bohnert et al., 1995; Bohnert and Shen, 1998). However, compatible solutes are non-toxic and do not disturb cellular functions even when present in high concentrations (Yancey, 2005). It is believed that the increased concentrations of compatible solutes in the cytoplasm can contribute to reduce the water potential in the cytoplasm by balancing the decreased water potential associated with Na⁺ accumulation in the vacuoles and the extracellular volume (Widodo et al., 2009).

In summary current project focused on metabolic changes in the pea leaves which can increase our physiological knowledge in understanding the salinity tolerance. Also, how combined treatments of K⁺ and Na⁺ can affect the change in leaf metabolites in two salt tolerant (Climax) and salt sensitive (Meteor) cultivars of pea.

Soil condition of high concentrations of soluble salts is called as salinity. The exposure of plant to salinity is termed as salt stress. In arid and semi-arid regions, the salt stress has become a major abiotic stress because of limited rainfall and high evapotranspiration owing to high temperatures. Maize is one of the most important cereal crops of the world. It is considered as salt-sensitive glycophyte plant and exposure to NaCl causes reduction in the shoot and primary root growth significantly. Interestingly, studies have revealed that it was not the turgor or osmotic adjustment which hampered the plant growth in first phase rather the extensibility of the cell wall which inhibited the plant growth. Cell wall is considered to be the main control point for the cell elongation and is affected from the salt stress conditions. Recent studies have shown that in addition to apoplastic pH, some cell wall proteins like expansins (EXP), xyloglucan endotransglucosylase (XET) etc. are also involved in cell wall elongatgion. Histone acetylation associated up-regulation of ZmEXPB2 and ZmXET1 genes under salt stress condition have been recently observed. As histone acetylation and DNA methylation are linked, we aim to identify DNA methylation profile of the promoter regions of cell wall related genes under salt stress conditions in this proposed study.

Cultivation of some salt tolerant varieties of wheat are needed especially in saline areas along with an efficient integrated agronomic (combining the physical, chemical and biological) approach. Besides meeting the poor rural communitys dietary need, it will also have good impacts on global warming through photosynthesis and cooling impact on the local / regional climate.
Majority of the rural communities are facing acute problem of poverty and are living below the poverty line. In developing countries like Pakistan, the development of some practical and economically sound strategies for efficiently utilization of some natural resources can uplift the rural communitys livelihood. In Pakistan most of the cultivatable lands have become unsuitable for cultivation (esp. agricultural crops) because of two major constraints salinity and waterlogging. Earlier statistics confirm that out of 20.8 million hectares of cultivatable area, Pakistan has already around 5.33 million hectares area degraded by alone salinity however, waterlogging has affected around 1.55 million hectares. Large tracts of land in the areas of Hafizabad, Gojra, Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Shorkot, Layya, Rahim Yar Khan, Kohat, Mardan and Charsadda are unsuitable for cultivation because of salinity and sodicity, however, proper management practices through sustainable integrated approaches can improve the livelihood of the poor rural community. Among the several other factors, lack of awareness along with lack of proper management seems to be the major limiting factors in the little or no advancement in this direction. Involvement and demonstration of wheat crop sowing in saline soils through an integrated approach (combination of physical, biological and chemical), we will be capable to combat the salinity issues as well as deal such marginal and very low nutrient lands.
In short, the rural communities of such localities can be benefited through small incentives in the form of provision of quality germplasm of salt tolerant varieties, short-term training with innovative and integrated agronomic approaches and a solution for very low cost water or soil quality management.

Objectives of the Project:

1.      To investigate severity of heavy metal pollution in arable soils and crops irrigated with industrial effluent,

2.      To examine the effectiveness of co-compost amendment to mitigate extractable fractions of heavy metals in contaminated soils,

3.      To compare the efficacy of co-composted material on the growth, characterization and bioavailability of heavy metals to vegetable shoot from contaminated soils,

4.      To demonstrate the efficient waste amendment directly in the field on heavy metals dynamics.

5.      To correlate the uptake of heavy metals to the fractions of heavy metals found in the amended soils,

6.      To ascertain the efficacy of co-compost for moderating heavy metals in the soil surface runoff.

7.      To strengthen and create research opportunities for students at COMSATS for sustainable development of environment.

Estimation of farm level technical efficiency in maize production in the high mountains North region of Pakistan

Recycling of Co-composted livestock manures ameliorates heavy metal pollution in soil

Changes in plant nutrient in soil under different land use systems and predicted climatic conditions of Diamer Division, Gilgit-Baltistan

This project  will deal with the prevailing conditions of Air pollutants and  provide a clear line between the devise standards and permissive limits of these dangerous pollutnats