PESHAWAR, Jan 15: The NWFP Provincial Seed Council (PSC) has approved the new variety of mustard “Nifa-Riya” of the Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture (Nifa), Peshawar, the 9th crop of variety of the institute recommended for general cultivation. “The Nifa-Riya is a high yielding mustard variety as it is extremely helpful in increase of edible oil production, said NIFA Principal Scientific Officer Dr Syed Anwar Shah here Sunday.

The edible oil production in the county is short of requirements to the tune of 70 per cent as the gap is filled by heavy imports costing the national exchequer over Rs24 billion annually, he said, adding to increase production of edible oil, a comprehensive research program had been launched at Nifa to develop improved varieties of mustard.

The breading efforts of oilseed group of IFA have resulted in development of high-yielding and broadly adopted mustard which has been approved by the PSC, he added.

Asked about the procedure of making the variety, he said that it was developed by irradiating seeds of Brassica Juncca mustard line, DLJ-3, at 1.40 KGY Gamma rays in 1994-95 followed by selection and through evaluation of various situations in the country. The yield of this variety is over 2.3 per acre, as compared to the national average yield of 0.8 per acre, he added.

It contained 47 percent oil, he said, adding it contains more oil than other commercial contents and was fit for human consumption.

“The NWFP PSC has recommended the variety for normal rabi planting in irrigated and rain-fed areas of Pakistan,” he said. Dr Syed Anwar Shah has played a key in conduct of research by introducing the mustard variety.

He said the Nifa-Riya is the first ever variety of mustard developed through induced mutations in Pakistan, adding this variety has the potential and capacity to replace the non canola varieties.

The variety could enhance edible production that would decrease edible oil imports and conserve precious foreign exchange, he added.—APP