Good harvest achieved by Chinese Maize-soybean strip intercropping technology in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Maize-soybean strip intercropping technology, an advanced agricultural technology introduced from China, achieved good harvest in various demonstration plots in Pakistan both under irrigated and rainfed conditions.

According to a report published by China Economic Net (CEN), the data indicated that the yield per hectare of the intercropping system was equivalent to the yield of crops on 1.5 hectares of the sole cropping system. Therefore, the intercropping system is more profitable in obtaining a higher net income with less input. More specifically, under irrigated conditions, in Vehari, the yields of intercropped maize and soybean respectively reached 7,608 kg/ha and 1,029 kg/ha, and in Bahawalpur, the data is 7,219 kg/ha and 887 kg/ha.

In sole cropping system in Bahawalpur, maize and soybean produced 1537 kg and 7894 kg per hectare. Under rainfed conditions, at PMAS-Arid Agriculture University’s research farm, intercropped maize and soybean produced 4969.4 kg/ha and 940.1 kg/ha, while sole cropped maize and soybean produced 6052.75 kg/ha and 1263.5 kg/ha. In the coming season, a larger scale of demonstrations around 50 hectares will be arranged at more research institutes and universities.

In addition to National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF), Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, and Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam, etc. will join this technology demonstration as well. Moreover, enterprises like Nizami Industries will also arrange a plot on 25 acres of land, the report added.

Meanwhile, the Cloud signing ceremony of the Sino-Pakistan International Gene&Cell Technology Research & Transformation Center Project was held here, Gwadar Pro reported on Saturday. The initiative by the Biotech & Biomedicine (Shenyang) Group and Dynamic Engineering and Automation Group Pakistan has added new impetus to deepening the cooperation between both countries in gene and cell health. According to the report, it is a comprehensive project of Gene&Cell Technology Research& Transformation between the two countries.

Badar uz Zaman, Commercial Counsellor of the Pakistani Embassy in China, said on the occasion that through the epidemic, we realize that there is much room for improvement in medical technology in Pakistan. “China has made important contributions to the world’s fight against the pandemic, and we both sides are optimistic about the prospects for cooperation in the field of health care,” he said. Li Junyuan, Deputy Director of Belt and Road Initiative Construction Promotion Center of National Development and Reform Commission, stressed that this collaboration is an important step for China to actively support Pakistan in responding to the epidemic and improving public health care.