by Wang Xiaotong

LANZHOU, Jul 24 (China Economic Net) - Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) signed an agreement on establishing the Joint Laboratory on Modern Agriculture Science and Technology on July 23, to strengthen collaborative research in high-yield and high-quality crop breeding, sustainable agricultural development technologies, efficient agricultural resource utilization, and agricultural ecological environment protection.

Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS) and Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB) sign an agreement to build the Joint Laboratory on Modern Agriculture Science and Technology. [Photo/Wang Xiaotong]

“The challenges facing Pakistan's agricultural development, such as water scarcity and insufficient equipment, are highly similar to the difficulties Gansu once encountered. With the Joint Laboratory as a link, our academy will transform the Chinese experience accumulated over the years - including dryland farming technologies, crop cultivation models, and agricultural mechanization supporting schemes - into localized solutions suitable for Pakistan,” Chang Hong, GAAS President said.

Under the agreement, the two sides will set up research bases in Gansu and Bahawalpur respectively, with a focus on promoting the localization of advanced technologies of GAAS in Pakistan. Key efforts will include introducing grain-legume intercropping and dryland water-saving technologies to arid areas in Pakistan to improve the stress resistance and yield of farmland, combining Gansu’s high-quality crop breeding experience with Pakistani germplasm resources to develop high-yield crop varieties, and strengthening personnel exchanges and technical training for Pakistani agricultural professionals.

“In Pakistan, where agriculture supports nearly 40% of the labor force, there is a pressing need for modernization and research-based solutions to ensure food security, climate resilience, and economic uplift. We envision this joint laboratory as a model of synergy - where Pakistani and Chinese scientists, researchers, and students will work hand in hand, benefitting from shared knowledge, cutting-edge facilities, and a spirit of co-creation,” Prof. Muhammad Kamran, IUB Vice Chancellor remarked.