BEIJING: The Chinese team’s hybrid wheat demonstration fields in Pakistan have been maintained at around 3,000-5,000 hectares, extending from Islamabad and Peshawar in the north, Lahore in the center and Karachi in the south, said Prof Zhao Changping, Chief Scientist of Hybrid Wheat Research Institute.
He said that it is true that it was only the first step, but the policy would ensure Pakistan’s food security through a variety of improvements.
Deputy Director of the Hybrid Wheat Research Institute Zhang Shengquan said that although hailstone was occasional extreme weather that could not be effectively resisted from the breeding perspective, it could at least minimize the impacts of disasters by promoting production and increasing yield.
Selected wheat combination
He said that the selected hybrid wheat combinations, such as the new variety BH1683, has increased by more than 20% in Pakistan for 3consecutive years. Even if the sowing amount was reduced by 80 to 90%, it still could increase yield by 20%.
Research and Development at Guard Agricultural Research and Services Pvt. Ltd chief Dr Abdul Rasheed said that the single Chinese wheat variety was not suitable for the hot weather in Pakistan and it was also prone to diseases. Nevertheless, using the wheat varieties of Pakistan as a distant parent to cross with Chinese wheat increase production.
Pakistan, among the 10 most vulnerable countries, badly bears the brunt of climate change, natural disasters like hailstones, floods, and high temperatures also make its “wheat revolution” more necessary.
