May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

RAWALPINDI, May 24: Speakers at a seminar here on Saturday called for adoption of modern technology to increase the agricultural productivity and reduce environmental risks.

They were speaking at the seminar on “Precision agriculture technologies to increase farm profitability and reduce environmental risks” organised by department of horticulture, University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi (UAAR).

Dr Qamaruz Zaman, HEC foreign visiting professor from Nova-Scotia Agriculture University of Canada, on the occasion said traditionally agrochemicals and irrigation were applied uniformly without considering substantial variability in soil and crop characteristics, topographic features and fruit yield within fields.

He said unnecessary or over-use of fertilisers might deteriorate water quality, promote weed growth and reduce profit, while under-fertilisation may restrict crop yield and quality.

New technologies could significantly reduce input costs, increase profitability while minimising the environmental impacts, Dr Zaman said.

“Widespread availability of fast and accurate differential global positioning system (DGPS) service and the rapid evolution of laptop computing power, a range of automated instruments have offered new opportunities for varying inputs within fields on as- needed basis to maximise profit and reduce environmental contamination, he said.

The precision agriculture technologies are economical, environmentally sound, and can easily be adopted by the Pakistani growers, producers and manufacturers, Dr Zaman elaborated.

Dr Zaman also apprised the participants of his research about the use of precision agriculture technologies for horticultural and agronomic crops.

Others speakers including vice-chancellor of the UAAR stressed on the use of modern technology in the agriculture to meet the challenges of food shortage.