Staff Reporter On recommendation of the Director Advance Studies, the management of Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam awarded P.D. degrees to two more scholars on Thursday. According to university spokesman, Sajid Ali Rao, a scholar of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics Faculty of Crop Production had conducted research on “Quantitative genetic analysis of rapeseed underwater stress conditions”.
He completed his research under the supervision of Dr. Abdul Wahid Baloch, while his co-supervisors were Dr. Siraj Ahmed Channa and Dr. Liaquat Ali Bhutto. Another scholar Rasool BuxKalhoro of the Department of Agronomy Faculty of Crop Production had conducted research on “Production Enhancement of Soybean under integrated Agronomic practices” under supervision of Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Leghari, Dr.Ghullam Hyderabad Jamro and Dr. Muhammad Ibrahim Keerio. On Thursday, both scholars have presented their thesis to the Vice Chancellor Dr, Fateh Muhammad Marri. Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor said that food has become a major issue in the world therefore the experts should conduct research on new varieties.
He said agriculture is playing an important role in growing population, food security and the country’s GDP. He said that Pakistan’s oil and food import bill surged 73 per cent to $14.97 billion in the July-December period as compared to $8.67 BN a year ago owing to higher international prices and massive depreciation of the rupee. The data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed the share of these products in the total import bill also rose to 37pc during the six-month period, he added.
He urged the experts to do more research on oilseeds to meet the demand for edible oil and research on new varieties should be carried out in order to increase the yield per acre so that the import bill on edible oil as well as trade deficit could be reduced. Among others, Dr. Qamaruddin Chachar, Dean, Faculty of Crop Production, Dr. Mubeen Lodhi, Director of Advanced Studies, Dr. Shahnawaz Marri and other professors were also present on the occasion.
