Upscaling of Date Palm Research Sub-Station, Jhang & Papaya Promotion through Varietal Improvement & Management of Papaya Leaf Curl Virus

Duration 
2022-23 to 2024-25
Total Cost  Rs. 242.054 Million
Allocation for 2023-24 Rs. 46.472 Million
Location  Faisalabad and Jhang

Objectives 

Following are the key objectives of the project:

  • Date Palm varietal development through selection and introduction.
  • Development of technology for nursery establishment for date palm.
  • Development of novel production technology for quality production of date palm (pollination technique, monsoon rain protection technique, Red palm weevil management and control of suckers mortality technique)
  • Development of substantial production technology of papaya (planting geometry, planting time, nutritional requirement, irrigation management and insect pests control measures etc.). 
  • Screening of suitable exotic papaya hybrids (02 No.) for commercial cultivation.
  • Provision of disease free papaya nursery plants to the farmers.
  • To devise strategies for the appropriate management of papaya leaf curl virus (PLCV) disease and screening of virus free nursery plants.
  • Surveillance of papaya leaf curl virus in the papaya orchards from different districts of Punjab province.
  • Dissemination of standardized technologies and capacity building of date palm and papaya growers

Implementation Design

Sponsoring

  • Government of the Punjab, Department of Agriculture

Execution

Chief Scientist Agri. (Research), Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad through

  • Chief Scientist, Horticultural Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute,  Faisalabad
  • Principal Scientist, Plant  Virology Section (PVS), Faisalabad

Civil work

  • The work will be executed by the C&W department Government .of the Punjab.

Overall Targets

  • Selection of indigenous/ Introduction of exotic cultivar of date palm at DPRSS, Jhang (15)
  • Establishment of Germplasm unit at DPRSS, Jhang (2500 Plants to be planted)
  • Development of novel production technology of date palm (03)
  • Screening of papaya hybrids (03)
  • Development of novel production technology of papaya (03)
  • Preparation Training manual of Date Palm (03) and Papaya (01)
  • Farmers’ training (25)
  • Provision of true to type papaya nursery plants to farmers on Government notified rates (21000)

Targets 2023-24

Sr. No. 

Activities/ Target 

2023-24

Horticultural Research Institute, Faisalabad

1
Selection of indigenous/ Introduction of exotic cultivar of date palm at DPRSS, Jhang 
05
2 Establishment of Germplasm unit at DPRSS, Jhang (2500 Plants to be planted)  1150
3 Development of novel production technology of date palm  01
4 Screening of papaya hybrids  01
5 Development of novel production technology of papaya  02
6 Preparation  Training manual Date palm  01
7 Preparation  Training manual Papaya  01
8 Farmers’ training  10
9 Provision of true to type papaya nursery plants to farmers on Government notified rates 8000

Plant Virology Section, Faisalabad

1 Screening of virus free nursery plants for growers developed by Horticultural Research Institute Faisalabad 8000
2 Surveillance of papaya leaf curl virus in the papaya orchards from different locations of Punjab province 15
3 Farmer trainings regarding Papaya Leaf Curl Virus management 4

Type and Number of Beneficiaries

  • Papaya growers
  • Date palm farmers
  • Exporters
  • Stakeholders
  • Nursery men

Expected impact after completion of the Project

  • 10-15 varieties of date palm will be selected for germplasm unit.
  • Germplasm Unit (2500 date palm plants) will be established.
  • 2-3 novel technologies of date palm will be standardized
  • 2-3 papaya hybrids will be screened out
  • 2-3 novel technologies of papaya will be standardized.
  • Total of 21000 true to type fruit plants of papaya will be provided to the farmers in the total project period
  • (02) training manual of date palm and papaya will be got published
  • Farmers of date palm and papaya will be trained via trainings for their capacity building.