ISLAMABAD
\nThe government is planning an initiative to strengthen Pakistan\u2019s agricultural research by building reference genomes of indigenous crops and using artificial intelligence-based models to accelerate the development of improved varieties.
\nThe expected outcomes include stronger agricultural productivity, improved export competitiveness and better livelihoods for resource-poor farmers, particularly those living in marginal and climate-vulnerable regions. According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, a project titled \u201cBuilding Reference Genomes and Leveraging AI-driven Models for Improvement of Indigenous Crops\u201d has been proposed.
\nThe four-year project, scheduled from July 2026 to June 2030, will be implemented at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad at an estimated cost of Rs786.816 million. The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) will execute the initiative through the National Institute for Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB).
\nThe initiative is expected to significantly shorten the time required to develop new crop varieties while strengthening Pakistan\u2019s capacity in modern breeding and agricultural biotechnology, the document said. The initiative is expected to lead to the release of 10 elite crop varieties, including resistant-starch rice and wheat, sugarcane with at least 13.3 percent sugar recovery, and shattering-resistant canola.
\nThe project aims to use the existing state-of-the-art genomics, biotechnology, intelligent glasshouse and speed-breeding facilities at NIGAB to produce high-quality reference genome sequences for 62 indigenous crop varieties, covering 17 major crop species of Pakistan.
\nThese genomic resources will support advanced agricultural applications, including the development of 10 cost-effective DNA-SNP (Deoxyribonucleic Acid-Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) genotyping platforms integrated with AI-enabled genomic selection and speed-breeding systems.
\nAnother key component of the project is establishing 10 cost-effective 30K SNP genotyping platforms, or DNA chips, that will be integrated into AI-driven genomic selection and speed-breeding pipelines.
\nThe project will also create a national DNA fingerprinting repository by developing DNA fingerprints of 848 crop varieties. This database will help support plant breeders\u2019 rights, varietal certification and crop traceability systems. In addition, the initiative aims to commercialise next-generation sequencing (NGS), SNP genotyping and bioinformatics services in Pakistan to assist breeding programmes in both the public and private sectors.
\nAccording to the document, the project is aligned with Pakistan Vision 2026 and the Uraan Pakistan Framework under the 13th Five-Year Plan. It also supports national policies on food security, biotechnology and climate resilience, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD The government is planning an initiative to strengthen Pakistan\u2019s agricultural research by building reference genomes of indigenous crops and using artificial intelligence-based models to accelerate the development of improved varieties. The expected outcomes include stronger agricultural productivity, improved export competitiveness and better livelihoods for resource-poor farmers, particularly those living in marginal and climate-vulnerable regions. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-537049","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\n