NARC’s Lentil-24 variety shows strong performance in field trials

ISLAMABAD, Apr 08 (ABC): The National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) has developed a high-yielding lentil variety, NARC Lentil-24, which is performing well in field trials.
“The new variety is expected to significantly boost productivity across the country, enhancing farm incomes and strengthening food security,” Dr. Shahid Riaz Malik, Principal Scientific Officer and Program Leader at the NARC, told Wealth Pakistan.
He said NARC Lentil-24 combines high yield potential with climate resilience, resistance to multiple diseases, and improved plant architecture, making it suitable for mechanized harvesting. This variety has wide adaptability and can perform well across diverse agro-ecological zones and cropping systems in the country.
Dr Shahid noted that pulses occupy around 1.16 million hectares — about 5% of Pakistan’s total cropped area — compared to cereals dominating 56%, and highlighted the need to enhance their share in the cropping system. He said major pulses grown in Pakistan include chickpea, lentil, mung bean, mash, and kidney beans, while the country’s total cropped area is 22.51 million hectares.
He highlighted that Pakistan’s pulses sector offers significant opportunities for growth and improvement, particularly in enhancing productivity and resilience. He noted that while pulses are largely cultivated under rainfed conditions and face natural climate variations, these factors also present avenues for innovation and better farm management practices.
Explaining the scope for progress, Dr. Shahid said a notable yield potential exists in the pulses sector. While the national average yield is around 553 kg per hectare, progressive farmers are already achieving nearly 1,500 kg per hectare, with potential yields reaching up to 3,000 kg per hectare.
“This strong variation reflects the vast untapped potential in the sector and highlights how improved seeds, better agronomic practices, and modern technologies can significantly enhance productivity,” he said.
He further pointed out that expanding access to quality seeds, mechanization, and efficient irrigation, along with strengthening extension services and post-harvest management, can play a transformative role in boosting output.
To unlock this potential, he emphasized the importance of advanced breeding and genetic innovations, including the development of climate-resilient and high-yielding varieties through modern tools such as genomics, speed breeding, and artificial intelligence.
Dr. Shahid noted that the National Agricultural Research Centre is already making progress in this area by promoting improved crop management practices, focusing on water-use efficiency, enhanced nitrogen fixation, and climate-smart agriculture, supported by its speed breeding facility. He stressed the need to further strengthen seed production and supply systems to ensure timely availability of quality seeds, while also encouraging public-private partnerships and enhancing certification and quality control mechanisms.
He also highlighted the promising prospects of value-added processing and food innovation, noting that pulse-based products are well-positioned to benefit from growing domestic and global demand, particularly in the expanding market for plant-based protein alternatives.
Calling for greater collaboration, he underscored the importance of coordinated national and international research efforts, along with effective knowledge transfer to farmers, to accelerate progress in the pulses sector.