Pakistan's land is most suitable for cultivation of Japanese GM rice variety

Pakistani Areas, such as Swat, Kaghan and Dir, are the most suitable for sowing of Japanese rice variety 'Japonica' and getting a good yield due to cool climate as compared to Sindh and Punjab province. This was observed by the agricultural scientists at a meeting arranged by the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (Reap) to review the results of trial sowing of 'Japonica' in Pakistan and its possible export to other countries. Scientists from Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku and National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) Faisalabad shared the initial results of sowing of Japanese rice in different areas of the Punjab province and resulted per acre yield. National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) Principle Scientist, Dr Muhammad Arif while throwing light on the project 'Adaptability trials of transplanted Oryza Sativa Var-Japonica in Pakistan' said that plantation was made at three locations and it was observed that Kernels are short, bold and have chalky nature.

No lodging was observed due to short stature of plants, no visual symptoms of nutrient deficiency were observed during whole growth season and no disease was recorded in all three trials. He said that plants flowered early and showed indeterminate type of growth at all three locations probably due to hoft environment. Japanese expert Hiro Takahashi also spoke about the project of Japonica rice in Pakistan and said that they would take the samples of trial production of this variety for lab testing for its taste and nutritional value. Scientists from Japan would visit Pakistan to help Pakistani scientists for developing a mechanism for getting per acre yield of the variety in local environmental conditions. Reap Chairman, Javed Islam Agha said that it would help earning precious foreign exchange for the country and contribute in strengthening the national economy.