- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Jan 5 (APP):Pakistan has developed 400 advanced chickpea breeding lines under a newly established Speed Breeding Facility, aimed at accelerating the development of climate-resilient and high-yield pulse varieties.
Dr Shahid Riaz Malik, Head of the Pulses Research Program at the National Agricultural Research Centre, told Wealth Pakistan that the advanced breeding lines have been developed using controlled-environment speed breeding techniques and are now being prepared for field testing.
He said the new facility allows researchers to reduce the development cycle of pulse varieties by nearly half. “Traditionally, it takes 12 to 15 years to develop a new pulse variety, but through speed breeding, we can now release a new variety in seven to eight years,” he said.
The facility focuses on key pulse crops including chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, black gram and other beans, which play a critical role in food security and farm incomes. Using precisely controlled temperature, humidity and light conditions, scientists are able to grow pulse crops every two months instead of once a year.
“In open-field conditions, chickpea takes about six months and can be grown only once a year. In our chambers, we can achieve five to six generations annually,” Dr Shahid explained.
He said the speed breeding approach enables rapid screening of plants for traits such as drought tolerance, heat resistance and disease resistance, which are increasingly important due to climate change. Promising lines are quickly advanced through hybridisation before moving to field trials.
The facility is Pakistan’s first dedicated speed breeding centre for pulses and the largest of its kind in South Asia. While similar facilities exist in other countries, Dr Shahid said they usually focus on multiple crops rather than pulses alone.
He said chickpea research under the programme is nearing completion, while work on lentils is around 70 to 75 percent finalised. Breeding protocols for mung bean and black gram are also being optimised, particularly as limited global research exists for these crops.
Following field testing, national yield trials and approval by seed councils, the newly developed pulse varieties are expected to be released to farmers within the next few years.
The programme has also expanded to include peanuts, millet and other crops, reflecting a broader multi-crop research approach. Capacity building is another major component, with scientists from across the national agricultural research system receiving training in speed breeding techniques, alongside university students engaged in advanced research.
Dr Shahid said the initiative benefits from international collaboration, particularly with Australia and China under CPEC-related projects, which has helped Pakistani researchers build expertise in modern breeding technologies.
The facility was established with funding from the Government of Pakistan under the Public Sector Development Programme and became fully operational in 2025 following the installation of LED grow lights. He said the team achieved significant progress within a year of full functionality.