In the wake of one-forth of arable area of Pakistan hit by salinity and low rainfall in most parts, biotechnology has the potential to offer urgent and indigenous solutions in the form of evolving salinity-drought tolerant crops to attain national food security. This was stated by Dr Kauser Abdullah Malik, Secretary, National Commission on Biotechnology (NCB) and Member (Biosciences), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) while giving a briefing on the eve of one-day moot of biotechnologists.
The moot was convened by the NCB to evolve strategy to counter the twin menace of salinity and drought here, on Thursday in the auditorium of Pakistan Council for Science and Technology.
He said the priority of the research for evolution of crops resistant to drought/salinity can be gauged from the fact that agricultural produce constitutes 25 percent of the GDP and engages more than 50 percent of total job market in the country.
Dr Kauser said Pakistan had already made a good beginning in evolution of some species of trees, fodder and crops having economic worth through application of nuclear and molecular techniques, which are resistant to salinity.
The PAEC apart from its utilisation in the country, is supplying this technology to nine IAEA member countries, he added.
But, now more such food and cash crop varieties are required to be evolved for extensive benefit to the national economy, he added.
He said through the use of this technology, already 25,000 acres of saline lands in the country were being put to use through Farmers Participatory Programme under a central government project worth Rs 178 million.
Dr Kauser said that conventional engineering methods of salinity control are unaffordably expensive and time consuming, therefore, introduction of crop varieties, which can grow on saline lands, as such has superior and immediate economic dividends.
The benefits of crop varieties growing in saline and arid lands are socially important as well because presently these unproductive lands force the people to migrate from such places to urban centres for livelihood.
With salt tolerant crops, these areas would again offer opportunities for survival and bring back their inhabitants, he informed.
Dr Kauser said drought resistant crops would add to the total national cultivated area thus raising the country's income and converting arid areas into livable and likable localities.
The purpose of this national moot of biotechnologists is to initiate research projects in the institutes represented in the moot and also to prepare a national project aiming at countering the adverse effects of salinity and drought.
These deliberations of biotechnologists come at the heels of a recently concluded international conference on "Biotechnology for Salinity and Drought Resistance in Crops" in which partnerships for joint research on the subject with developed countries like US and others were consolidated.
The national institutions on biotechnology represented in this national moot include National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (PAEC), Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology (PAEC), Agriculture University, Faisalabad, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology, Punjab University, Karachi University, Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (PAEC), University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi, National Agricultural Research Council, and Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NWFP).