Provincial Management Service, Govt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa delegation visits UAF

FAISALABAD Feb 6: In the face of food security challenges in the developing world, genetically modified crops are the need of the hour to feed the ever-increasing population and alleviate hunger. It was stated by University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan. He was talking to 93th pre-services course for probation officers of Provincial Management Service, Govt of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa delegation led by Abdul Sattar. Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan said that in Pakistan, multiple times sprays on crops were provoking an increase in toxic material and Maximum Residue Limit whereas GM crops also limits spray to one and make crop healthy. He added that developing countries like Pakistan cannot afford the organic crop amid the pressure of dense population and inadequate resources. Talking about agricultural model in India, he said that in Indian Punjab, Lyallpur Agriculture Model is in place, under which education, research and extension wings were working together under the umbrella of agricultural university. Whereas in Pakistan, education research and extension wings were bifurcated at the dawn 60s. He said that university was supposed to be knowledge creator and keeping in view, UAF was taking all possible measures to produce tangible research work to address the challenge of modern era. He said that every year, the university students left for agricultural fields for two weeks under wheat campaign with Extension Department Punjab to get the firsthand information of the farmers problems and disseminate modern agricultural trends among the farmers. Talking about UAF varieties of different crops, he said that the university had introduced high-yielding and potential varieties of Genetically Modified sugarcane including Insect-resistant transgenic sugarcane and Herbicide-tolerant transgenic sugarcane. These sugarcane varieties are carrying superior traits like input-responsiveness, early maturing, top borer-resistance, herbicide-tolerance and high-number of tillers. It is the second GM sugarcane varieties after the Brazil across the globe. Prof Dr Muhammad Sarwar Khan said that the university had developed varieties of climate resilient wheat with the support of Washington State University will prove to be a milestone. He said that the UAF had introduced new varieties of soybeans which are being promoted among the farmers to get rid of the import. Abdul Sattar lauded the measures being taken on the part of the university to fight the agriculture challenges with tangible research work.