LAHORE: A leading Pakistani seed company has claimed to make a breakthrough by developing a hybrid wheat seed, with the Chinese assistance, having 40 percent more per acre yield than the conventional varieties.
“We are in the process of developing a hybrid wheat seed for the last four years to have a quantum yield jump. We have succeeded in increasing the production by 40 percent from a hybrid developed with the local varieties and Chinese hybrid, but intend to bring it for commercial cultivation with a potential of having 100 per cent more yield,” said the Company’s CEO Shahzad Ali Malik while talking to Business Recorder here on Monday.
During the current season, 25 acres have been brought under trial cultivation across the country. Plots of one acre each have been sown in Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan at 25 different places to test the yield and suitability to different weather pattern.
It is hoped that the desired results would be achieved in next two years and after fulfilling the registration process, the new seed would be available for commercial sowing in four years time from now, Shahzad added.
He hoped that the new hybrid wheat seed having all the traits of local variety would give 100 percent more yield than the present average yield of 30-35 maunds per acre. Though Chinese seed wheat had longer maturity period but amalgamation of local and Chinese traits would give the maturity period equal to current conventional Pakistani wheat varieties.
Shahzad further said that they are also working on developing a hybrid for cotton. He was of the view that farmers can be attracted back to sowing of cotton only with better and strong seeds having more per acre yield.
He said his company had introduced rice hybrid initially in Sindh, which revolutionized the sector with giving more than 100 per cent yield bringing prosperity to the farmers and the economy of the country.
To a question, he said their company had also introduced heat tolerant and drought tolerant rice seed to bear the brunt of harsh weather and keeping in mind the water shortage they are also working to introduce such seeds of other crops too.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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