ISLAMABAD (May 07 2009): Agriculture experts at a conference here on Wednesday stressed the need for genetic modification of crops to ensure sustainable fertility of the soil and increased crop yields besides overcoming the problems of water shortage. The National conference titled, "The Management of Soil and Fertiliser Resources for Increased Crop Productivity," was organised by Agriculture Foundation of Pakistan (AFP) and was presided over by the foundation's President, Dr Saeed Ahmad.

Speaking on the occasion, Director General National Agriculture Research Centre, Dr Iftikhar stressed the need for developing close co-operation between the researchers and farmers for the proper utilisation of research and modern technologies. He was of the view that the research and technologies would be of no use if the end-user could not benefit from it adding that there was a dire need of transforming the modern technology to the end users.

He urged upon the scientists to work for introducing the crops that require low input and in return provide high output, adding that the NARC and Pakistan Agriculture Research Council have been working on projects for integrated and organic farming.

In his keynote presentation, Commissioner Minor Crops, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Minfa), Muhammad Aslam Gill said that soil management was important for sustainable and quality produce, adding that maintaining health of the soil should be priority. He urged upon the scientists to provide better alternatives of farming to the farmers and work for integrated approach of genetic farming to make this sector prosperous in this age of technology.

He said that the Minfa has initiated several projects aiming at sharing information and technologies with the farmers, adding that the project like High Efficiency Irrigation System has been launched to help resolve water problems. He was of the view that country was water deficient and needed genetic manipulation of plants to produce such crop varieties that would need less water, hence addressing the problems of water shortage.

"We have to bring new generation of plants," he remarked. He also stressed the need for proper management of fertilisers to save billions of rupees the government had to spend on its imports and subsidies. Speaking on the occasion, an agriculture expert, Dr Nisar said that genetic modification of crops and organic way of farming would help develop agriculture sector on sustainable basis.

Secretary General AFP, Dr M. Ramzan, while speaking on the occasion, linked the prosperity of the country with organic matter of the soil. He was of the view that such conference could only produce results if the recommendations of such moots are properly taken at policy level and implemented. He expressed the hope that the conference participants would come up with comprehensive recommendations to overcome the problems the agriculture sector has been facing nowadays.