1. Introduction
2. Research Programme
3. Achievements
4. Other Divisions

Pesticide use is imperative for higher and quality agricultural production.  The pesticides are hazardous and costly, therefore, it is essential to study their fate and effects on food/feed and environment.  Different methodologies like HPLC, GLC, ELISA and TLC have been standardized and are being used for determination of toxic residues and Aflatoxins in food/feed. Analysis of edible oils for fatty acids and essential oils from different plant materials is performed.  

Kinnow mandarin and mango have a global market.  High number of seeds in Kinnow and short shelf life along with pre- and post-harvest diseases in mango are major constraints.  A sparse seeded mutant Kinnow has been developed through gamma irradiation of dormant bud cum grafting technique. Tissue culture studies on Kinnow are under way to improve fruit quality and produce seedlessness.

Production of healthy animals is important to provide milk and meat to people and raise exports. Animal production on salt tolerant plants has given a new avenue for utilization of saline lands and to improve the economy of small land holders.

Feeding of solidified urea molasses multi-nutrient feed blocks increased milk yield and animal health.

Research on developing new vaccines for animals and poultry diseases is being carried out. R&D on vaccines for Newcastle disease and Angara (Hydro-pericardium syndrom) disease of poultry is in progress. NIAB HS Vaccine for animals has been developed and commercialized. [top]

1. Studies on pesticide and herbicide residues, their fate and significance by employing Radiometric and other techniques like ELISA, GC, HPLC and HPTCL

2. Mycotoxin analysis in food and feed

3. Extraction and characterization of essential oils from different plant materials and fatty acid composition of fats and oils

4. Induction of sparse seeded character in Kinnow and screening of indigenous mango germplasm for better quality

5. Tissue culture studies on Kinnow to produce seedless and good quality fruit

6. Introduction of NIAB feed blocks for improvement of animal health, milk production, reproduction and their efficacy as supplement during feeding of salt tolerant plants

7. Upscale production and commercialization of vaccines for animal and poultry diseases

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The Institute started work on pesticide residues in cotton plants and into the food chain through cotton seed cake and oil.  The work was expanded to other areas such as fate of DDT in sub-tropical environment.  A well-equipped laboratory and trained manpower is available at NIAB for quality control and quality assurance (QC/QA) of pesticides.  Good facilities for GLC, HPLC, ELISA and other relevant techniques have been developed.

Keeping in view the sensitivity, rapidity and cost-effectiveness, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) has been developed under local conditions for triazine residue (specifically atrazine) analysis.  The cost of NIAB produced kit is approximately 0.3 US$ per sample against US$ 15 – 20 per sample of commercial ELISA KIT.  In comparison, the current cost of GC analysis is about US$ 150. [top]

Mycotoxin analysis in food/feed

Fungi grow on living organisms or stored food/feed under favourable environmental conditions and produce harmful metabolites that diffuse into food.  These metabolites are referred to as mycotoxins.  The moisture content of food, environmental temperature and relative humidity influence mycotoxin production.  Among mycotoxins, aflatoxins are highly toxic and carcinogenic.  Aflatoxin B1 is found particularly in cereals, nuts, maize and cottonseed.

Pioneer studies were initiated to standardize methodologies for mycotoxin determination in food/feed.  Different analytical techniques like ELISA, HPLC, TLC have been standardized and are in use. A highly sensitive enzyme immunoassay was standardized for aflatoxin B₁ and M₁ determination in poultry feed/components and milk/dairy products, respectively.

Analysis of edible and essential oils

Oils and fats are recognized as essential nutrients in both human and animal diets.  They provide the most concentrated source of energy, supply essential fatty acids (which are precursors of important hormones, the prostaglandin) and carriers for fat soluble vitamins and serve to make food more palatable. Fatty acid composition in any kind of fat or oil is performed in flavour/pesticide labs. Quick esterification techniques have been established and purity check of different edible oils and their seeds is performed.

Essential oils are concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds extracted from plants.  They have many medicinal properties.  Most of the essential oils are antiseptic and some of them are antibacterial, antiviral or anti-inflammatory. Essential oils are also used in perfumery, aromatherapy, cosmetics, incense, house hold cleaning products and flavouring food and drinks.  Essential oils cannot be substituted with synthetics.  Only pure oils contain a full spectrum of compounds that imitations cannot be duplicated.  Extraction and characterization of essential oils from different plant materials is performed in flavour/pesticide labs of the institute.

Seedless Kinnow through gamma irradiation induced mutation

It was discovered that Kinnow fruit with apical or stylar ring has probability of being seedless/low seeded. The probability (upto 20%) varied from tree to tree, in different orchards.

Ovules in low seeded/seedless spontaneous mutant and in normal seeded Kinnow (control) are same in size and number till 80 days after pollination (DAP). Ovules start shrinking in mutant from 90 to 150 DAPS.  There are more aborted ovules in low seeded fruits.  If ovules from mutant fruits are cultured before 70 DAP, 80 – 90% ovules die under culture conditions.  Selection of fruits for high ovule sterility from orchards of Punjab and their cloning is a positive index for selection of high quality fruits.

Cloning of low seeded/seedless Kinnow

A nursery of spontaneous low seeded/seedless mutant was prepared by micrografting shoot apex of nucellar embryo on top of 1 – 2 inches rough lemon seedlings.  Also whole embryos are top-grafted onto 6 inches rootstock seedlings.  Nursery plants are also produced by grafting apical meristem of sprouts from Kinnow orchards from seedless/low seeded fruit position onto six months to one year old root stock seedlings.

Nucellus is an ideal system for obtaining clones and for solid mutants by radiating pre-embryogenic nucellar cells.  Kinnow and its rootstock cv.  Jatti khatti  nucellar derived plants have been tested in the field which produced fruits like mother plant.  These were self rooted plants.

Through natural selections and induced mutations

Kinnow plants were developed through natural selections, nucellar embryogenesis with and without callusing, immature fruit gamma radiation (30-120 Gy exposure), the nucellus culture, by seed soaking in 8-hydroxyquinoline, seed culture of low seeded fruits, culture of small and large size seeds, bud radiation 10-100 Gy exposure. All kinnow materials were grafted on rough lemon seedlings.

Phytosanitation of food stuffs

During storage, high moisture content of food stuffs (12 – 16%), high temperature (25 – 35^oC) and relative humidity (60 – 80%) make the environment very conducive for proliferation of insect pests and microorganisms.  As a result, insects inflict substantial losses to food materials.  Some of the fungi produce mycotoxins which is a matter of great concern. Under the present scenario of WTO, food, feed and their components should be free of insect damage, aflatoxins and pesticide residues for international trade.  Therefore, laboratory studies have been initiated to protect food materials from ravages of insect pests and microorganisms through ecofriendly strategies.  They include host resistance, biocontrol agents, biopesticides etc.

Haemorrhagic septicemia (HS) is an acute and fatal bacterial disease of cattle and buffaloes in Pakistan which causes huge economic losses. NIAB has developed a new oil adjuvanted vaccine which provides immunity for one year as compared to 3 months by other commercially available vaccines.  The vaccine does not require refrigeration, as it is stable at room temperature.  Its viscosity is low and is easily injectable without any local reaction at the site of injection.  The vaccine has been commercialized under the brand name NIAB HS Vaccine and is available in the market through Abbasi Associates, Faisalabad.

Newcastle disease vaccine

Newcastle is a fatal disease of chicks which adversely affects the respiratory, digestive and nervous system of chicks.  It is a viral disease and its outbreak may cause more than 90% mortalities.  Vaccination is the most appropriate method for the prevention of this disease.  Its virus has been isolated from field out-breaks and research work is going on to develop effective vaccine. [top]

Hydro-Pericardium Syndrome (HPS) or Angara Vaccine

It is an acute and infectious viral disease in which fluid accumulates in pericardial sac of chicks and sudden death occurs.  Mortality rate is more than 70%.  The best way to prevent this disease is vaccination.  NIAB Angara Vaccine is the best vaccine which has shelf life of one year while other vaccines in market have shelf life of 3-4 months. Research work is going on to further improve this vaccine. [top]

Assessment of natural radioactivity in soils  

A) Rock Phosphate

The radioactive minerals detected in rock phosphate were uranopilite, ekanite, thorogumite autunite, uranophane which were present more frequently in rock samples. While uramphite, andersonite, uranite, urancircite, cheralite, chermikovite and sharpite, were present in lesser amounts.

B) Phosphate Fertilizers

As rock phosphate is the major constituent of the phosphate fertilizers, most of the radioactive minerals from the rock phosphate have been transferred in the phosphate fertilizers. The minerals found in single super phosphate fertilizer were ekanite, uranopilite, thorogummite, coffinite, zippeite, and uramphite. In nitrophos the minerals found most abundantly were uranopilite, ekanite, thorogummite, zippeite and uranphite. All minerals found were radioactive having higher percentage of uranium. In DAP fertilizers, maximum number of minerals was found than other fertilizers. The most frequent minerals found in DAP were uranopilite, ekanite, thorogummite, coffinite, zippeite, uramphite.

Analytical services

Laboratory facilities for the analysis of food, feed, soil, plant, water, fertilizer, pesticides etc. are being offered (Table 1). Public and private sector organizations are welcome to get their samples analyzed on payment basis. [top]

Table 1:        Rate list of analytical services