Research
Spectral Characteristics and Mapping of Rice Fields using Multi-Temporal Landsat and MODIS Data: A Case of District Narowal
Availability of remote sensed data provides powerful access to the spatial and temporal information of the earth surface. Real-time earth observation data acquired during a cropping season can assist in assessing crop growth and development performance. As remote sensed data is generally available at large scale, rather than at field-plot level, use of this information would help to improve crop management at broad-scale. Utilizing the Landsat TM/ETM+ ISODATA clustering algorithm and MODIS (Terra) the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and enhanced vegetation index (EVI) datasets allowed the capturing of relevant rice cropping differences. In this study, we tried to analyze the MODIS (Terra) EVI/NDVI (February, 2000 to February, 2013) datasets for rice fractional yield estimation in Narowal, Punjab province of Pakistan. For large scale applications, time integrated series of EVI/NDVI, 250-m spatial resolution offer a practical approach to measure crop production as they relate to the overall plant vigor and photosynthetic activity during the growing season. The required data preparation for the integration of MODIS data into GIS is described with a focus on the projection from the MODIS/Sinusoidal to the national coordinate systems. However, its low spatial resolution has been an impediment to researchers pursuing more accurate classification results and will support environmental planning to develop sustainable land-use practices. These results have important implications for parameterization of land surface process models using biophysical variables estimated from remotely sensed data and assist for forthcoming rice fractional yield assessment.
Leptochloa Fusca Cultivation for Utilization of Salt-Affected Soil and Water Resources in the Cholistan Desert
In the Cholistan Desert, 0.44 million ha are salt-affected low lying and clayey in nature locally known as 'dhars', where rainwater as well as saline groundwater could be utilized for growing salt grasses like Leptochloa fusca as forage during summer. L. fusca is a promising candidate grass for economic utilization and better management of sodic, high pH, saline soil and water resources of the Cholistan Desert. L. fusca is known to be a versatile, halophytic, primary colonizer, easily propagatable, perennial, nutritive and palatable forage plant species. The grass has the good biomass producing potential and can grow equally well both under upland and submerged saline soil environment.
Run-Off Farming in Reducing Rural Poverty in the Cholistan Desert
This study provides an overview of the potential impact of employing indigenous rainwater- harvesting technology in alleviating poverty in the Cholistan Desert of Pakistan. Ideal characteristics for run-off farming catchments result from the combination of landforms and soil properties. Many soils in the region exhibit low to very low infiltration and high levels of run-off. It has been demonstrated that there is a direct relationship between water availability and poverty reduction. This study outlines both the advantages and disadvantages of the indigenous rainwater-harvesting technology in reducing rural poverty and recommends its use with modern water harvesting techniques
