PARB approves nine research projects

The Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) executive committee has approved nine research projects, including eight in livestock and one in crop sector for further endorsement by the PARB Board of Governors. The executive committee recommended these projects for final endorsement in its 26th meeting held here Wednesday with the PARB Chief Executive, Dr Mubarak Ali in the chair.
These projects were initially scrutinised by Technical Working Groups (TWGs) in a series of meetings by panel of expert for the critical evaluation with detailed discussion. The approved nine projects includes, development of meat type Japanese Quail with higher body weight (Corturnix Japonica) acclimatised to indigenous management conditions through 6 generations of selective breeding programme, development of egg laying chicken lines for backyard poultry production and use of Glauconite Indigenous Potash Mineral as a source of Potassium to improve productivity and quality of potato and maize crops.
Other projects are development and comparison of innocuity and potentiating effect of three oil adjuvants in vaccine of Pasterurella multocida in buffalo/cattle, development, evaluation and promotion of Milk Replacer for buffalo calves, development of vaccine for the control of buffalo and cattle calf diarrhea, preparation and field evaluation of thermostable V4 Newcastle disease vaccine, marketing of livestock animals and meat in Punjab and documenting and mitigating the impact of pesticides and heavy metal residues on indigenous livestock production and health. Chief executive PARB Dr Mubarik Ali said these projects have a very promising future for livestock and dairy development sector and production can be enhanced to a great extent. He maintained that the projects can give fruitful outcome, comparable to International Standard". Professor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha Dean Faculty of Life Sciences UVAS, Khawaja Muhammad Shoaib executive committee member PARB and DG Extension and Agricultural Research Dr Anjum highly appreciated the projects indicators and hoped to bring desirable results for livestock sector.
They said these projects seem to be very challenging job and the outcomes can reshape livestock economy. The meeting was attended by Additional Secretary Planning, government of Punjab, Secretary government of Punjab Finance Department, Dr Anjum DG Ext and AR, Professor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha, UVAS, Khawaja Muhammad Shoaib executive committee member PARB, executive members and other officials of PARB.