Plant Sciences Division (PSD)

Plant Sciences has been entrusted the major task of research and development activities related to broader areas of Crop Production, Plant Protection, and Horticulture. The focus of research work in these particular areas was to bring self-sufficiency in the major food commodities; import substitution through enhanced local production, value addition and post-harvest management of international standard and adoption of resource conservation technologies. In order to achieve the above goals, priority research areas were identified including maintenance of genetic diversity and germplasm improvement; variety development; standardization of production technology package for sustainable crop production; integrated pest management; agricultural mechanization; and post harvest management.

The above activities were handled through in-house and in-country research establishments of PARC, i.e. Crop Sciences Institute; Horticultural Research Institute; Institute for Agriculture Biotechnology and Genetic Resources; Institute of Plant and Environment Protection; Southern Zone Agricultural Research Centre, Karachi; National Tea Research Institute, Shinkiari; Countrywide Cooperative Research Programs on various crop commodities and MoUs with national/international research organizations and PSDP funded development projects. Research on emerging issues of national importance were also conducted through the funding from competitive grant of Agriculture Linkages Program (ALP), Ministry of Science and Technology, and other scientific institutions.