Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission (PC) has said that Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (Parc) is playing a vital role in innovative agricultural research and lauded the efforts of agricultural scientists.
He showed keen interest in alternative agricultural experimentation while witnessing the organic wheat fields, fruit orchards, Kalonji and olive field experiments here at the National Agricultural Research Centre (Narc).
Sardar Asif Ahmed Ali said that organic method of cultivation is very cheap and this technology is best for the small farmers. He was very happy to see the wheat spikes while checking the wheat grains quality and appreciated the scientists. He asked the scientists that they should submit set of projects in various disciplines like bamboo, bio-remediation and integrated farming, along with value addition in horticulture sector.
While speaking on the Bio-Remediation and integrated farming Dr Zafar Altaf said that the technology is vital for reclaiming used-water and matter for organic farming. It is added that 35,000 gallons (per day) used-water from Narc main offices building and hostels are reclaimed for irrigation through using microbes and phytoremediation, he added.
Dr Zafar Altaf said that this low cost appropriate bio-technology can be a break through for solving sanitation problems of rural areas. He further apprised the Chairman, Planning Commission that the technology is also helpful for enhancing organic soil fertility. He said that wheat cultivated with chemical fertilisers has fallen on the ground while the wheat grown through organic methods is standing without any loss.
He said research is going on kalonji, olive, bamboo, stevia and results show that these crops can be cultivated successfully in the country. He explained the new horticultural technologies being investigated as well as new husbandry techniques. He said Parc is introducing mango plants with the height of not more than six or seven feet that will help keep the quality of mangoes. -PR