Crop improvement by utilisation of both conventional plant breeding and biotechnology is imperative to attain better yield in the agri sector besides moving forward and research in bio sciences, said Dr Anwar Nasim, Chairman, National Commission on Bio-Technology (NCBT) here on Monday.
Pakistan is agro based country, and more than 60 percent population is directly or indirectly involved in the agriculture and use of latest research in this field would lead towards betterment in this field, Dr Nasim said while addressing the inaugural session of the three day national workshop on "Crop Improvement, Conventional and Bio-technological Approaches", organised by Plant Breeding and Genetics Department of University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi (UAAR).
"We want improved crop having high resistance against diseases and insects and without using latest techniques it would remain a dream," he said adding that people have reservations regarding the use of modern technology and techniques in agri-sector. Both media and scientists should join hands to create public awareness about use of technology, he maintained.
"On national level, we have a problem of working together and now these trends should come to an end and agriculture scientists and agriculturists should work together", Dr Nasim, who is also Advisor to OIC Standing Committee on Science and Technological Co-operation (Comstech), said.
Dr Nasim said that the plant biotechnology provides novel vistas for the crop improvement but it still remain a tool of creating new variation, basis for plant breeding.
He said that the 21st century was widely considered as the century of bio-sciences, especially genetics. Since discovery of Mendel's work and afterwards the elucidation of DNA double helix structure research in genetics and its utilisation have been gaining more pace, he added.
Conventional breeding methods created plant genotypes, which were shorter in stature and responsive to increased inputs, Dr Nasim said adding biotechnology is brining wonderful changes in all fields of life sciences after development in molecular biology.
As a result of increase in use of biotechnological techniques, this year was declared as year of biotechnology, he said.
He praised the efforts of UAAR in the field of research in agriculture sector saying that the research work of the university would help in brining green revolution in country.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Khalid Mehmood, Vice Chancellor of UAAR said three modern techniques were imperative for crop improvement, which includes conventional technique, radiational technique and biotechnological technique. "Without involving all three, the desired results in crop improvement and agri development would not be attained", he said.
He said with brining these three techniques together, farmer would be able to increase productivity, improve quality and reduce the cost of production. He said that the focus of the university (UAAR) was on research particularly on applied research for benefit of farming community.
He said that main objective of holding this workshop or any such activities was to bring together and to create communication channel between the conventional plant breeders and bio-technologists from various research institutes and the university academicians. It was designed in a way to acquaint the young scientists and researchers with conventional and biotechnological tools of crop breeding, he added.