Daily Times

Chinese technology-based sowing of maize and soybean under intercropping system for next season has almost completed at Koont Research Farm, Chakwal, the Gwadar Pro reported on Wednesday.

“In the coming month’s first week, we will complete other demonstrations’ sowing work,” said Muhammad Ali Raza, the post-doc of Sichuan Agricultural University (SAU) who is promoting the advanced Chinese agricultural technology in Pakistan.

The maize-soybean intercropping system just achieved bumper harvest. In Bahawalpur, the yields of soybean and maize reach 1,304 kg/ha and 8,596 kg/ha respectively.

Meanwhile, the total benefits substantially expand because of soybean’s high economic returns as it can be processed for extracting oil or manufacturing feed, etc. Under the intercropping system, farmers can grow soybean without curbing the cultivation of maize.

Next season many new demonstrations are going to be built in more places including Vehari, Rawalpindi and Pakpatan in cooperation with PMAS-Arid Agriculture University (AAUR), National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and Rawalpindi Agriculture Department, etc.

Besides Ali, NARC Senior Scientific Officer Dr Ashiq Saleem, AAUR Professor Dr. Muhammad Ansar, Deputy Director of Agriculture Department Dr. Zameer Kiani will be in charge of these demonstrations. The total area of demonstrations will reach about 11 hectares with an increase of nearly 221%.

In addition, according to Sajad Hussain, another SAU student who is looking after the demonstration in Layyah, high temperature resistant cultivars of soybean have been found out. Moreover, maize-soybean based silage demonstration will be included in next plan.