久久亚洲国产成人影院-久久亚洲国产的中文-久久亚洲国产高清-久久亚洲国产精品-亚洲图片偷拍自拍-亚洲图色视频

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
World
Home / World / Friends Afar

Pakistani scholar plants dreams with soybeans

By XUE JINGQI in Hong Kong | China Daily | Updated: 2024-11-14 10:05
Share
Share - WeChat
Hafiz Mamoon Rehman gives a thumbs-up in the soybean field. XUE JINGQI/CHINA DAILY

Editor's note: China Daily presents the series Friends Afar to tell the stories of people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries. Through the vivid narration of the people in the stories, readers can get a better understanding of a country that is boosting openness.

Hafiz Mamoon Rehman, born in a small village in Pakistan's Punjab Province, grew up surrounded by golden wheat and cotton as white as snow. Unlike the generations before him who worked the land, he chased academic excellence and sought knowledge beyond the familiar terrain of his homeland.

Rehman made a journey into the fields of biotechnology, where he grappled with the intricacies of herbicide resistance and genetically modified wheat. In 2016, while pursuing his doctorate at Chonnam National University in South Korea, he chose soybeans as the subject of his long-term research.

Later, he sent resumes to soybean experts across the globe. It was a message from Lam Honming, a professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong's School of Life Sciences, that set the stage for what was to come.

Lam, a prominent expert in agricultural science, had decoded the genomes of 31 soybean varieties, bred non-genetically modified drought and salinity-tolerant germplasms, and was the first from Hong Kong to participate in a national-level space agricultural research project.

Two years later, Rehman joined Lam's lab, completing a successful three-year postdoctoral stint. Hong Kong became a dream for him, a place where he built a family and created memories, including the birth of his child at Prince of Wales Hospital.

Yet, despite the allure of the vibrant city, Rehman never lost sight of his goal — returning home and using his knowledge to help his people.

After years of learning, Rehman is now at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, developing local soybean varieties suited for the conditions in Pakistan.

Pakistan, primarily an agrarian nation, faces challenges due to limited crop diversity and the adverse effects of climate change. With most of its agricultural land dedicated to five traditional crops and suffering from low soybean yield and quality, the country relies heavily on soybean imports for animal feed.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once said that Pakistan is one of the countries most severely affected by climate change, a fact not lost on Rehman as he sought to introduce soybeans as a sustainable crop in his homeland.

Sowing hope

Iqrar Ahmad Khan, vice-chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, explained that Pakistan spent up to $2 billion annually importing about 300,000 metric tons of soybeans. "What's important now is to bring in soybean as a mainstream green crop," he said.

Achieving this goal meant finding the right seeds, and that is where Lam's expertise came into the picture. He had already cultivated the Longhuang series soybean in China's Gansu province, which is known for its high yield and quality even in arid and saline conditions.

In 2023, Lam, for the first time, visited Pakistan, taking with him a branch of seeds. Unlike the Longhuang series, what Lam prepared for Pakistan is genetically unstable soybean seeds, still undergoing change, with the hope of developing a variety that could thrive in the local environment.

Early this May, Lam led a team, including agricultural scientists, engineers and seed experts from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, alongside a group of Pakistani students from two Hong Kong middle schools, that arrived in Lahore, Punjab, to make a straightforward agricultural exchange.

Lam said he hoped these students could observe their homeland from a different perspective and understand the connection between Hong Kong and Pakistan.

Punjab, Pakistan's breadbasket, is a province with more than 100 million people and the most developed agricultural sector in the country.

"Introducing soybeans to Punjab is not an easy task," said Rehman, who noted the crop's novelty to local farmers.

Zhang Guohong, a retired seasoned expert from the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, bridged language barriers through his extensive agricultural knowledge, communicating with local farmers about irrigation, fertilization and cultivation techniques.

The high temperatures of Punjab, edging close to 50 C, posed a significant challenge. "The extremely hot weather almost melted everything," Zhang said.

The resilient seeds provided by Lam sprouted, offering a glimmer of hope. "It's only by starting from a seed and struggling together that they can develop new varieties that truly belong there," said Lam.

China, with only 9 percent of the world's arable land and 6 percent of its freshwater resources, has sustained nearly one-fifth of the global population.

Lam, 64, said China's experiences in rural vitalization over the past decade or so have provided valuable lessons for other developing countries.

Official data show that China has dispatched more than 2,000 agricultural experts and technicians to more than 70 countries and regions worldwide.

At the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Iqrar Ahmad Khan said the institution has signed more than 50 cooperation agreements with numerous Chinese universities and research institutions.

Rehman also has strong ties with China. He showed the shirt he was wearing, saying it was a commemorative T-shirt given to him during a previous agricultural inspection in Hainan province, and had a Chinese logo printed on it.

And this time, the seeds from Hong Kong, China, did not disappoint him.

Approximately 3.5 hectares have been planted with soybeans that are anticipated to produce an impressive yield of 2,500 kilograms per hectare come summer. Additionally, Rehman witnessed a breakthrough three months into planting, with the soybeans segregating positively toward a locally adapted variety.

The collaboration between China and Pakistan in agricultural development highlighted the enduring bonds between the two nations, he said. "Building international friendships, connecting people at the grassroots level, and using science to help those in need have always been the core values of our Hong Kong team."

Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 精品国产欧美精品v | 亚洲精品无码专区在线播放 | 欧美在线国产 | 日韩一级特黄 | 国产成人精品三级91在线影院 | 69欧美| 亚洲天堂毛片 | 男女扒开双腿猛进入免费网站 | 欧美色操| 日韩性色 | 国产专区一区 | 精品免费国产 | 国产一二三区视频 | 精品国产一区二区三区www | 日产一区2区三区有限公司 日产一区两区三区 | 青青视频国产依人在线 | 免费ab| 国产一级特黄一级毛片 | 美女张开腿给男人桶 | 一本久久道久久爱 | 欧美手机看片 | 久草欧美视频 | 欧美日韩国产免费一区二区三区 | 国产美女精品视频免费观看 | 亚洲精品一区二区久久 | 日本毛片在线观看 | 亚洲天堂视频在线免费观看 | 成人久久18免费网站入口 | 亚洲国产成人九九综合 | 91久久国产综合精品女同国语 | 免费岛国小视频在线观看 | 国产不卡视频在线观看 | 九草网| 国产精品久久久久久久免费大片 | 精品无码一区在线观看 | 三级网站大全 | 欧美性aaaxxx级 | 日韩精品中文字幕一区二区三区 | 日韩欧美一区二区三区在线 | 一区二区国产在线观看 | 视频偷拍一级视频在线观看 |