HYDERABAD: Exp-erts from academic, agricultural and research institutions in Sindh have warned that climate change has produced new diseases and pests in crops, observing that increasing warming, irregular rainfall and pest attacks have impacted agricultural yields.

They were speaking at a two-day national training workshop on ‘Wheat Varietal Development Thr-ough Conventional Techni-ques’ started at the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) on Tuesday.

Addressing the inaugural session, SAU Vice Chancellor Dr Altaf Ali Siyal said that agriculture remained the most vulnerable sector to climate change, resulting in declining produce.

He said that there was need for climate-resilient and sustainable wheat production to ensure food security. “Wheat is not only Pakistan’s staple crop, but also a pillar of national food security and economic stability,” he noted.

He stressed urgency of developing high-yielding, disease-resistant and climate-resilient wheat varieties. While modern biotechnology and genetic engineering had taken significant strides, conventional breeding techniques also remained indispensable in wheat improvement, he added.

Agriculture Research Sindh Director General Mazharuddin Khero discussed importance of integrating climate risk assessments into agricultural research. He said that researchers must embrace modern technologies to counteract climate-ind-uced threats. “This workshop is designed to equip farmers, seed industry professionals and students with cutting-edge research and technical expertise to combat climate challenges,” he said.

Dr Zahoor Ahmed Soo-mro, chairman of the Social Policy and Deve-lopment Centre, and Dr Tanveer Fatah Abro presented latest findings on wheat research trials in SAU’s experimental farms. Dr Mohammad Ismail Kumbhar moderated the inaugural session.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2025