June 10, 2009

Agriculture scientists in Pakistan warned that the country's corn production is going downhill on low yield due to poor seed, low fertiliser usage, inadequate pest control and poor crop husbandry.

 

This comes at a time when the country's corn demand is rising sharply because of the poultry industry's expansion.

 

Price instability has also discouraged the optimum use of inputs to obtain higher yields, the scientists said.

 

In a conducted survey, Nisar Ali Shah, Director Technology Transfer Institute (PARC), Tarnab-Peshawar, noted that farmers cultivate local varieties but had no knowledge about the variety.

 

The yield of local varieties is low and do not meet the cost of production, and farmers should use the latest techniques and keep contact with agricultural experts to boost their bottom line, according to Ali Shah.

 

Ahmed Said Khan, Assistant Agronomist, Agricultural Research Institute Tarnab Peshawar, said farmers need proper planning before deciding either to cultivate synthetic or hybrid seed because both varieties have different management practices and fertiliser requirements. 

 

Sultan Hussain Shah, Agriculture Officer, Akbarpura circle, said farmers should test soil regularly to know the status of the nutrients in the soil, which will help to balance fertiliser use and reduce the cost of fertiliser application.