Monday 17 November 2014

Research on bio-saline agriculture in progress

Pakistani scientists are working in the field of bio-saline agriculture to grow wheat, maize, rice and other crops by using seawater.
Former minister and President Pakistan Academy of Sciences Prof Dr Atta-ur-Rahman disclosed this while delivering an online lecture titled, ‘The Thrilling World of Discovery’ at the University of Karachi on Sunday.
The event was organised jointly by the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) and National Academy of Young Scientists in connection with the World Science Day.
The leading scientist said that Pakistan was already suffering from water shortage and furthermore the global warming will cause massive droughts within 20 years worldwide, adding that socio-economic development was no longer dependent on natural resources and the knowledge has become the main driving force for the world economies.
Dr Atta, who is also a former chairman of the Higher Education Commission, said that the scientists at the ICCBS were working day and night on various fronts while research on bio-saline agriculture was a part of these efforts.
He said that the establishment of Jamil-ur-Rahman Centre for Genomic Research at the ICCBS will definitely help the scientists engaged in research work on bio-saline agriculture.
The learned scholar stressed that the countries like China, Singapore, Korea and Taiwan had realised the phenomenon that the knowledge has become the main driving force for the world economies and they had made great progress.
“Pakistan needs also to follow the footprints of these countries in term of achieving advancement on the economic front,” he said.
He informed the gathering that the world has made wonderful progress in the field of science and technology, mentioning that by using Nanotechnology bullet-proof paper is being made which is stronger than steel. “These papers are being used for making bullet-proof jackets.”
In about 10 years, people will all be wearing e-textiles, which shows wondrous progress of science, he said.
Dr Atta also reminded the audience about the great progress made in the field of science and higher education sector when he was chairman of the HEC and federal minister for science and technology.

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