Expert hails agreement on wheat innovation

PESHAWAR: Former secretary of Pakistan Tobacco Board and a noted agricultural expert Khan Faraz has appreciated the agreement of China-Pakistan Joint Laboratory for Wheat Germplasm Innovation and Biological Breeding.

The agreement was reached among Hebei Agricultural University (HEBAU), COMSATS University Islamabad and National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB).

Khan Faraz termed the agreement a significant step in boosting the development of wheat seed industry and related sectors in the two brotherly countries. “Pakistan is the 8th largest wheat producing country in the world. Wheat plays a crucial strategic role in both China and Pakistan, and due to different geographical conditions, there is great genetic diversity in wheat germplasm resources between the two countries, exhibiting great potential for wheat variety improvement through germplasm exchange,” Khan Faraz said.

The agricultural expert said that the two sides were jointly conducting research on ‘Rapid Improvement of Starch Quality in Wheat and Cultivation of New Wheat Varieties by Genomics. “Simultaneously, the cooperation between HEBAU and Pakistani institutions is expected to cover basic research, breeding application, cultivation techniques and machinery production for crops including wheat, corn and cotton, and industries of grain, oil, vegetable, fruit and livestock in the future,” Khan Faraz said.