A Primary source of authentic news and information about academics, extra-curriculum activities, policy perspective a n d i n s t i t u t i o n development.

Volume ( 3 ) , Number ( 5 ) March 01- March 15, 2018

01-15 March, 2018

BULLETINThis edition includesThis edition includesThis edition includesŸ 10-Years, 10-Miles Agriculture

Research Plan of AVS

Ÿ L A U N C H I N G C E R E M O N Y O F

VEGETABLE NURSERY MARKETING

Ÿ INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON

PLANT BASED FOODS: CURRENT

S C E N A R I O A N D F U T U R E

PERSPECTIVES

Ÿ S P R I N G F E S T I V A L 2 0 1 8 –

INNOVATIVE BUSINESS PLAN AND

FOOD EXPO

Ÿ V A C C I N A T I O N C A M P F O R

PREVENTING SEASONAL FLU

Ÿ OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OF PLANT

FOR LIFE SOCIETY

Ÿ SIGNING of MOU WITH PAKISTAN

METEOROLOGY DEPARTMENT

Ÿ INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

2018

Ÿ BLOOD AND SUGAR SCREENING

CAMP AT MNSUAM

Ÿ HEC 41ST INTERVARSITY FEMALE

BADMINTON TOURNAMENT

Ÿ WEED ERADICATION AWARENESS

SEMINAR

10-Years, 10-Miles Agriculture Research Plan of AVS

Mr. Arshad Jamil and his son Dr. Amin Abdul Ghani, from New Jersey (USA) visited Muhammad Nawaz Sha ree f Un i ve rs i t y o f Agriculture, Multan to meet Ag r i cu l t u r e Vo l un t ee r Society (AVS) members, observe progress of AVS projects, present innovative 1 0 -Ye a r s , 1 0 - M i l e s Agriculture research plan, and help IT team of AVS to

develop 'Agriculture Field Database' as part of 10-Years, 10-Miles Agriculture research plan.E n g r . A r s h a d J a m i l explained the volunteers how their projects would help improve the decades old agriculture in Pakistan to save water, improve soil health to enhance yield and reduce input prices. Engr. Arshad Jamil himself went

t o m e e t f a r m e r s a n d informed them about the use of simple cost-effective approaches that can boost yields and net returns. He was of the view that being poor country, Pakistan can neither have big research centers like in developed world with thousands of engineers and scientists nor spend huge amount of money on research. In an

interactive session with f a c u l t y m e m b e r s h e presented the innovative approach to replicate the model of big research centers of developed world in our universities through coordinated work between volunteers, postgraduate students, researchers and faculty members. Through this model MNSUAM aims to reduce Remaining P#2

The meeting of Mr. Arshad Jamil with AVS members and visit to farmers eld

activities regarding Kitchen Gardening and Hydroponics

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Remaining: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PLANT BASED FOODS

of plant based food, impact of agricultural practices on quality and safety of plant based food, advances in p r o c e s s i n g a n d preservation of plant based food, post-harvest handling and losses of plant based food, food safety issues of plant based food. Around 200 abstracts were received and evaluated for o r a l a n d p o s t e r presentations. Amongst, 45

oral presentations were delivered from foreign as well as national speakers. The foreign speakers were from Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, China and Oman. Par ticipants from al l over Pakistan participated in the event. A f o o d e x p o w a s a l s o a r r a n g e d w i t h t h e collaboration of various food industries. Dr. Zafar

Tanveer, Vice-Chancellor of Nishtar Medical University was the chief guest of the inauguration ceremony. He appreciated the efforts of MNSUAM to develop a platform for the researchers to come out and share their ideas. The VC of MNS-UAM Prof. Dr. Asif Ali emphasized on the signicance of plant based food for a healthy life style. He applauded the efforts of the organizers. At

the end of the conference, honorable VC of MNSUAM distributed shields and souvenirs to the speakers and sponsors. An MOU between MNSUAM and U n i v e r s i t y o f S r i Jayewardenepura was also signed at the moment for future col laborat ion in research and academics.

Glimpses of international seminar on plant based foods

SPRING FESTIVAL 2018 INNOVATIVE BUSINESS PLAN AND FOOD EXPO

Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics, and Depar tment of Food Science and Technology organized an Innovative Business Plan competition on the last day of the Spring Festival-2018. The event c o v e r e d p r o d u c t a n d services based business plans as well a plant based food products and related

businesses. Teams from different universities of Multan including Bahauddin Z a k a r i y a U n i v e r s i t y, Education University, Air University, MNSUAM and others participated in these competitions. The activity was carried out to promote plant-based food products for a healthy life style, and encouraging people to

refrain from the use of fast foods, especially among the youth. Another objective was to inculcate the culture of entrepreneurship and va lue add i t ion among students' and disseminate innovative business ideas. Panel of Judges comprised of Prof. Dr. Saeed Akhtar (Chairman, Department of Food Science, BZU), Dr.

Ahmad Jailani (Managing Director, Global Feeds), Mr. Muzzafar Iqbal (General Manager, Suncrop) and Mr. Ammar Haider (Lecturer, University of Education). Teams from Educat ion University, and MNSUAM jointly clinched the rst pos i t ion by des ign ing “Oregano Peelo and Potato Garden”, Remaining P#4

Glimpses of Innovative business plan competition and food expo

01-15 March, 2018Page 2

Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture Multan, in collaboration with AIP, USAID, PARC and C I M M Y T o r g a n i z e d launching ceremony of v e g e t a b l e n u r s e r y marketing on March 04, 2018 for 75 Students (25% female s tudents) , and Faculty members in the Seminar Hall, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture Multan. The event focused on the sale of

healthy, disease and pest free vegetable nursery to students and l l ing of Performa by nursery buyers f o r p r o p e r f e e d b a c k , advisor y ser v ices and experience sharing. This ceremony enabled the student to transplant these nursery plants in their kitchen gardens. Mr. Shaikh Moazam Ahmad , CEO SNIFA inaugurated the ceremony, and appreciated the promotion of kitchen

gardening through ready to t r a n s p l a n t v e g e t a b l e nursery. He said that people w h o e a t f r u i t s a n d vegetables as part of their daily diet have a reduced r i sk o f many ch ron ic diseases. Kitchen gardening is the only option which provide us healthy and chemical free vegetables, he added. He shared his experiences when he was country head seed business Syngenta Pakistan and used

old stock (leftover) of seed in his house for kitchen g a r d e n i n g . P r o f . D r. Hammad Nadeem Tahir, Director QEC, Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, thanked the students and organizers for organizing the event, Mr. Shaikh Moazam Ahmad and Prof. Dr. Hammad Nadeem Tahir acknowledged donor agencies for providing funding for this useful community oriented project.

LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF VEGETABLE NURSERY MARKETING

t h e u s e o f w a t e r i n agriculture should from 90% to 60% and reduce soil pH value from 8.5 to 7.5, in next 10 years, around 10-miles radius of the university.

Dr. Amin Abdul Ghani (son of Engr. Arshad Jamil) gave a c o m p r e h e n s i v e presentation on 'Application of Big Data Analytics in Ag r i cu l t u re ' t o t he I T

s t u d e n t s a n d f a c u l t y members. He also guided the AVS IT team to develop t he ' Ag r i cu l t u r e F i e l d Database' (AFD). MNSUAM VC, Pro f. D r. As i f A l i

appreciated the dedicated efforts of the family for the betterment of agriculture in Multan and said that this AVS team has the potential to achieve everything.

Remaining: VISITED MNSUAM

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PLANT BASED FOODS: CURRENT SCENARIO AND

FUTURE PERSPECTIVESThe Depar tment of Food Science and Technology of MNSUAM organized an international conference on “Plant Based Foods: Current

S c e n a r i o a n d F u t u r e Perspectives” dated 5–6th March, 2018 with the aim to bring together academia, research, and industry to

exchange and share their experiences and research n d i n g s w i t h s p e c i a l emphasis on plant based foods. The conference

covered diverse themes like role of plant based food in human nutrition and diet, f unc t i ona l and hea l t h potentials Remaining P#3

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Remaining: SPRING FESTIVAL 2018 INNOVATIVE BUSINESS PLAN AND FOOD EXPO

respectively. The MNSUAM and BZU teams joint ly bagged second position for Hydroponic Farming for Kitchen Gardening, and Aloe Vera Tofee, respectively. Third position was shared b y t w o t e a m s f r o m MNSUAM; one team led by Dr. Amar Matloob for Revival of the Lost Cereal: Cheena

and its Food Products and t he o t he r compr i s i ng MNSUAM students of the university made 'Plungs and Things'. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, VC, MNSUAM said that the act iv i ty was a imed a t introducing innovative ideas along with entertainment for the general public. He added

that the University is trying to equip students and other stakeholders with new trends in Agriculture sector. Among the distinguished guests of Spring Festival 2018 were Dr. Rana Veera, Dr. Jaya Sangi , H. N. Fernando, S. Gala Pathi (Sri Lanka), Dr. Khudayberdi Nazarov (Uzbekistan), Dr.

Hasnain Esa (Malaysia), Dr. S inghoun Park (South Korea), Mr. Shahbaz Ali (Dubai), Dr. Amanat Ali ( O m a n ) , M i s s N i k u n ( I n d o n e s i a ) , M e m b e r Pun j ab Assemb ly Mr. Mazhar Abbas Raan, Mr. Rana Shahid ul Hassan and Mr. Zahid Hussain Gardezi.

VACCINATION CAMP FOR PREVENTING SEASONAL FLUA vaccination camp for seasonal inuenza H1N1 was arranged at MNSUAM o n M a r c h 0 7 , 2 0 1 8 . Faculty, staff and students were vaccinated free of cost. Dr. Atta ur Rehman ( R e g i o n a l D i r e c t o r, Communicable Diseases Center, Multan) inaugurated the camp. He said that a m a s s i v e a w a r e n e s s c a m p a i g n h a s b e e n launched to make the

people aware of the disease outbreak and to save precious human lives. He said that this vaccination drive is being launched on e m e r g e n c y b a s i s . I n addition to the vaccines, the doctors other personal p r o t e c t i v e m e a s u r e s against inuenza including regular hand washing with proper drying of the hands, good respiratory hygiene such as covering mouth A faculty member is being vaccinated for seasonal u

and nose when coughing or s n e e z i n g , e a r l y s e l f -isolation of those feeling unwell, feverish or having o t h e r s y m p t o m s o f inuenza, and avoiding close contact with sick people should be adopted. F e v e r , s o u r t h r o a t ,

headache, body ache, cough and upper respiratory t ract infect ion are the symptoms of the disease. He sa i d t ha t i f t hese symptoms were not treated properly, it could lead to l owe r- t r ac t i n f ec t i on , laryngitis, bronchitis, lungs

infection and pneumonia, which could become fatal for the patient. Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, VC, MNSUAM also visited the camp and got vaccinated. He said the as an institution, we are very much concern about the health of our student and

staff, and this camp is an effor t to take preventive measures and ensure that they are properly vaccinated a g a i n s t t h e d i s e a s e outbreak.

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OF PLANT FOR LIFE SOCIETYThe Plants for Life Society of MNSUAM organized a one day training workshop in SOS Village School, Multan to highlight the signicance o f k i t chen ga rden ing , balanced diets for a healthy life style, and tree plantation

drive. The central idea was to disseminate the need of healthy life style, clean and green environment, and create the affection for plants. Under the awareness campaign about Kitchen Gardening Project, students

were informed that by growing vegetables at home, they would be able to get fresh veggies. Further, by cultivating vegetables at home, people could avoid vegetables being grown using contaminated water.

The participants were given vegetable nursery plants for plantation at their homes. Dr. Muqarrab Ali (Assistant Pro fessor, Agronomy) demonstrated the planting methods and management aspects Remaining P#5

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Remaining: OUTREACH ACTIVITIES OF PLANT FOR LIFE SOCIETY

Page 5

of vegetables for kitchen gardening. Miss Afshan Sha ( Lec t u r e r, Food Science and Technology) highlighted the role of fruits and vegetables for up gradation of health status.

She urged the students to eat plant based foods. Talking on the occasion, Ms. Qurat-ul-Ain and Mr. Nazim e m p h a s i z e d o n t h e signicance of trees to the students. Trees contribute

to the environment by p r o v i d i n g o x y g e n , improv ing a i r qua l i t y, c l ima t e ame l i o r a t i on , c o n s e r v i n g w a t e r , p r e s e r v i n g s o i l , a n d supporting the wildlife, they

added further. At the end, gifts from MNSUAM VC, Prof. Dr. Asif Ali and faculty were distributed among students.

SIGNING of MOU WITH PAKISTAN METEOROLOGY DEPARTMENT

On March 08, 2018, a M e m o r a n d u m o f Understanding (MoU) was signed between MNSUAM and Pakistan Meteorological Department, Islamabad to e s t a b l i s h w e a t h e r

mon i to r i ng sys tem a t Jalalpur Pirwala Research Farm of the University. The purpose to instal l this system is to get precise and timely information about weather so that the farmers

of the area can be informed well in time about weather forecasts so that they could take necessary measures to protect their crops and obtain more production. The MoU was signed by Prof. Dr.

Asif Ali, VC, MNSUAM, and Dr. Ghulam Rasool, Director G e n e r a l , P a k i s t a n Meteorological Department. The weather monitoring system would be the rst if its kind in this area.

MOU signing ceremony between MNSUAM and Pakistan Meteorological Department

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2018The International Women's Day was observed on 8th March, 2018 at MNSUAM to celebrate and acknowledge the role and achievements of women. The motive

behind observing the day was to honor the women associated with MNSUAM and provide information to the people about women's rights and highlight their

importance in the society. At this occasion, the female students of the University pasted sticky notes to pay tribute to popular women of Pakistan. The students also

participated in awareness walk and seminar held in t h i s c o n n e c t i o n . T h e participants at the events highlighted role of women in social Remaining P#6

Glimpses of women day celebration at MNSUAM

01-15 March, 2018Page 7

WEED ERADICATION AWARENESS SEMINAR

An awareness seminar on weed erad icat ion was organized on March 15, 2018 by MNSUAM. A vast g r o u p o f s c i e n t i s t s , stakeholders, growers, f a r m e r s a n d l o c a l community was invited to attend the seminar. Prof. Dr. Asif Ali chaired the session and warmly welcomed the h o n o r a b l e g u e s t s , par ticipants from South Punjab Agriculture Forum and farming community of the region. He appreciated this well-planned and timely initiative. He emphasized on the need of effective weed control for successful crop production. Prof. Dr. Shafqat S a e e d ( D e a n , FA & S , M N S UA M ) d i s c u s s e d emerging challenges and associated trade-offs for weed management. He highlighted that weeds

provide habitat for both, harmful and benecial insects, and may become the host for many crop diseases. Therefore, we must d i f ferent iate and carefully set up the weed e r a d i c a t i o n p l a n s b y a p p l y i n g h o l i s t i c approaches to secure b iod ivers i ty, min imize associated yield loses to ensure food security.M r. M u h a m m a d I q b a l ( A g r o n o m i s t , C o t t o n Research Institute Multan) discussed the impor tant weeds of cotton, losses caused by them and their con t ro l measures . He further shared his research e x p e r i e n c e o f w e e d management with audience and initiated a thought provoking discussion with the participants. Dr. Amar M a t l o o b ( A s s i s t a n t

Professor, Depar tment of Ag ronomy, MNSUAM) discussed challenges and p r o s p e c t s o f w e e d management in Pakistan. He pointed out that weed p r o b l e m h a s b e c o m e increasingly impor tant in the backdrop of increasing popu la t i on , dw ind l i ng natural resource base, climate change, evolution of resistant biotypes, weed o ra sh i f t s and mos t importantly enormous yield losses in almost all major crops. He also discussed prospects and pragmatic approaches to overcome weed menace in agro-ecosystems. He postulated that with efcient weed control , y ie lds can be increased up to 30% which will be a step ahead towards food security. Dr. Muhammad Faisal, from

Messay University of New Zealand pointed out that vigorous and healthy crop stands are less prone to weed compet i t ion and pathogen attack. Therefore, breeding approaches to get better crop plants should be dev ised. An exc lus ive thought provoking question-answer and discussion session also took place. S t u d e n t s a c t i v e l y participated in this session. Mr. Rana Ahmed Munir (D i r ec to r, Ag r i cu l t u r e Extension Multan) provided h i s v a l u a b l e comments/suggestions. Af ter this session, the seminar ended with vote of thanks by Prof. Dr. Ishtiaq Ahmad Rajwana (Pro-VC, MNSUAM).

Glmpses of HEC intervarsity female badminton tournament

01-15 March, 2018Page 6

and economic life of the country. Speaking to the participants of the seminar, Prof. Dr. Asif Ali, Vice Chancellor, said that Quaid-e-Azam, Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah always presented

himself as a modern Muslim leader and had a clear point of view that women could not be conned to their households. He added that today we need to make a promise that we'll honor our

women and give them respect they deserve. He acknowledged that women have spec i a l wo rk i ng capabilities and they have played a vital role in success story of this institution. He

fur ther emphasized on w o m e n ' s r o l e i n t h e development of the country while working side-by-side men in every eld and without any fear.

Remaining: INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

HEC 41ST INTERVARSITY FEMALE BADMINTON TOURNAMENT

The MNSUAM organized the s t HEC's 41 All Pakistan

I n t e r v a r s i t y F e m a l e Badminton Tournament at Sports Ground Gymnasium o n M a r c h 1 3 , 2 0 1 8 (Tuesday). As many as 22 teams of universities from a c r o s s t h e c o u n t r y p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e tournament wherein around 150 players featured. Prof.

Dr. Asif Ali, Vice Chancellor and Mr. Nadir Chattha, Depu ty Commiss ioner, Multan jointly inaugurated the tournament. Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Dr. Asif Ali urged the female students to par ticipate in spor ts actively because it would help to keep them healthy. The Vice Chancellor stated that female students were

Glmpses of HEC intervarsity female badminton tournament

not behind men in any sports these days. Mr. Nadir Cha t tha sa id tha t t he MNSUAM had taken a good initiative by holding the tournament. He said that par ticipation of a good number of players had added colours to the activity. A large number of University students besides Prof. Dr. Ir fan Baig (Dean, SS&H, MNSUAM), Mr. Arqam Iqbal

(Director Sports, MNSUAM) and other ofcials were present at the opening ceremony.The tournament lasted for three days and was played on knockout basis. Matches of pre-quarter nal stage w e r e d e c i d e d o n t h e opening day. On the second day of tournament, quarter nal matches were played and semi-nal and nal

matches were scheduled for third day. The team of Punjab University, Lahore won the tournament and Iqra University, Karachi were the runners up. Third position was grabbed by Lahore College for Women University, Lahore. At the end of the tournament, a closing ceremony was held wherein Mr. Haji Ata Ur Rehman (Chief Executive,

AllahDin Group) was the Chief Guest. He distributed cash prizes and trophies among the winning teams; the team on rst position got a cash p r i ze o f PKR. 10,000/- runners up team was awarded with a cash prize of PKR. 7500/- and the team at third position was given a cash prize of PKR. 5000/-.

Inauguration of HEC intervarsity female badminton tournament