The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has lauded the efficient use of nuclear tech applied in the country by the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission’s Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) Faisalabad for the revival of the cotton crop in particular and textile industry in general.
In partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the IAEA is working with local experts to develop and introduce new varieties of cotton that are more resilient and better adapted to the new climate reality in the country. The new types now account for 40 percent of all cotton produced, up from just 25 percent two years ago and from non-existent yield in 2016.
The collaboration between NIAB, IAEA, and FAO includes a long-term technology transfer and capacity-building program.
Having this focus, the partnership has included training, workshops, and fellowships – training Pakistani scientists in plant breeding techniques focused on developing cotton varieties tolerant to drought and high temperatures.
Manzoor Hussain, Deputy Chief Scientist and cotton breeder at NIAB, said, “Year on year variation in yields of the cotton crop due to climate change is not only impacting the farming industry negatively, but it is also straining development of the entire cotton-based value chain in the region. Agriculture is central to Pakistan’s economy, and cotton has a significant role in driving the country’s economy. Through nuclear tech, we can ensure that this economic area remains profitable.”
Ljupcho Jankuloski, a plant breeder and geneticist at the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, said, “Heat stress in cotton resulting from increasing temperatures. The instances of drought can impact the yield and, therefore, the income of farmers.
Through the use of mutation breeding technologies, new varieties that are adapted and resilient to climate change and with improved fiber quality can be used to continue meeting the needs of the population despite changing weather patterns.”
It is to mention here that NIAB is one of the four agriculture centers working under PAEC in Pakistan. These centers have developed a total of one hundred and fifteen (115) varieties of different crops using nuclear techniques. A total of 16 cotton varieties have been produced to date.
It is heartening to know that as per IAEA’s estimates, the four latest types to be released are expected to make up 56 percent of seeds planted throughout the country in the coming months. Through this long-standing collaboration, Pakistani scientists have reached a level of expertise that they can share with neighboring countries in the early stages of mutation breeding.
