Beijing, Nov 8 (Alliance News): Chinese intercropping technology has revitalized Pakistan’s agricultural sector since its introduction in 2018, with significant advancements in crop optimization, particularly in cotton.
This year, Pakistan’s National Research Center of Intercropping (NRCI) is actively registering farmers interested in adopting this technology for maize, wheat, sugarcane, and cotton production.
With promising results from early trials, NRCI is expanding its maize-soybean intercropping demonstrations in more districts across Punjab. Dr. Muhammad Ali Raza, NRCI Director and International Research Fellow at Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS), noted that over 1,000 farmers have already tested the intercropping technology, achieving yields of 10-14 maunds of soybean and 15-18 maunds of cotton per acre.
NRCI is introducing Bt cotton-soybean strip intercropping, targeting early February sowing to counteract Pakistan’s declining cotton production.
This optimized method offers enhanced resilience against pest infestations, boosting both cotton and soybean yields.
Additionally, Peking University experts have provided Pakistan with high-yield maize and soybean varieties and specialized herbicides to further support the maize-soybean intercropping system.
