Drought (period of dryness due to shortage of rainfall over months or years) is a potential abiotic stress that harms the plant growth, development and esthetic value. Water shortage (drought) is one of the serious and common stress that harms beauty of landscape plants, which are mainly determined by size, number, colour, luster and shape of leaves, flowers and fruits. Global warming is causing environmental changes and water shortage in different countries of the world including Pakistan, which fall in arid and semi arid regions where rain-fed areas getting severely less rainfall than crops need and irrigated areas do not get continuous water supply round the year. People also use tube wells to fulfill water requirements, which damages our soils by increasing salinity and decreasing ground water table.
Along these natural destructive forces nature has also blessed Pakistan with diverse variety of soils, plants, climate and topography to face such challenges. Landscaping of drought affected areas of the country can be managed by using suitable possible approaches like use of appropriate landscape design along with suitable plant species, use of efficient irrigation systems and management practices.
In Pakistan we are try to focus on landscape plants, which can withstand drought, salinity and high temperature. Plants suggested in these drought affected areas should require less irrigation, pruning, spraying, fertilizing, and are resistant to pest and disease. Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), Salt cedar (Tamarix aphylla), Ber (Ziziphus jujuba), Neem (Melia azedarachta), Bakain (Melia azedarach), Sukhchen (Pongamia glabra), Popular (Populus nigra), Gul-e-nishtar (Erythrina subrosa), Peepal (Ficus religiosa), Pilkhan (Ficus infectoria), Kachnar (Bauhinia alba), Amaltas (Cassia fistula) Kikar (Acacia spp.), Siri (Albizia lebbeck) are famous trees which are mainly suggested for growing in areas under drought stress. Different shrubs growing in these areas are Henna (Lawsonia inermis), Desert rose (Adenium obesum), Jatropha (Jatropha curcas), Lantana (Lantana camara), Oleander (Nerium oleander), Yellow Oleander (Thevetia neriifolia), Queen of night (Cestrum nocturnum), Zinnia (Zinnia elegance), Yellow Trumpetbush (Tecoma stans). On the other hand different annual plants; Celosia, Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), Gazania (Gazania maritima), Hollyhock (Althaea rosea), Amaranth (Gomphrena globosa), Verbena (Verbena hybrida), Statice (Statice limonium), ground covers; Alternanthera (Alternanthera amoeva), Kawaar gandal (Aloe vera), Asparagus (Asparagus falcatus), Crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii), Umbrella plant (Cyperus alterifolius), Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum), vines; Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp), Creeping fig (Ficus pumila), Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Almanda (Allamanda Cathartica), Anemone clematis (Clematis montana), Grasses; Bahiagrass, Bermudagrass Zoysiagrass and Centipedegrass are the main focus in these areas.
By using above the mentioned trees, shrubs, annuals, grounds covers, grasses and variety of cactus we plan to maintain landscape of potential areas, affected by growing drought conditions in Pakistan.
For more information
Dr. Gulzar Akhtar and Dr. Ishtiaq A. Rajwana
Department of Horticulture,
Muhammad Nawaz Shareef University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan
Cell: +92 321 6211912
Gulzar_butt1849yahoo.com; gulzar.akhtar@mnsuam.edu.pk