PESHAWAR: The students of various departments of the Agriculture University Peshawar were urged to dedicate their focus to studies and research so that they could bring about the real agriculture revolution in the country.
“Go beyond the book and learn practical skills for earning enhanced yields of crops. Utilise your time and resources,” Chief Executive Officer Petal Seed Company, Mohammad Mushtaq told the participants.
He was serving as lead trainer at a daylong training session for the students from the Departments of Agronomy, Horticulture and Soil and Environmental Sciences of the Agriculture University Peshawar.
The training was jointly organised by Petal Seed Company and the Office of Research, Innovation, and Commercialization (ORIC), Agriculture University Peshawar on Tuesday.
A large number of students and faculty members of the university attended the training session. Director ORIC of the university, Dr Mohammad Arif and other officials were also present on the occasion.
During his detailed presentation, Mohammad Mushtaq provided participants with practical skills related to soil conditions, crop breeding, production, marketing and distribution. He urged students to focus their attention on academics and research to become productive citizens of the society.
Mushtaq, who is a graduate of the same university, said that Pakistan could significantly reduce its dependence on imported seed by investing in locally developed hybrid technology.
“Hybrid seed development is a long, research-intensive process that demands expertise, land resources, technology and patience,” he said.
About Petal Seed Company, he said that the company was established in 2009 and it focused its attention on production of hybrid maize seed. “Currently, it is the leading seed company of maize in the country and soon it would attain the status of the first multi-national company of maize seed,” he informed.
He added that the company mainly focused on single-cross hybrids seed because they offer the highest yield potential for farmers.
“From parent line selection to farmer-field trials, every stage of hybrid development is based on scientific testing and data-driven decisions. Seed production is not just about quantity, quality control, conditioning, and laboratory testing are equally critical,” he remarked.
He said, “One uncontrolled tassel can contaminate nearly 2,000 plants, which shows how sensitive and technical seed production really is.”
He added that after achieving success in at least 80 percent of farmer-field trials, a hybrid becomes ready for commercialisation.
Providing farmers with affordable, Mushtaq maintained tha high-quality local seed also helped save valuable foreign exchange and preserve indigenous germplasm.
He said that farmers’ training about using the right seed and fertiliser for the appropriate soil was also one of the key initiatives of the company. “We have been reaching out to tens of thousands of farmers and training them about the crop selection in accordance with the soil conditions, then seed selection and other mechanisms for earning the maximum yield,” he said.
Dr Arif said that the university would sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Petal Seed Company to promote research activities.
Under this agreement, students from various departments would be invited to attend training conducted by the company for farmers, distributors and other stakeholders across the country, while the company officials would also visit the university to conduct more such training sessions for the students.
