The adoption of maize-soybean intercropping in Pakistan marks a considerable development in the nation’s farming landscape, driven by cooperation in between Pakistani and Chinese researchers. This farming practice, coming from China, has actually been effectively executed throughout all provinces of Pakistan, thanks to the efforts of the National Research Center of Intercropping (NRCI) at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur.
The journey started with Pakistani researchers obtaining the innovation from their Chinese equivalents and carrying out speculative trials beginning in 2018. Under the visionary management of previous Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Athar Mehboob, NRCI was developed in 2021, making up a group of regional specialists who had actually studied overseas, particularly in China.
The significance of maize and soybean as staple grains for both food and feed production has actually been acknowledged, driving the adoption of intercropping systems in Pakistan. Dr. Muhammad Ali Raza, NRCI Director, highlights the goal to boost the farming sector and enhance the financial wellness of farmers through these practices.
NRCI is presently showing 3 significant intercropping systems: maize-soybean, sugarcane-soybean, and cotton-soybean, throughout numerous provinces of Pakistan. Dr. Muhammad Ali Raza and Dr. Sajad Hussain are leading these presentations in several districts, making sure prevalent application.
The center has actually likewise created cooperations with many nationwide and worldwide organizations, leveraging their knowledge to advance regional farming practices. Regional partners consist of distinguished universities and research study institutes such as the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Sindh Agriculture University, and National Agricultural Research Centre, to name a few.
Worldwide, NRCI is partnering with distinguished Chinese organizations like Sichuan Agricultural University and Nanjing Agricultural University, taking advantage of their understanding and resources. Especially, Prof. Xing Wang Deng and Dr. Feng Ling Yang from Peking University are supplying help in the kind of germplasm of maize and soybean, improving regional hereditary resources.