Pakistan can offer training to the students of Oman in new agricultural research techniques particularly in the discipline of biotechnology.
This was stated by Dr Muhammad Afzal, Director General Agriculture Research, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute Faisalabad, while briefing students of Sultan Qaboos University Muscat Oman.
Twenty five students who belonged to Crop Sciences discipline of the university are on a study tour under the Inter-ship Programme of the university. The students were briefed about the objectives and working of the institute and were also informed about various research techniques adopted at the institute to develop new and disease free varieties of crop fruit and vegetables.
The students were told in detail about the research achievements of Biotechnology Research Institute. It was revealed that institute has developed high yielding and disease free varieties of wheat and sugarcane. It was also stated that disease free seed of potato has also been produced at the institute by using tissue culture techniques.
The DGA (Research), while highlighting the horticultural research programme of the institute further told that the causes of mango malformation disease has been established and the method to control this disease has also been identified. The students visited various research institutes and laboratories and got acquaintance about the research programmes initiated at the institute.