The imperative state of Bahawalpur established an Agricultural Research Station at Khanpur in 1950 for the improvement of the crops grown in the region, for enhancing the prosperity in the territory and to assist the farmers and upgrade their living standards. During 1969, Agricultural Research Station was shifted to Bahawalpur and its position was raised to Regional Agricultural Research Institute during 1987.
The institute is playing a vital role in the awareness towards the farming community of Bahawalpur region through providing them with improved production and protection technology in consort with evaluation of high yielding, high fertilizer responsive, pest and disease resistant and well suited varieties of various crops for the region. Presently, the institute is comprised of three major divisions’ viz. Crop breeding (wheat, pulses, sorghum and millet, oil seeds and vegetable section), Agronomy, Soil Chemistry and Plant protection (plant pathology and entomology section). The sole ambition of the Institute is to undertake research and development efforts on evolution of better varieties of crops like wheat, pulses, oilseeds, sorghum, millets, vegetable along with crop production and protection technologies. The institute is playing a focal role in developing the sentience amongst the farming community of the region.
Objectives
- Evolution of new varieties of wheat, pulses, oilseed, sorghum, millet and vegetable crops possessing high yield, heat tolerance, salt and moisture stress tolerance, disease and pest resistance and ecologically well appropriate for Bahawalpur region
- To determine more efficient production and protection technologies for newly developed crop varieties. Development of more efficient production technology and agronomic practices like seed bed preparations, seed rate, planting time, weeding, irrigation, fertilizers and other nutritional necessities for new strains of various crops.
- Screening of new genotypes of different crops against heat, salinity and their relevant pest and diseases
- Investigations on the cause and control of newly emerged pests and disease problems and other disorders in the region
- Dissemination of innovative technology developed at the institute to the farmers through seminars/workshops, print and electronic media.