Agriculture scientist claims to have developed world’s highest rice yield variety

MANSEHRA:

A Hazara-based agriculture scientist claims to have developed the world’s highest rice yield variety. This specific rice plant’s leaves would remain green even after the maturity of grains due to prolonged photosynthetic activity and therefore they could also be used as fodder.

Dr Fida Muhammad Abbasi, a professor of Genetics at Hazara University, told The Express Tribune on Thursday, that the existing varieties do not produce more than five tons per hectare, however the new variety would yield 12 tons per hectare. These would also mature 20 days earlier than the existing local species. Talking about benefits of early maturity, he said it would enable farmers to cultivate potatoes soon after the rice harvest.

Abbasi said that agriculture scientists from across the globe including China and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have been striving to genetically engineer a productive variety- Green Super Rice. He said existing panicles produce about 250 to 300 grains while the remaining grains are empty.

He started work on the project about nine years ago and carried out breeding experiments on the existing local rice plants including wild rice Oryza longistminata, JP-5, Basmati 385 and KS-282. After making all possible crosses and selection,
he claims that the rice plant has been successfully developed.

Describing the traits of the newly developed variety, he said that the its leaves would remain green due to continuous photosynthetic activity and increase the number of grains per panicle from 600-700. The length of the panicle has also been increased up to 40-47cm, which is a world record.

Abbasi called the new variety environment friendly due to its prolonged photosynthetic activities and resistance to bacterial blight. If grown on 10 acres of land, the newly discovered variety would fulfil the need of rice growers of the entire Hazara District, he added.

The new variety would be ready for sowing and marketing by next year. Regarding government support for the project the professor said that the Directorate of Science and Technology Pakistan approved a grant of Rs 400,000 for the project, after repeated requests, which he had still not received.

Abbasi said, “I bore all the expenses of the research myself and my hard work has finally borne fruit.” He said that the IRRI had invited him to Taiwan for discussing the new development.

Top 10 on Tribune (November 20-27, 2011)

Top 10 stories of the week

November 20-27, 2011

1. Missed target: Doctor arrested for murdering restaurant doorman – Our correspondent  2: Wife proves quite 'handi' in kitchen for all the wrong reasons – Noman Ahmed  3. Sherry Rehman appointed Pakistan's Ambassador to the US – Web desk  4. Pakistan's only Nobel Laureate goes unremembered – Shamsul Islam  5: 24 soldiers killed in NATO attack on Pakistan check post – Iftikhar Firdous/Reuters  6. Naya Nazimabad City: Big business group launches gated housing society near Sakhi Hasan – Our correspondent  7. Saeed Ajmal tops ICC ODI bowlers list – Web desk  8: Enraged Indian youth slaps Indian minister – Web desk  9. ISI DG has all the evidence: Mansoor Ijaz - Newsdesk  10. Filtering SMS: PTA may ban over 1,500 English, Urdu words – Jahanzaib Haque, Shaheryar Popalzai

Top Business Gilani gives Pakistan's 3G policy green light Our correspondent Top Life & Style Television writer-director Abdul Rauf Khalid killed in car crash Web desk Top 3 blogs 1. The not-so-desperate housewives Mahwash Badar 2. PTA bans, and words we cannot say Umair Tariq 3. Prostitution in the land of the pure Aneka Chohan Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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Newsletter: November 27, 2011

Today's Headlines

November 27, 2011

Deadly intrusion: Pakistan inflamed as 24 killed in NATO strike Our Correspondent For possibly the first time, the intensity of the official response matched the shock of the event. Airstrikes by Nato jets and helicopters on Pakistani military outposts along the border with Afghanistan left at least 24 soldiers dead and 14 injured early Saturday morning. _______________________________________________ National/City reports 'Linking Zardari with memo ludicrous' Our Correspondent The memogate scandal has provoked questions about the influence of the civilian government in Pakistan and created the impression that the army is pulling the levers of power, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in an interview with the BBC. Civil, military chiefs hit out at NATO airstrikes Our Correspondent Prior to the Cabinet Committee on Defence, meetings were called separately by the civil and military leaders – and both had issued hard-hitting statements.  From PPP to PTI: Qureshi's 'final' destination? Abdul Manan Former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, expected to officially announce his new party affiliation at his widely-anticipated rally in Ghotki  today (Sunday), has decided to join Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), sources told The Express Tribune. Imran Khan's 'I have a dream' speech Owais Jaffery "I assure you that the future of Pakistan is bright and this will someday be the country giving loans to other countries rather than the one living on them," said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairperson Imran Khan, while addressing a gathering in Shujabad, Multan on Saturday. _______________________________________________ Business Weekly review: KSE-100's slump continues as volumes dwindle further Bilal Umar Starved of triggers, the stock market suffered another lacklustre week as the benchmark KSE-100 index slumped 2.4% (290 points) during the week ended November 25. Volumes fell sharply by 17% to extremely low levels of 34 million shares traded per day. 3G technology: All set for Rs75b auction, launch date unknown Shahbaz Rana The recently approved 3G policy's main purpose is to hold the licence auction and raise Rs75 billion by February 2012 for budget financing. However, it is still not clear when the service will be launched. _______________________________________________ Sports 'We won't take Bangladesh lightly' Fawad Hussain Rating Bangladesh as tough opponents at home, Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq has urged his troops to put in more effort than they displayed in their series against Sri Lanka. Indo-Pak Express takes a break Natasha Raheel The Indo-Pak partnership of Aisamul Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna will not be seen on the tennis courts till at least the London Olympics as the duo strives towards confirming their place in the global event next year. _______________________________________________ Life & Style For film-maker Sean Ali, a fine line emerges between director and poseur Rafay Mahmood A few months back I came to know about a film Fatima, which was a take on politician Fatima Jinnah's life by young director Zuhair Ahmed, better known as Sean Ali. Surprisingly, even though he is a new name in the market, the film's fan page and the cast members of Fatima stated that Ali had earlier been nominated at Festival de Cannes, apart from already winning nine international awards. Strings' electrifying music rocks Karachi Saadia Qamar Pop rock band Strings, comprising of Bilal Maqsood and Faisal Kapadia, dazzled the people of Karachi, with their exhilarating concert at the garden area of Beach Luxury Hotel on November 25. _______________________________________________ Magazine Imran Khan: Unplugged News Desk Love him or hate him, you can no longer ignore him. Following the Lahore rally, Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have emerged as a force on the field of Pakistani politics. 10 things I hate about my mother-in-law Jehanara Dar She'll brag about "exercising for hours" every day when all she actually does is tittle-tattle with gossipy middle-aged aunties at the gym, while walking in slow motion on the treadmill.

Opinion Not a word Saroop Ijaz Time for change Rasul Bakhsh Rais Fault lines in the banking system Dr Muhammad Yaqub Broadening the base Tanvir Ahmad Khan The Greek drachma and our dirham Khaled Ahmed Blogs Can Kabaddi ever be taken seriously? Natasha Raheel Slaps won't get us anywhere Sanjay Kumar Google isn't an MD Mariam Ashraf When grown men fight, Mirza,our nation dies Dr Mohammad Ali Rai Poll Will Pakistan benefit from increased trade with India? Yes (60%, 144 Votes) No (40%, 95 Votes) Total Voters: 239 Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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10 militants killed, 4 soldiers injured in Kurram clashes

KURRAM AGENCY: At least 10 militants were killed and four soldiers sustained injuries in clashes in Central Kurram Agency on Saturday.

According to sources, security forces attacked the militants in the Masozai area of central Kurram Agency.

Earlier on Friday, an attack launched by security forces on militant hideouts in Kurram Agency left 35 militants dead and 10 others wounded, security officials said.

Security forces claim that they have killed over 120 militants and injured 40 in Orakzai Agency over the past week. They also claim to have regained control of Akhund Kot, Chapar and Dapar Killay areas.

An operation was launched in Orakzai Agency in March last year, while the Kurram operation was launched this summer. However, this past week, security forces have increased their advance in both agencies.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rally: Imran Khan insists he has no hidden backers

PESHAWAR:

At his rally on Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan reiterated that his party is not supported by “hidden elements.”

“We have no unseen backers, the PTI belongs to the entire country,” Imran said, adding the ‘PTI tsunami’ has reached Peshawar and no one can stop it.

While the party’s spokesperson claimed that a 100,000 people had attended the rally, intelligence sources put the number at 10,000.

However, the young participants at the rally seemed to be unmoved by Imran’s ambitions of a corruption-free Pakistan, as after the rally thousands of young activists attacked sugarcane fields near the venue. This led to scuffles between the farmers and PTI activists, who eventually managed to steal sticks of sugarcane.

“We want a new Pakistan, where old politics, parties and lies will not exist,” Khan said.

He added that his party will hold political meetings in Multan, Ghotki and Karachi.

Imran promised uniform education and financial equity, adding that he will liberate the masses from the clutches of inflation. However, no clear method was given on how this was to be done.

“We will take both wickets of Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif in a single ball,” the cricket hero said to cheering participants.

PPP member joins PTI

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Iftikhar Khan Jhaghra formally joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Friday. He announced his move to resign from the PPP Central Executive Committee and join the PTI at a public rally in his home town Jhaghra, on the outskirts of the provincial capital.

Meanwhile, Saleem Jan Khan, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan’s first cousin, also joined the PTI when Imran Khan visited his residence on Friday.

Saleem Jan said he had made the decision after reading Imran Khan’s book. He added that Wali Khan and Baacha Khan were his elders and he still respects them, but does not agree with the present policies and leadership of the ANP. Saleem Jan also presented details of his assets to Imran Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2011.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rally: Imran Khan insists he has no hidden backers

PESHAWAR:

At his rally on Friday, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan reiterated that his party is not supported by “hidden elements.”

“We have no unseen backers, the PTI belongs to the entire country,” Imran said, adding the ‘PTI tsunami’ has reached Peshawar and no one can stop it.

While the party’s spokesperson claimed that a 100,000 people had attended the rally, intelligence sources put the number at 10,000.

However, the young participants at the rally seemed to be unmoved by Imran’s ambitions of a corruption-free Pakistan, as after the rally thousands of young activists attacked sugarcane fields near the venue. This led to scuffles between the farmers and PTI activists, who eventually managed to steal sticks of sugarcane.

“We want a new Pakistan, where old politics, parties and lies will not exist,” Khan said.

He added that his party will hold political meetings in Multan, Ghotki and Karachi.

Imran promised uniform education and financial equity, adding that he will liberate the masses from the clutches of inflation. However, no clear method was given on how this was to be done.

“We will take both wickets of Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif in a single ball,” the cricket hero said to cheering participants.

PPP member joins PTI

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Iftikhar Khan Jhaghra formally joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Friday. He announced his move to resign from the PPP Central Executive Committee and join the PTI at a public rally in his home town Jhaghra, on the outskirts of the provincial capital.

Meanwhile, Saleem Jan Khan, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan’s first cousin, also joined the PTI when Imran Khan visited his residence on Friday.

Saleem Jan said he had made the decision after reading Imran Khan’s book. He added that Wali Khan and Baacha Khan were his elders and he still respects them, but does not agree with the present policies and leadership of the ANP. Saleem Jan also presented details of his assets to Imran Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2011.

From people’s representative to envoy: Sherry Rehman gives up NA seat

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan’s ambassador-designate to the US and former information minister Sherry Rehman resigned from the National Assembly on Friday to take charge of her new post.

Rehman was appointed the new ambassador to the US following the resignation of Husain Haqqani in the aftermath of memogate. She served as a legislator for nine years on a reserved seat.

“It is with a heavy heart that I send my resignation as member National Assembly with effect from November 24, 2011,” Rehman wrote in her resignation letter forwarded to Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza. “It has been an honour and a privilege to serve the people of Pakistan as their representative, and I
am grateful to God and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, and President Asif Ali Zardari for giving me this opportunity more than once,” read the resignation letter. “I hope to continue serving my beloved country and the Government of Pakistan in my next assignment to the best of my abilities.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2011.