by Wang Kai
ISLAMABAD, May 30 (China Economic Net) - "We are working in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Zhang Lixin of Northwest A&F University, China, to explore the effectiveness of nano-nutrients such as nano-biochar and liquid formulations containing a variety of nano-nutrients to improve the productivity of different potential crops such as wheat, maize, and several summer and winter vegetables”, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, Honorary Chairman of Pak-China biohealth cooperation project, Ex-Chairman of Pakistan Science Foundation, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lahore shared with China Economic Net (CEN) in an interview.
“In doing so, we hope to meet the challenges of food insecurity, especially under the backdrop of climate change”, he added.
Currently, water shortage and temperature extremities are affecting crop production and quality in Pakistan. During the initial phase of the experimentation under the cooperation project, researchers conducted a trial to maximize plant water use efficiency through various mulching. Together with the nano-biochar application. “This benefited the crop water use efficiency to a great extent and increased productivity to signify large-scale applications”, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf told CEN.
“Stress-tolerant crops (heat and drought-tolerant cultivars) together with water-saving technologies like mulching, drip irrigation, etc. will help combat the climate challenges”, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf recommends.
According to him, significant progress has been made over the past decade, and numerous stress-tolerant cultivars/genotypes of economically important and edible crops have been identified.
In the next step, the workgroup of the cooperation project will apply organic nanomaterials to various field crops, including wheat, maize, rice, cotton, and sugarcane.
"The experiments of organic nanomaterials application will be performed in the fields of local farmers, which is the ultimate objective of this collaborative research project between Pakistan and China to promote agriculture and revolutionize state-of-the-art production technologies”, informed Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf.
Compared with chemical fertilizers, nano-fertilizers that contain nanoparticles with sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nm have been introduced since the former releases nutrients slowly in the medium and has higher nutrient use efficiency. Nano-fertilizers have also been widely reported as promoters of the growth and yield of crops under stressful environments.
Thus, the primary objective of Pakistan-China nanotech cooperation is to assess the real-time influence of nanomaterials, particularly of organic nature (nano-biochar and nano-nutrients) if they could promote the growth of potential crops.
“These are value-added nanomaterials manufactured from waste biomass and possess an immense potential to improve crop production”, introduced Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf, “very limited studies have been performed to investigate the practical application of such nanomaterials, so they are potentially ideal candidates to provide essential nutrients to plants with minimum disturbance to the environment”.
So far, the efficacy of both nano-biochar and nano-nutrients has been compared with some potential nano-fertilizers, including zinc and iron oxide nanomaterials.
Application of mulch and nano-biochar on growth and yield of cabbage
As a way forward, tests will be conducted on i) the potential of both nano-biochar and nano-nutrients on winter and summer vegetables as well as wheat and maize, ii) comparing the relative effectiveness of different nano-materials on these crops to establish an understanding of the effectiveness of these novel nanomaterials in terms of crop growth improvement and to disseminate this valuable information to the local and international community as well as researchers.
Application of nano-biochar and nano-nutrients on growth and yield of peas
“Another key aspect of this joint research collaboration is to promote Bio-health agriculture in China and Pakistan, which focuses on natural ways of improving pre-existing agricultural systems without using synthetic inputs,” Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf said. It is also a sustainable way to conserve soil water contents and organic matter for sustainable use of agricultural inputs.
The Pak-China Biohealth Agriculture Demonstration Park was inaugurated last year. The concept of “Biohealth Agriculture” (BHA) was put forward by Professor Zhang Lixin of Northwest A&F University in 2017 at the first International Symposium on the Belt and Road Bio-health. It refers to a modern way of agricultural production that employs advanced biotechnology and processes and can be applied to crop cultivation, livestock farming, rural tourism, farm produce, etc.
“On the one hand, both students, the local community, and farmers will be acquainted with novel ways to improve crop production while simultaneously reducing synthetic chemical fertilizer inputs, which are injurious to the health of all organisms including humans and animals. On the other, biohealth agriculture model generated through our research can be safely and effectively employed by other countries”, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf concluded.
(Editor:Wang Su)
Cui Peng making a field visit along Karakoram Highway in Pakistan. [Photo provided to China Economi
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China, Pakistan to strengthen cooperation on disaster risk reduction
By Yuan Xiaona | China Economic Net Jun 2, 2022
Cui Peng making a field visit along Karakoram Highway in Pakistan. [Photo provided to China Economic Net]
CHENGDU, June 3 (China Economic Net) – China and Pakistan should strengthen cooperation on natural disasters prevention and mitigation to build a China-Pakistan community with a shared future, said Cui Peng, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in an exclusive interview in May.
According to
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation & Vulnerability, an UN report released in February, human-induced climate change is causing dangerous and widespread disruption in nature and affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks.
“Building a beautiful homeland is a common dream for mankind. In face of climate change, disaster prevention and mitigation and other global issues, no country can manage alone or stand aloof. Only through joint efforts can we address them in a scientific way,” said Cui, who is also the Director-General of China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre on Earth Sciences (CPJRC).
According to Cui, the annual frequency of extreme weather and major natural disasters caused by global climate change is about 320 times on average in the past four decades. Similar situation prevails in Pakistan.
Unusual heatwave has been striking Pakistan from March to May 2022, it is most likely by human-caused climate change, a rapid analysis finds. The peak temperatures reached 51C in March.
On top of heatwaves, less rain fall and rising temperature, is forest fire.
Since the start of May, Balochistan province has been engulfed in ever growing forest fire. China and Iran both assisted Pakistan in putting out the blaze.
Establishing China-Pak cooperation mechanism
Cui Peng attends the China-Pakistan High-level Webinar on Earth Sciences Cooperation on March 18, 2021. [Photo provided to China Economic Net]
As an expert on disaster risk reduction, Cui shared his opinion with China Economic Net on China-Pak cooperation in this regard.
Cui called to establish a China-Pak cooperation mechanism on disaster information sharing and cooperation in disaster prevention and mitigation, to facilitate bilateral collaboration.
With reference to international practices on investments, the two nations should accelerate establishing a disaster risk assessment and prevention mechanism for major projects under the framework of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), to guard against and defuse major investment and engineering disaster risks.
Cui advised to advance the compilation of the disaster prevention and mitigation action plan under CPEC for closer people-to-people bonds and the building of China-Pakistan community with a shared future.
In terms of disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation, Cui advanced the application of the new generation “space-sky-ground” stereoscopic monitoring technology by using satellites, UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and ground-based real-time monitors in disaster identification and monitoring.
Cui thought it is necessary to strengthen disaster monitoring cooperation and carry forward the building of a monitoring network applicable to multiple disasters including earthquake, sleet and snowstorms, geohazards, flood and tsunami, to improve the monitoring and early warning capacity.
China and Pakistan could conduct regular disaster risk assessment of the key areas along CPEC in order to guarantee the people’s livelihood and major projects’ construction.
Cui encouraged various government departments and organizations to launch talents training program on disaster prevention and mitigation, and youth exchanges and cooperation plans under CPEC.
Cui hoped to train professionals on disaster prevention and mitigation for Pakistan by special program of international students, skill training on disaster prevention and mitigation, international cooperation program and talents exchanges program.
Efforts and contributions to CPEC and people
Cui Peng making a field trip along Karakoram Highway in Pakistan. [Photo provided to China Economic Net]
“As a scientific researcher, it is my responsibility and obligation to make efforts to mitigate and/or reduce the damage to nation and people’s safety and property,” Cui said.
Cui has been doing scientific research for almost 40 years at Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment (IMHE), Chinese Academy of Sciences.
He is dedicated to mountain hazards (specializing in debris flow and landslide), disaster risk reduction, water and soil conservation and fluvial geomorphology.
Cui insists that scientific researchers on geological disasters should make field trips to get the first-hand data as the direct scientific basis for creating better methods and technologies on disaster prevention and mitigation.
“After investigating many disaster events, I was shocked by their damages to the safety of life and property, and the environment, which hardened my resolve to engage in debris flow and landslide research and disaster prevention and mitigation,” said Cui.
Cui has been to many geological disaster sites home and abroad in the past over 30 years.
His dedication and love to disaster risk reduction also makes great contributions to the construction of CPEC and brings benefits to the Pakistani sisters and brothers.
Professor Asif Khan from University of Peshawar and Cui led a team to investigate geological hazards along Karakoram Highway (KKH) in 2006.
Since then, IMHE and the Pakistani national scientific research institutes have persistently carried out cooperation on disaster prevention and mitigation for the renovation and expansion project of KKH.
On 4 January 2010, a massive landslide occurred at Attabad Village in Hunza of northern Pakistan, which created a barrier lake.
Part of KKH, about 24 kilometers, was submerged by the Attabad barrier lake, which almost cut off the commerce and trade route between China and Pakistan.
To help the contractor of KKH make emergency response program, IMHE set up a team with Cui as the leader to make field trip and make a scientific analysis about the barrier lake.
Cui Peng (2nd R), leads an expert team and makes a field visit along the renovation and expansion project of Karakoram Highway on March 31, 2010. [Photo provided to China Economic Net]
Cui and his team’s analysis report was highly appraised by the contractor of KKH. Their further mountain hazard risk assessment and prevention program was adopted by the contractor of KKH.
The project was constructed successfully and it opened to traffic three years ahead of the original plan, which also boosted the increase of bilateral trade volume.
“It’s our duty to indeed mitigate and reduce disasters for people. The work can make closer people-to-people ties and conforms to the ides of a community with a shared future for mankind,” Cui said.
With such a calling, Cui takes the whole world in view.
Under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Cui wants to build an international scientific platform to help countries and regions involved effectively respond the natural disaster and safeguard people’s livelihood.
Among them, Pakistan caught Cui’s attention as it is prone to all kinds of natural disasters.
Amid the construction of CPEC, Cui, along with IMHE, has initiated the building of an international platform on disaster risk reduction, to draw global scientists to solve problems and safeguard people.
The Pakistani Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) jointly launched China-Pakistan Joint Research Centre on Earth Sciences (CPJRC) in 2019.
CPJRC focuses on the two nations’ scientific research and education cooperation on natural disasters, ecological environment, resources exploration, and regional sustainable development for the construction of CPEC.
Cui Peng (2nd R), an expert on disaster prevention and mitigation, leads a team to make a field visit along Karakoram Highway. [Photo provided to China Economic Net]
CPJRC has finished a comprehensive natural disaster survey of CPEC since its inception.
Together with the Pakistani parties, CPJRC has collected data that are used for research on socio-economic development and resources and environment.
In terms of marine geology, the Chinese and the Pakistani scientists have jointly established the Makran Trench 3D model for seismogenic structure model and seismic slip model.
These research results could provide scientific proof for preventing the earthquake and tsunami risk for Pakistan’s southern coastal regions and Gwadar port.
CPJRC has assessed the risk of landslide and debris flow disaster in the northern mountainous region of Pakistan.
This can support the site choice for major projects in the future.
CPJRC has compiled and released
the Atlas of Silk Road Disaster Risk and
Glance at Silk Road Disaster Risk, two natural disaster risk assessment reports, which can serve countries and regions along BRI.
In addition, CPJRC has established the CPEC Information system and data sharing platform for resources, environment ecology and disaster, which could directly serve the construction of CPEC.