6. RESEARCH ON COTTON IN PAKISTAN.

6.1 History of cotton in Pakistan began in l884 when American cotton was introduced for the first time in Punjab. Roberts (1915) has made this revelation: "the first attempt to grow American cotton was made in 1884 when some Upland Georgian seed was distributed by the office of tire Director of Land Records. Apparently the crop grew quite well, and became common in the form of stray plants in the fields of Desi cotton, for many years afterwards".

6.2 The Royal Commission on Agriculture in their Report in 1923, presented a comprehensive scheme for the reorientation of agricultural teaching, research and extension -in the country. The Royal Commission also recommended the setting up of a Central Organization, for financing and coordinating the agricultural research. To this end, the Imperial (later named as Indian) Council of Agricultural Research was registered, under the Societies Act of 1860 This was the supreme body for the coordination of research in all the provinces of Pre-independence India. Mono-crop institutions. were also set up. Amongst these was the Indian Central Cotton Committee which was established in 1923.

6.3 Counterparts of most of these institutions were quickly set up in Pakistan after independence. However, the total research effort in the field of agriculture has not been commensurate with the needs. The total impact has not measured up to much and the people have not yet had time to stop being poor. The stagnation of agriculture is not peculiar to Pakistan; it is a common phenomenon in all the developing countries.

Arthur Lewis, in his book "Essentials of Economic Policy", comments on the role of agriculture in development: "If we are asked to pick out a single factor, as the most common cause of the low rate of economic growth, it would be the absence of a vigorous agricultural policy. As we have experienced, agricultural stagnation is the main constraint on the rate of economic growth it keeps down the living standards of the great majority of the people, and in restricting their purchasing power, restricts also the scope of industrialization. It is the prime cause of low taxable capacity, and a low rate of saving. it contributes to the shortage of foreign exchange, either by failure to earn or, by failure to supply the growing urban demand for food and raw materials which must then be imported. Except for countries which have rich mineral resources, no under- developed country can progress rapidly, if the farm output is stagnating. Hence a vigorous agricultural policy heads the list of development measures".

6.4 Adaptive research, suited to local needs, can play a very useful part in developing new cultivars. In so far as cotton is concerned., this is being done by the provincial governments; and, the efforts are heavily supplemented by Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC). -Mono-crop, multi-disciplined Cotton Research Institutes, one at Multan in the Punjab and the other at Sakrand in Sindh were set up by PCCC. In addition, a number of research stations, through out the cotton belt, have been established. As a policy, the PCCC supplements the research efforts of the provinces through research schemes and cash support, but does not supplant these. AS a matter of interest, the gross expenditure on entire agriculture in the Punjab during 1906-07 was Rs.50,000/-. The budget, increased sharply during the succeeding years, and during 1945-46 it was Rs,10,346,700/-. Cotton research, as stated above, is heavily financed by the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee; its research budget during 1994-95 was about Rs.100 million.

6.5 According to Muhammad Afzal (1901-90), "Research has no beginning, no end. Today's advancement is based on yesterday's research. WHAT IS IMPORTANT NOW IS NOT HOW TO GROW COTTON, BUT HOW COTTON GROWS". Learning a lesson from the introduction of first-ever heat resistant cultivar, NIAB-78, in Pakistan, other crop scientists have also started working in, this direction. A number of heat resistant cultivars have been approved for cultivation and more are in the pipeline.

6.6 Lately research on the development and introduction of CLCV resistant cultivars has become the focus of attention. A number of CLCV resistant cultivars have been Introduced.

6.7 ELS, HYBRID AND ORGANIC COTTONS.

6.7.1 PCCC sanctioned a research scheme in 1950 for the production of Egyptian/ELS cottons. The scheme was located at Thatta, Sindh. After about ten years of hard work the scheme could not achieve its objective and was closed down.

6.7.2 PCCC should think afresh regarding restarting this scheme, With the new genetic engineering tools/techniques available it may be possible-to produce at least 50,000 bales of ELS cottons for import substitution. ELS cotton could and would be used for blending with polyester and spinning higher counts thus producing quality fabrics which are in great demand at home and abroad.

6.7.2 HYBRID COTTONS should be looked at very seriously. Fibre length as well as yield can be increased by hybridization. India, with the help of hybrid cottons has become a net exporter of ELS cotton.

6.7.3 ORGANIC AND COLOURED COTTONS are becoming important in view of vigorous attention being paid to environment. Through research and genetic engineering it may become possible to engineer a plant which will not only produce its own fertilizer and insecticides but also produce lint of desired colour and shade.

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