ISLAMABAD: The newly-established ‘Speed Breeding for wheat and pulses, and ‘Intelligent IoT-Based Smart Glasshouse’ facilities established at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad, were inaugurated on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the country’s agricultural research and development landscape.

The inauguration of these advanced research facilities at NARC by Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, reflects a transformative step toward data-driven, climate-smart, and resource-efficient agriculture.

By significantly reducing breeding timelines and enhancing research precision, these initiatives reinforce Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening its agricultural research system and ensuring long-term food and nutritional security for the country.

This also reflects a major advancement in Pakistan’s efforts to modernise crop improvement systems and strengthen national food and nutritional security through science-driven innovation.

Officials of PARC say speed breeding and smart controlled-environment facilities are critical for achieving rapid genetic gains, improving crop resilience, and ensuring food and nutritional security in the face of climate change.

The wheat speed breeding facility has been established at the Crop Sciences Institute of NARC under the PSDP-funded ‘Wheat Productivity Enhancement Project’.

Equipped with controlled glasshouse chambers, advanced LED grow lighting systems, and precise temperature and humidity controls, the facility is the first of its kind in the region.

Since its establishment, more than 3,000 new wheat lines have been rapidly developed and are currently undergoing yield trials in the field. The facility has also served as a national and international hub for capacity building, with hundreds of scientists, breeders, and students trained in speed breeding techniques, while protocols have been scaled up for other important crops.

The food security minister also inaugurated Pakistan’s first dedicated ‘Pulses Speed Breeding Facility’, established under the PSDP Pulses Project. Pulses play a vital role in national food and nutritional security by providing affordable protein and contributing to soil health through biological nitrogen fixation.

However, productivity gains in pulses have remained slow due to long breeding cycles and increasing climate and disease pressures.

The newly established facility addresses these challenges by enabling four to six generations per year in major pulse crops such as chickpea, lentil, mung bean, and mash through controlled growth chambers, tunable LED lighting, and optimised environmental conditions. Significant progress has already been achieved, including the development of advanced chickpea breeding lines, the enhancement of multiple segregating generations, and improved precision in phenotyping under uniform growth environments.

NARC officials briefed the minister on the speed breeding technology, a cutting-edge approach originally inspired by space research concepts, which significantly shortens the plant breeding cycle by providing controlled environmental conditions.

Speaking on the occasion, Rana Tanveer stated that the newly-established initiatives directly align with national priorities on food and nutritional security, climate-resilient agriculture, and farmer income enhancement.

The Smart Glasshouse, spread over 2,640 square feet, integrates Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, artificial intelligence, programmable control systems, and data analytics to support genome-assisted speed breeding, stress biology research, and advanced phenotyping.

Rana Tanveer said that the Intelligent Smart Glasshouse represents a future-ready national asset that bridges genomics, digital agriculture, and sustainable food production.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2026