Announcements

INVITATION OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS FOR FUNDING

UNDER ALP  5^th BATCH

PARC, invites Preliminary Agricultural Research Proposals from the promising Pakistani research scientists for the award of research grants through Agricultural Research Endowment Fund (AREF) under the Agricultural Linkages Program (ALP) supported by USDA, USA. The program focuses on achieving food security, poverty alleviation and promoting broad based equitable and sustainable agriculture in Pakistan. The research grant will be highly competitive and the innovative proposals capable of evolving or providing answers to the questions and problems faced by Pakistani farmers will be eligible for funding.  

The Preliminary Proposals for the  5^th  batch of ALP should fall under the  below mentioned  priorities areas

Preliminary Proposals (concept papers) four copies only on prescribed ALP Preliminary Proposal  Proforma  may be submitted to the Executive Director (ALP) P.O.BOX 1031, PARC, Islamabad for pre-qualification/shortlisting. The proforma along with instructions  can be downloaded from ALP’s    Website: www.alp.gov.pk    

 e.mail: alpparc@.comsats.net.pk . The proforma can also be collected from the, Room No.205&209  ALP Secretariat, PARC.

Closing date for receipt of proposals:            31.03.2010

                                             RESEARCH  PRIORITIES

Research and Development Initiatives

The world is moving into uncharted territory as human demand override the sustainable yield of natural system. As world population has doubled and the global economy has expanded seven folds over the last half century. Humans are asking more of the earth than it can give on an on-going basis, creating a bubble economy. Trees are being cutting faster than they can regenerate, overgrazing rangelands and converting them into deserts, over pumping aquifers and draining rivers dry. On cropland, soil erosion exceeds new soil formation, taking fish from the ocean faster then they reproduce, releasing carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere faster than nature can absorb it, creating a green house effect. Habitat destruction and climate change are destroying plant and animal species for faster than new species can evolve.

Moreover, since the last decade, the world economy has been changed. Fight against terrorism has gotten all the attention of political leaders, departments and media world wide. No doubt, terrorism is certainly a matter of concern but if it diverts the world from environmental trends that are undermining our future until it is too late to reverse them.

Currently, we are living in the era of bubble economy that is based on over consumption of the natural resources will affect the entire world. When the food bubble economy inflated by the over pumping of aquifers, bursts, it will raise challenge for our generation is to be deflate the economic bubble before it bursts. To deflate bubble economy, the following mega threats, which are threatening the livelihood and food supply of hundreds of millions of the worlds’ people have to be address:

i.                     Deteriorated rangelands

ii.                   Falling water table

iii.                  Eroding soils and expanding deserts.

iv.                 Collapsing fisheries.

If we continue with the business as usual, the threats mentioned above will worsen. So, far present and further generation one must have to address them at war footed basis. Fortunately, PARC has a good source of funding in form of Agricultural Research Endowment Fund (AREF) which can contribute to save earth’s natural endowment.

So, to operate and use the source of ALP fruitfully the above mentioned threats have been focused and below mentioned priorities areas are selected for inviting the proposals for future funding.

                                             Crop Sciences

Crop Production:

• Genetically modified crop varieties.

•  Multiple cropping pattern.

•  Early-maturing varieties of crops.

•  Medicinal plants and their utilities.

•  Commercial production of bio fertilizers.

•  Process engineering of bio- products.

• Production and commercialization of bamboo products.

•  Low input – High yield crops varieties.

Farm Machinery:

           Development of following machines:

• Solar water pumps.

• Wind turbines.

• Weeders for mechanical removal of weeds.

•  Small tillers.

• Small scale bone-fertilizer maker.

•  Small scale distillation plants.

•  Shrub cutter.

•  Small scale organic fertilizer plant.

•  Light weight, cheep and energy efficient machinery/implements.

•  Motorized hand tools for small scale farming.

•  Processing of agriculture produce and hay bailing.

•  Development/ adoption of dry/dehydration technology in date palm, citrus and other fruits.

Horticulture:

• Dwarfing of fruit plant through:

 a.      Genetic management.

 b.      Pruning.

 c.     Selection of plants that have developed over time.

• Nursery improvement/management – better root stock and scions (Horticultural crops)
• Seed production of self pollinated vegetables.

Floriculture:

• Floriculture through interaction of essential oils, perfumes and concentrates.
• Commercialization of exotic flowering plants including gladioluses, tuberose, tulips, frezia, helices, amraylees and orkida etc.

Natural Resources

Land Resources Management.

          Development of interventions/techniques for:

• Raising of land productivity.

•  Saving soil and crop lands.

•  Nutrient management (organic, inorganic and biological) for major cropping patterns for Irrigated, Barani, Rod-Kohi land systems.

• Development of techniques for profitable organic farming and bio products.

• Elimination of raw material (Choker, rind seed, rice straw etc) for feed formulation.

• Alternate source of phosphatic fertilizers.

• Value addition --------      herbs, honey etc.

Range Management and Forestry:

• New range interventions.

• Identification of fodder species that increase milk production.

• Range Management and promotion of agroforestry.

• Utilization of less palatable range grasses and weeds as animal feed.

 Water Resources:

 Development of interventions techniques for:

• Raising water productivity and efficiency.
• Watershed management, mountain, plateau, barani land etc.
• Management of waste water, sewage, industrial effluents, brackish water.
• Harvesting of green water (rain water).
• Bio-fertigation--sprinklers, drip and surface irrigation.

                                         Animal Sciences

• Genetically improved animals for increasing meat and milk production.
• New source of meat generation (poultry, ducks, partridges, quail, rabbits etc).
• Biotechnological interventions in reproduction.
• Breeding models for small scale dairy settings.
• Local starter cultures for dairy products.
• Improved/novel dairy products.
• Brackish water aquaculture.
• Development of feed from indigenous resources for shrimp industry for starter, growers, and finisher industries.
• Fodders that enhance milk in lactating animals (legume fodder). 

                                            Social Sciences

• Estimation of returns to R & D investment in natural resources, allocation conservation and quality upright. 
•  Assessment of adoption and commercialization of new products developed for promoting organic culture.
• Socio-economic studies to highlight livelihood strategies and natural resources degradation in different agro ecologies.
• Measuring the optimality of the use of vital resources like seawater, forests, rangelands and aquifer in the scarce and abundant ecologies of Pakistan.
• Reviewing the performances of past and current interventions in major land use systems like watersheds, rangelands, rod kohi, saline lands, deserts etc.
• Assessment of indirect cost especially evaluated in fisheries, forests, rangelands and aquifers for creating an honest market.