Veena Annadana
Well-Known Member
Organic farming alternative to chemical agriculture: PARC chief
ISLAMABAD: Organic farming is alternate to chemical agriculture, said, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Chairman Dr Zafar Altaf, adding root tuber crops and field crops like beans, rice and salicornia, maize crops were being cultivated with saline water.
The PARC chairman stated this while briefing the Malaysian minister for agriculture along with a six-member delegation who called on him at the PARC headquarters on Monday.
It is pertinent to mention that Malaysia delegation headed by minister of agriculture Malaysia and agro-based industry Malaysia was currently on a visit to Pakistan for collaboration in the field of agriculture.
In a briefing Dr Altaf said all organic materials available in the country have nutrient capability, which was 10 times the amount of chemical fertilizers currently being used by the farmers. He apprised the delegation that bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticide, bio-herbicide production units and olive oil extraction plants and mango harvesting and pre-cooling will bring radical changes in the country.
He said Jatropha plantation at AZRI Bahawalpur was in progress. He said that PARC was moving towards hybrid crops production in cotton, wheat, rice, maize, sunflower, canola and vegetables, which included tomato, brinjal, bitter gourd and okra. Briefing about dry aerobic rice culture he said more yield in aerobic planting than flooded planting saved about 38 percent water or 7 irrigations over the continuous flooded rice.
The PARC chairman gave detailed briefing on horticultural crops, under-utilised crops, roots and herbs, bio products, bio-remediation, used water treatment for irrigation research at NARC, urban agriculture, agriculture mechanisation and drip sprinkler irrigation, bio fuel plants.
Speaking on the benefits of these technologies he said that these were environment friendly, impact on efficiency, cost affectivity, new strategies, marketing, and low input crop to restore land fertility.
Briefing on honey products development research and skills centre he said that establishing a bee company as a public-private partnership would improve the techniques for production of honey and its bi-products, value-addition and transfer of technologies to farmers.
He also briefed about Halla Dairy Cooperatives, other livestock initiatives by the PARC, microbial genetic resources, introduction of Sannen Dairy Goat, upscaling of Halla Dairy Cooperative (Idara-e-Kissan), gender mainstreaming initiative, agricultural poly-technique and strengthening of agriculture.
Malaysian delegation showed keen interest in the PARC research activities being carried out in the country for development of agriculture sector. Malaysian agriculture minister appreciated the role of the PARC scientists and said that they like collaboration in various agriculture disciplines. staff report
ISLAMABAD: Organic farming is alternate to chemical agriculture, said, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council Chairman Dr Zafar Altaf, adding root tuber crops and field crops like beans, rice and salicornia, maize crops were being cultivated with saline water.
The PARC chairman stated this while briefing the Malaysian minister for agriculture along with a six-member delegation who called on him at the PARC headquarters on Monday.
It is pertinent to mention that Malaysia delegation headed by minister of agriculture Malaysia and agro-based industry Malaysia was currently on a visit to Pakistan for collaboration in the field of agriculture.
In a briefing Dr Altaf said all organic materials available in the country have nutrient capability, which was 10 times the amount of chemical fertilizers currently being used by the farmers. He apprised the delegation that bio-fertilizer, bio-pesticide, bio-herbicide production units and olive oil extraction plants and mango harvesting and pre-cooling will bring radical changes in the country.
He said Jatropha plantation at AZRI Bahawalpur was in progress. He said that PARC was moving towards hybrid crops production in cotton, wheat, rice, maize, sunflower, canola and vegetables, which included tomato, brinjal, bitter gourd and okra. Briefing about dry aerobic rice culture he said more yield in aerobic planting than flooded planting saved about 38 percent water or 7 irrigations over the continuous flooded rice.
The PARC chairman gave detailed briefing on horticultural crops, under-utilised crops, roots and herbs, bio products, bio-remediation, used water treatment for irrigation research at NARC, urban agriculture, agriculture mechanisation and drip sprinkler irrigation, bio fuel plants.
Speaking on the benefits of these technologies he said that these were environment friendly, impact on efficiency, cost affectivity, new strategies, marketing, and low input crop to restore land fertility.
Briefing on honey products development research and skills centre he said that establishing a bee company as a public-private partnership would improve the techniques for production of honey and its bi-products, value-addition and transfer of technologies to farmers.
He also briefed about Halla Dairy Cooperatives, other livestock initiatives by the PARC, microbial genetic resources, introduction of Sannen Dairy Goat, upscaling of Halla Dairy Cooperative (Idara-e-Kissan), gender mainstreaming initiative, agricultural poly-technique and strengthening of agriculture.
Malaysian delegation showed keen interest in the PARC research activities being carried out in the country for development of agriculture sector. Malaysian agriculture minister appreciated the role of the PARC scientists and said that they like collaboration in various agriculture disciplines. staff report