Director Message

Nuclear Institute of Agriculture (NIA), Tando Jam previously named as Atomic Energy Agriculture Research Centre (AEARC) was established in 1963 as a first agricultural Institute of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. NIA has four research disciplines viz., Plant Breeding & Genetics, Plant Protection, Soil & Environmental Sciences and Plant Physiology. The aim of goal-oriented research is to enhance crop productivity and food security through evolution of new high yielding and stress tolerant crop varieties, management of insect pests and diseases of crops and fruits plants through environment friendly bio-control techniques, maximization of crop productivity through innovative techniques and better management practices, and understanding stress tolerance in crop plants. So far, NIA has successfully developed and released 38 high yielding and stress tolerant varieties of different crop plants (16 of wheat, 7 rice, 7 cotton, 5 sugarcane, 01 mungbean, 01 canola and 01 lentil) for general cultivation in Sindh province of Pakistan. These crops varieties are being successfully grown in this region. The high quality (pre-basic) seeds of NIA crop varieties is being produced every year and supplied to public and private seed sector and the progressive growers. A break-through has been achieved in economical and non-polluting control of insect pests through biological control method by establishing nine bio-control laboratories. So far, NIA has established 10 Bio-control laboratories with different Sugar Mills. A significant area (more than 115000 ha) under sugarcane cane and cotton crop is being treated with bio-control technology (Tricho-cards, Chryso-cards and fruit fly traps). NIA has been providing disease diagnostic facilities in various crops/orchards in Sindh. The institute is providing analytical services to the farmers and other stakeholders for analyzing the fertilizer, soil, water and plant samples at marginal rates.  As there is a huge adulteration in the market for the chemical fertilizers, therefore, NIA is providing the analytical reports of the samples (whether fit or unfit) to the farmers.    In this way, growers of this region are saving their crops vulnerable to sub-standard chemical fertilizers and also saving their millions of rupees incurred on the purchase of sub-standard fertilizers. Recently, NIA has developed a new bio-fertilizer product “NIA-Bio-booster” by using beneficial microbes consortium to enhance soil health and crop yields. NIA-bio-booster is also an environment friendly and cheaper as compared to various chemical fertilizers. Physiological studies of stress tolerance in the cultivated crops have generated new insight that could be brought to bear upon enhancement of crop yields. The physiological studies have been useful to identify green traits related with plant responses with various environmental stresses like drought, heat and salinity stress. The Institute has been providing internships and research facilities to the students of M.Sc., M.Phil. and PhD. The Institute has a substantial contribution in the research publications in national and international reputed journal and the book chapters. The Institute has been awarded with number of national and international projects from different donor agencies. NIA has strong collaboration with national and international agencies. Through high quality work and large number of research publications, it has earned national and international recognition and gained number of prestigious national and international awards. In recognition, NIA has been decorated with 01 Tamgha-e-Imtiaz and 03 Presidential Pride of Performance awards.