Introduction to NARC, Islamabad

Location:

NARC is located near Rawal Lake, towards Southern periphery of Islamabad. It is six kilometers
south-east of Islamabad and 10 Km away from the center of the capital.

Functions:

❖ NARC basically coordinates the research activities undertaken at federal and provincial
levels. NARC coordinated programs serve as a common platform for the scientists working
in different federal and provincial agricultural research.
❖ Research which can best be addressed at a national center rather than by provincial
institutions is undertaken at NARC.
❖ The adaptation of technologies available from the international research system is also
managed by NARC, in collaboration with the provincial research and extension
institutions.
❖ Research requiring sophisticated instruments like electron microscopes, ultracentrifuges,
and elaborate analytical and quality testing facilities is undertaken at NARC, supported by
highly qualified and trained manpower.

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Vision:

Key Elements of the Strategy to Address Future Challenges are:

❖ Research planning and prioritization as a bottom up initiative

❖ Promote participatory approach for research
❖ Diversify agriculture with focus on biotechnology, horticulture, livestock & forestry
❖ Post-harvest technology, value addition, agri-business
❖ Promote eco-friendly and resource conservation technologies
❖ Conservation and effective use of natural resources
Mandate:

Strategic Research on

❖ National and Provincial Priorities

❖ Emerging Challenges in Agriculture
Exploratory Research on

❖ New Commodities
❖ Fill Gaps in Provincial Research Agenda
Collaboration and linkages with

❖ International Research System

❖ Provincial Research System
Services to Provincial System in

❖ Conservation and Supply of Germplasm

❖ Agricultural Informatics
❖ Human Resource Development

Research Thrusts:

Productivity improvement

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 ❖ Genetic improvement of crops and animals, especially using biotechnology and molecular
genetics
❖ Epidemiology, diagnosis and control of infections and pests of crops and animals
❖ Develop and improve of farm machinery for planting, harvesting, processing, value
addition and livestock operations
High value agriculture
❖ Diversification of horticulture, livestock and fisheries
❖ Improvement of livestock feed and technologies
❖ Breeding of catfish and genetic improvement of freshwater carps

Post-harvest and value Chain Technologies

❖ Devise new products, technologies and procedure and develop strategies to meet
international obligations
❖ Generate data and genetic information for intellectual Property Rights
Sustainable Resources Use and Environment Protection
❖ Develop and promote resource conservation technologies
❖ Development of integrated plant nutrient management and IPM models for major cropping
systems
❖ Investigate fate of agro-chemicals in food chain and the environment Develop high
efficiency water management system
Facilities:

1 Research Labs 58

2 National Gene Bank 01

3 National Library of Agriculture Sciences 01

4 National Herbarium 01

5 Grain Quality Testing Lab 01

6 Auditorium 01

7 Hostels 02

8 Workshops 04

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 Fodder scientists at NARC

• Dr. M. Shafiq Zahid PSO/PL (MSM and Fodder Research Program).

• Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Gurmani, PSO (Agronomy).
• Mr. Allah Bakhsh PSO (PBG)
• Dr. Sajjad Khan SSO(Agronomy)
• Mr. Usama Hameed, ASO (PBG)

Overview of fodder crops production in Pakistan

Pakistan is blessed with diversified type of livestock. It not only provides food security through
supply of milk, meat and self-employment of both men and women but also plays an important
role for poverty alleviation of smallholder livestock farmers. It contributes about 11.5% in national
GDP and about 55% toward Agricultural GDP. The livestock population (buffaloes, cattle, goats,
sheep, asses, camels, horses and mules) is 163.0 million in Pakistan (Economic Survey of Pakistan
2010-11). The livestock population is increasing at the rate of 4.2% per year and accordingly its
feed requirements are also increasing. On the other hand about 2% reduction in fodder crop area
in each decade along-with two important fodder scarcity periods, one in winter months (November
to January) and other in summer (May-June) further worsening the situation. At present, fodder
crops are grown over 10.3% of the total cropped area of 22.6 million hectares. The area under
various fodder crops in the country is estimated as 2.31 million hectares and annual fodder
production 51.92 million tons. The average fodder production is 22.5 tons ha-1 which is too low to
meet even half of the maintenance requirements of the present livestock population in the country.

Major fodder crops grown during winter include berseem, Lucerne, oats, barley and mustard; while
during summer these are maize, sorghum, S.S. hybrids, millet, guar and cowpeas. The area with
minor fluctuations decreased from 2.6 million hectares in 1976-77 to 2.31 million hectares in 2009-
10. However, total green fodder production in the corresponding years increased from 45.10 to
51.92 million tones. Similarly, yield per unit area also increased from 17.4 to 22.5 tons ha-1 (i.e.
about 30%) as a result of the concerted Research and Development (R & D) efforts made by the
fodder research scientists through the development of improved production technologies. The
problem of green fodder shortage occurred during two deficits periods have been recently solved
by growing multi-cut fodder crops like Sorghum Sudan hybrids, Lucerne, mixtures of cereals,
legumes and Mott grass. However, availability of improved seed of fodder crops is one of the
major limiting factors in fodder crops production in the country. It is estimated that only 5 to 10

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 percent area of fodder crops is grown with improved seed. Considering the subject of improved
seed production, it involves a number of interlinked systems; agro-climatic conditions, specific
crop adaptation to environment, socio-economic and political factors including prices and
marketing, crop management and production.

Area ( Lac Ha) Production (mill Ton Yield T/ha

Production (mt) & Area (Lac ha)

70 25

60
20
50

Yield (t/ha)
15
40

30
10

20
5
10

0 0
8 7
8 2
91 7
9 2
9 3
94 4
9 5
9 6
9 7
98 8
9 9
0 0
0 1
02 2
0 3
0 4
05 5
0 6
0 7
0 8
09 9
0
19 6-7
19 1-8
19 6-8
19 -9
19 2-9
19 3-9
19 -9
19 5-9
19 6-9
19 7-9
19 -9
20 9-0
20 0-0
20 1-0
20 -0
20 3-0
20 4-0
20 -0
20 6-0
20 7-0
20 8-0
-1
7
19

Years

Area (lac ha) production (million ton) and yield (tons ha-1) of fodder crops in Pakistan

The share in area of Punjab is 82.56%, Sindh 11.50%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4.48% and
Baluchistan 1.46%. The Punjab province produces 80.93% of the total production of fodder crops
in the country, followed by Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which produce 13.14,
4.07 and 1.86% fodder, respectively. The present fodder production is not sufficient to feed the
existing livestock population in the country and the situation is getting worst day by day.
Fodder Research Program is working under following objectives:

Coordination

➢ Germplasm acquisition, evaluation and distribution

➢ Provide mechanism for varietal testing & release (NUYT, VEC)
➢ Establish national & international linkages
➢ Joint research planning and monitoring

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 PERFORMANCE OF ALFALFA (Medicago sativa L.) GENOTYPES FOR
GREEN FODDER PRODUCTION UNDER THE CLIMATIC
CONDITIONS OF POTHWAR REGION

Shahzad Ahmed1 and Ayub Khan1

1
Department of Agricultural Sciences, The University of Haripur
June, 2018

Abstract
This study was conducted at National Agricultural Research Centre Islamabad during 2016-2017.
Four coded genotypes namely A, B, C and D of alfalfa were evaluated for their morphological
parameters; Crop stand, plant height, number of tillers plant-1, number of leaves tiller-1 and green
fodder yield. The differences among alfalfa genotypes for all the parameters were significant. The
Genotype “C” was maximum in Crop stand of (91.33%), highest in plant height with (77.83 cm)
and maximum in the number of tillers plant-1 (7.11). While the Genotype “D” was minimum in
Crop stand of (82.66%). The smallest plant height was recorded in genotype “D’ (70.78 cm) and
genotype “A” (70.44), minimum number of tillers plant-1 was also recorded in genotype “D” (4.62)
and genotype “A” (4.82). Maximum number of leaves tiller-1 was noted (48.08) in genotype “C”
while the minimum data for number of leaves tiller-1 was recorded in genotype “D” (34.16).
Significantly the highest fresh fodder yield of (90.44 t ha-1) was also produced by Alfalfa genotype
“C” while the minimum fresh fodder yield was recorded in genotype “D” (75.55 t ha-1) and
genotype “A” (77.77 t ha-1). Due to the superior performance of genotype “C” in maximum crop
stand, maximum number of tillers plant-1, maximum number of leaves tiller-1, plant height and
green fodder yield among all the tested genotypes, Therefore, genotype “C” is recommended for
further evaluation and recommendation in Pothwar region.

Key words: NARC, Alfalfa, Fodder crop, Pothwar region

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