ISLAMABAD, March 16 (APP): The government plans efforts to strengthen agricultural research in Pakistan by building reference genomes of indigenous crops and accelerating the development of improved varieties using artificial intelligence-based models.
Expected outcomes include increased agricultural productivity, improved export competitiveness, and improved livelihoods for resource-poor farmers, especially those living in marginal and climate-sensitive areas.
According to an official document available with Wealth Pakistan, a project titled “Building a reference genome and leveraging AI-driven models for the improvement of indigenous crops” is proposed.
The four-year project is scheduled to run from July 2026 to June 2030 and will be implemented at the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) in Islamabad at an estimated cost of Rs 786,816,000. Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) will implement this initiative through the National Institute of Genomics and Advanced Biotechnology (NIGAB).
According to the document, this initiative is expected to significantly reduce the time required to develop new crop varieties, while strengthening Pakistan’s capabilities in modern breeding and agricultural biotechnology.
The initiative is expected to lead to the release of 10 superior crop varieties, including rice and wheat with resistant starch, sugarcane with a sugar recovery of at least 13.3 percent, and crush-resistant canola.
The project aims to utilize existing state-of-the-art genomics, biotechnology, intelligent greenhouse and rapid breeding facilities at NIGAB to generate high-quality reference genome sequences for 62 indigenous crop varieties covering 17 of Pakistan’s major crops.
These genomic resources will support advanced agricultural applications, including the development of 10 cost-effective DNA-SNP (deoxyribonucleic acid single nucleotide polymorphism) genotyping platforms integrated with AI-enabled genomic selection and rapid breeding systems.
Another key element of this project is the establishment of 10 cost-effective 30,000 SNP genotyping platforms (DNA chips) that will be integrated into AI-driven genomic selection and rapid breeding pipelines.
The project will also create a national DNA fingerprint repository by developing DNA fingerprints for 848 crop varieties. This database helps support plant breeder rights, variety certification, and crop traceability systems.
Additionally, the initiative aims to commercialize next-generation sequencing (NGS), SNP genotyping, and bioinformatics services in Pakistan and support breeding programs in both the public and private sectors.
According to the document, the project is aligned with Pakistan Vision 2026 and the Uranium Pakistan Framework under the 13th Five Year Plan.
It also supports national policies on food security, biotechnology and climate resilience, as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
