Chinese intercropping technology has been revitalizing Pakistan’s agricultural industry since its introduction in 2018. Significant advancements have been made this year in its optimization and localization, with particular emphasis on cotton production. The National Research Center of Intercropping (NRCI) in Pakistan is now registering farmers interested in using this technology for maize, wheat, sugarcane, and cotton cultivation.
For the upcoming maize planting season, NRCI plans to expand its maize-soybean intercropping demonstrations to more districts, especially in Punjab. Over 1,000 farmers have already tested this technology on their farms, showing promising results in terms of yield and efficient resource use.
Dr. Muhammad Ali Raza, NRCI Director and International Research Fellow at the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS), noted that early trials have been successful, with some farmers in Punjab achieving yields of 10-14 maunds of soybean and 15-18 maunds of cotton per acre.
Promoting a new method
This year, NRCI is particularly focused on promoting a new method to encourage cotton farmers to adopt strip intercropping of Bt cotton and soybean with early February planting. This approach aims to rejuvenate Pakistan’s cotton production, which has seen a decline in cultivation area and per-acre yield from 2014 to 2023.
Dr. Raza highlighted that the optimized cotton-soybean intercropping technology is essential for Pakistan as it addresses issues like whitefly attacks and pink bollworm infestations, which have previously discouraged cotton farming. By adopting Bt cotton and soybean intercropping, farmers can boost soybean yields while maintaining cotton production. Additionally, professors from Peking University have supported Pakistan by providing high-yield maize and soybean varieties and specialized herbicides to manage weeds in maize-soybean intercropping fields, Dr. Raza added.
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