Building on Pakistan’s cooperation with the FAO and IAEA to produce new and improved plant varieties, the assessment mission highlighted opportunities to integrate advanced technologies such as genetic engineering, speed breeding and biotechnology into mutation breeding programmes for priority crops in Pakistan.
“[Pakistan has] used mutation breeding to create pest-resistant and drought-tolerant crops like chickpea, rice and cotton, we have employed nuclear techniques to improve soil fertility, we’ve reclaimed barren land, optimized fertilizer use for better yields and reduced costs, to give a few examples,” said Muhammad Yussouf Saleem, Director General and Chief Scientist of the Agri- & Biotech Division of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and the national focal point in Pakistan for Atoms4Food. “The initiative will further expand our cooperation by engaging new partners and breaking silos across sectors with a whole value-chain approach.”
Revitalizing Pakistan’s seed system will also help capitalize on the improved plant varieties developed with FAO and IAEA support. The mission team recommended that national institutions and stakeholders across the value chain be trained to scale up the distribution and use of improved seeds, making sure they reach farmers and translate into growing yields.
Soil degradation and inefficient use of water and nutrients further limit crop production — however, decades of cooperation with IAEA has supported Pakistan’s the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture & Biology in transforming salt-affected soils into productive farmland.
The Atoms4Food assessment mission found further potential to optimize and broaden the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices in the country. This includes capacity building in efficient nutrient and water use practices, to enhance soil fertility and health, as well as reducing the carbon footprint of fertilization.
