KARACHI, Feb 25: Another 24 scientific papers were presented by plant scientists at their ongoing national meeting here on Tuesday, discussing problems and their solutions pertaining to plants and other developments in their fields of research.

Most of the papers referred to weather and soil conditions in Pakistan and mew methods to enhance agriculture produce. Besides experts and researchers from different universities of the country, scientists from

Iran also presented their papers.

The 8th national conference, which is being organized by the Pakistan Botanical Society and the Department of Botany, University of Karachi, was inaugurated by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad on Monday.

In some of the papers, effects of industrial and agricultural pollution on biodiversity of natural vegetation, growth of medicinal plants and herbs were discussed. Scientists shared the experiences of some Asian and South Asian countries in the fields of botanical sciences.

They referred to the scarcity of fresh water, particularly in the country’s coastal areas, and said that saline water irrigation could be successfully promoted for cultivation of high-yielding protein crops in these areas. They particularly mentioned that coconut, canola and other oil-seed crops were being grown in saline soil successfully in many countries and that the coastline of Balochistan could be used for this purpose.

Humaira Gul and Dr Rafiq Ahmad from the Bio-saline Research Laboratory, University of Karachi, discussed the effects of nitrogen fertilizers on growth of canal under saline water irrigation and maintained that reproductive yield was comparatively more in nitrogen-amended plants, whereas it was considerably decreased in plants grown under salinity without nitrogen amendment.

Dr H. Akhani of the University of Tehran said that like many other vegetation types, the halophytic vegetation and flora found on high salty soils were in great danger due to overgrazing, drying up of salty wetlands and rivers resulted from construction of dams, converting of natural habitats into agricultural lands, or misuse of water resources and mismanagement of natural resources. He said that the birth of a new salt tolerant halophytic crops plants, selected by local people in south Iran, was among the most interesting historical events of the domestication of crops plants happened in present era.

Dr Mohammad Ajmal Khan, the organizing secretary of the conference, said that there would be thirteen working sessions and recommendations of the scientists’ forum would be framed on Feb 27.

Three poster sessions are also being held on the themes of biodiversity and salinity, plant biotechnology and plant pathology, he added.