KRL scientists develop off-season citrus plant

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Atif Khan
ISLAMABAD: Scientists at the department of Civil Works Organisation (CWO) at Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), in a landmark achievement have developed a new organic, off-season citrus plant, which will produce up to two tonnes of citrus fruit in the month of July.

KRL’s, s research officer Liaqat Ali Khan told Daily Times that the research project was started in 1999 and the results have been obtained in 2008.

Talking about the significance of the variety he informed that there is no variety in the world, which offers citrus fruit in the month of June.

It has an average yield potential of up to 2 tonnes of citrus per plant, which is many times higher then average per plant production of citrus grown in different parts of the country.

Normally citrus tree is planted for giving 90 to 99 citrus plants per acre, respectively; but this variety can give 267 plants per acre, and multiple crops could be obtained from the farm until the plant did not start bearing the fruit.

Khan said that the problems of shortage of land, energy, water, together with higher farm inputs, which have contributed to the increase of farm outputs, has also been addressed in the variety.

It is rain fed variety and does not need manual watering for the whole season. However in dry areas only 10 litre of water every three months was sufficient.

He said that variety is capable of bearing a temperature from 4 to 45 degree centigrade, and hence can be harvested in almost all the regions of the country.

“We have planted it in Swat and Multan and have received excellent results,” Khan said.

The variety has inbuilt resistance against the pest attacks and no pesticide spray is required for the plant. “If harvested on large scale it could bring a valuable foreign exchange to the country,” he added. Khan also presented other varieties of citrus fruit to Daily Times during a visit and informed that the 24 verities have been harvested.

When Daily Times contacted Minister for Environment, Hameedullah Jan Afridi about the citrus fruit variety, he lauded and appreciated the efforts of the scientists on developing an environmental friendly citrus fruit variety with exceptionally high production.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...2008_pg5_6