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This group generally focuses on the development of sustainable farming
systems in salt-affected areas for higher economic returns, food
security and climate change resilience. Another key area of research
is the rehabilitation and restoration of unproductive/marginal soils
having salt-accumulations posing hinderance to achieve optimum land
utilization.
Ongoing Research
Activities
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Evaluation
and field adoptability of salt stress-tolerant germplasm of
barley, forage grasses, fruit and forest trees for salt-affected
areas
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Enhancing
crop production in saline environment by applying different
organic and inorganic amendments
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Enhancing
plant production in saline environment by applying different
nutrient management practices
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Development
of brackish water treatment, rainwater harvesting and storage
infrastructure for plant production
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Estimation
of genotype stress tolerance as an effective strategy for
sustaining wheat production under saline conditions
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Estimation of genetic variability of locally developed/exotic
germplasm through molecular techniques
Research
Achievements
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A wide range
of salt-tolerant plant germplasm including trees, bushes,
grasses, crops, etc. has been screened and maintained at NIAB,
Faisalabad and threshold limits of plants for their salt
tolerance have been determined
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Established a field research station namely
“Biosaline Research Station (BSRS)”, Pacca Anna, on an area of
about 1100 acres. Objective of establishment of this
research station was to test field adaptability of the germplasm
screened in the laboratory and greenhouse conditions for salt
tolerance
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A
large-scale tree plantation (> 400 acres) has been established
at the research station, where various nutrient and water
management practices, as well as climate change, are actively
carried out
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The research
station is serving as a demonstration site, so visits of
scientists from Pakistan and abroad, policy makers, progressive
farmers and post-graduate students is a regular feature. Hence,
research achievements/ technology packages are readily
disseminated to the stakeholders
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GoP
sponsored a country-wide outreach project, namely Saline
Agriculture Farmer Participatory Development Project in Pakistan
(SAFPDP), PAEC executed this project in all four provinces of
Pakistan. NIAB,
Faisalabad, implemented the Punjab component of the project in Shorkot and Lodhran on salt-affected land (10,000 acres) to
disseminate the Saline Agriculture Technology to the farmers
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Under ICBA/IFAD
funded project “Saving Freshwater Resources with Salt-Tolerant
Forage Production in Marginal Areas of the West Asia and North
Africa (WANA) Region”, NIAB has screened forage germplasm under saline field conditions.
Several varieties/
genotypes including forage species barley, brassica, fodder beet,
sorghum and pearl millet genotypes (provided by ICBA) have been
identified as salt
tolerant with potential to survive in harsh saline conditions
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Research
work was carried out under PARB 20-70 to develop suitable soil,
water and crop management technologies under saline conditions
for sustainable crop production
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Five
promising salt tolerant mutants selected for developing wheat
varieties with improved yield and quality traits to support
sustainable wheat production and food security
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Five
promising salt tolerant barley germplasm selected for developing
barely varieties with improved fodder yield having good nutrient
traits to support sustainable agriculture and food security in
saline areas
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Three promising salt tolerant forage grasses selected having
good forage yield and nutritious profile for livestock
production in saline areas and identified its root stumps as
cheapest and easier propagation source in saline areas
Future
Directions
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Devising and
disseminating productive, climate resilient and farmer
centric land use systems among farming community in
salt-affected soils
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Evaluating
silage and hay potential of various forages cultivate in
salt-affected areas for using in livestock feeding and fattening
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Assessing biomass production of different cropping systems (grass land
pastures, forest plantations, agroforestry systems and field
crop production) through nutrient and irrigation management
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Understanding mechanism driven by salinity stress in wheat
mutants/ varieties
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Identification of salt-tolerant genes in wheat germplasm for
improvement in plant architecture and increased salt-tolerance
aimed at developing high yielding salt tolerant varieties
Funded Projects
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PARB 20-70 Project
titled “Advancements in saline agriculture technology
related interventions for food security, climate change
resilience and its dissemination to stakeholders”, 2021-25 (PKR
24.98 Million)
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PSF/NSLP/P-NIAB
(995) Project titled “Evaluation and utilization of forage
grasses produced in salt-affected areas for feeding and
fattening of small ruminants”, 2023-26 (PKR 7.28 Million)
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HEC NRPU
20-16754 Project titled “Optimizing land use efficiency and
economic profitability for agroforestry systems for salt
effected soil to address climate change”, 2023-26 (PKR 8.41
Million)
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PARB 23-596
Project titled “Managing degraded land resources with multiple
purpose tree (forest, fruit and medicinal) plants for food
security through optimizing high value biomass production,
renewable energy and income generation in addition of soil
reclamation and climate change impact mitigation”, 2025-28 (PKR
24.37 Million)
Collaborations
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International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA)
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International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA), Dubai
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European Union
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Sabanci University, Turkey
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Ayub Agricultural Research
Institute (AARI)
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Punjab
Agricultural Research Board (PARB)
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Pakistan
Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS)
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University
of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF)
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Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC)
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