KARACHI, March 22: A lot of research has gone into plant tissue culture technology in Pakistan over the last decade, with the result that the country today stands at a new threshold: the point where the technology can be taken from inside the laboratory to large-scale commercial farms. This requires investment and persistent efforts since there is no liaison between the scientific and farming communities.
This was stated by Dr Iqbal Chaudhry, head of the University of Karachi’s HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry, while talking to Dawn. The institute’s plant tissue culture and biotechnology unit is the only laboratory in Pakistan supplying micro-propagated, disease-free banana plants and is one of the largest producers of orchids in the country.
“The development of low-cost options in plant tissue culture offers a solution to the food crises being faced by many developing countries. It is also a means for creating employment opportunities and earning precious foreign exchange through export,” he said.
“We have introduced many plant species through indigenous low-cost tissue culture options and have practically shown that the technology actually works in field, too,” he said, adding that though plant tissue culture technology was explored throughout the county, most initiatives had remained confined to laboratories.
Emphasising the significance of being selfsufficient in food needs, he said: “Food security is the real security. No matter how many weapons you make, if the country is unable to feed its population, it is bound to give in to pressures. That is the reason countries such as the United States are very supportive of farmers,” he added.
Failures in farm sector Giving reasons for failures in the agriculture sector, he said there was no channel of dialogue between the scientific and farming communities. “This is one of the major factors responsible for failures in the agriculture sector. Also, farmers have no access to extension services and are deprived of loan services.
“It doesn’t make any sense to expect them to adopt new technologies if they don’t have any resources,” he said, suggesting that the government should provide farmers with incentives, including tax exemption on machinery and subsidies wherever required.
When asked how the institute managed to popularise disease-free banana plants among farmers, he said the buyers were largely big landlords. “It’s the farmers with small land holdings who need to be targeted as they form the backbone of the farm economy. They are neither aware of the research taking place in the academic institutions, nor do they seek help for their problems.” India, he said, had done extensive work in plant tissue culture and genetically modified crops and Pakistan needed to learn a lesson from the developments taking place in the neighbouring country.
Method explained Explaining the technique, Mariam Raziq, a research fellow at the institute, said: “Tissue culture is a method of growing exact copies of plants without the help of seeds. Under the right conditions, an entire plant can be regenerated from a single cell. The technique has been around for over 30 years.” About its benefits, she said the primary advantage was of rapid production of high quality, disease-free and uniform planting material in a short period.
“While growing plants with seeds, there is always a high risk of the offspring having disease. However, in plant tissue culture, a healthy part of a plant is taken off and multiplied under a controlled environment. This can be done anywhere, irrespective of the season and weather and on a year-round basis.” Besides, tissue cultured plants also offer a solution to farmers whose lands have been rendered non-cultivable for cash crops, as there are varieties available that do not need soil while some are grown in nutrient solutions.
“We have replaced coconut husk with coal for growing orchids here and the plant has successfully adapted to new conditions. With a little investment and training, one can set up an orchid business and even export the flowers,” added Dr Iqbal.
Research projects Currently, the section is working on the propagation of more than 16 varieties of orchids. Along with the production of banana plants free from bunchy top virus, the unit has been able to micro-propagate and acclimatise pineapples for the first time in Pakistan. Protocols for in-vitro propagation of crotons, African violet, ixoras, ferns, date palms, anthuriums and many other exotic plants have also been developed here.
Research is also being carried out on sugar-cane and a number of medicinal plants that include tulsi, olive, neem and aloe vera.
Recommending measures to promote tissue culture, Dr Iqbal said the Sindh government needed to take all stakeholders on board and develop a system through which farmers could get in touch with the scientific community. Other steps should include initiation of skill development programmes and provision of micro-financing, especially in rural areas.
“At the moment, we have around 100 candidates selected through the Benazir Income Support Programme who are being trained in different technologies at the HEJ Institute. Initiatives like these can make a difference,” he said.
