PARC-National Sugar and Tropical Horticulture and Research Institute (NSTHRI), SARC-Thatta

In 1990, a project Southern Zone Agriculture Research Institute (SZARI) launched by PARC for sugarcane varietal development.  Then, in 1998 PSDP project “National Sugarcane Research Institute (NSCRI)” was launched and re-designated as a regular institute of PARC in 2003. The scope of NSCRI was extended by renaming it as “National Sugar and Tropical Horticulture Research Institute (NSTHRI)”. The following standard research activities as per its mandate are being undertaken.

  • Maintenance of sugarcane germplasm of different exotic and local sugarcane varieties to study flowering behavior and intensity.
  • Collection of poly crossed sugarcane fuzz (true seed) from commercially cultivated sugarcane varieties on farmer fields in different areas of Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts and its utilization for seedling development in the nursery. 
  • Screening of sugarcane varieties for varietal development, insect pest and disease attack to sort out resistant and high yielding sugarcane varieties.
  • Maintenance of mother blocks of different tropical fruit plants and acclimatization under tropical environment.
  • Development of disease free plants of high yielding banana varieties through tissue culture and their distribution to growers.
  • Introduction and evaluation of exotic sugarbeet varieties under agro-climatic conditions of lower Sindh.