Plant Breeding & Genetics

About Department

INTRODUCTION

The Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics (PBG) is one of the major degree awarding departments of the University of Agriculture, Peshawar. Since its establishment in 1963, this Department has been offering courses and research methodologies related to crop improvement, cytology, cytogenetics, biometry, quantitative genetics, molecular genetics, tissue culture and genomics leading to B.Sc. (Hons) and M.Sc. (Hons) degrees.

From 1997 onwards, the Department started offering advanced courses and research guidance to PhD scholars. During the past 62 years, the Department has produced more than 1500 well-trained graduates including 55 PhD scholars, who are serving various provincial, national and international organizations. Since its inception, students of the Department have been awarded with the maximum number of gold medals and other academic distinctions. The Department has well-qualified and experienced teaching faculty, well-equipped laboratories and an experimental farm for research programs. In addition to academics, objectives-oriented breeding programs are also underway in wheat, rice, maize, pulses and oil seed crops. The faculty members have completed a number of research projects funded by Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Higher Education Commission and Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Department has been accredited by National Agriculture Education Accreditation Council, HEC and awarded category "W₃".The Department has developed two wheat cultivars "Ghaznavi" and "Janbaz" while one Brassica cultivar "Zahoor-13" for commercial cultivation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Department has also developed several advanced lines in wheat, rice and chickpea which are in the final stages of testing before commercial release. Faculty and students of the Department have published more than 1000 research papers in internationally reputed journals. The department is also coordinating extra-curricular activities such as Blood Donor Society, Anti Narcotic Society of The University of Agriculture, Peshawar and Society for Rights of Females.

Alumni of the department are serving in national and international organizations such as Universities, Agricultural Research and Extension Departments, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council, Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (NIFA, NIAB, NIBGE), CIMMYT, ICARDA, Seed Industry, Tobacco Companies, Banks, and many others.
The Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics is focusing to design and execute quality research programs for crops improvement, to develop technologies, and to generate knowledge for improving socio-economic status of the region in the future through establishment of linkages with the Universities of technologically advanced countries and international research institutes.

Program Mission
To be a model department focused on building and fostering academic environment conducive to teaching and research of plant breeding and genetics at provincial, national and international levels.

Program Vision

1. Impart academic and research training at under-graduate and graduate (MS/PhD) levels in the field of Plant Breeding and Genetics.
2. Plan and undertake applied research on major/minor crops of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa like cereals, oilseeds, pulses

Program Scope and Area of Job Opportunities
Graduates of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics have a wider scope and scale of job opportunities from General Agricultural Sciences to the highly specialized Plant Breeding and Genetics positions. Some of the prominent job sectors of Plant Breeding and Genetics are:

1. Teaching positions in Public and Private Sector Universities
2. Research Personnel Positions in Provincial Research System
3. Agriculture Officer Positions in Agric. Extension Department
4. Job positions in National Agricultural Organizations like NARC and PARC
5. Researcher Positions in Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission various Institutes like NIFA, NIA, NIAB AND NIBGE
6. Job positions in Plant Breeders Registry, Federal Seed Certification and Registration Department etc.
7. Intellectual Property Related Organizations like IPO- Pakistan, WIPO
8. International Organizations like CIMMYT, ICARDA, IRRI, FAO
9. Ministry of National Food Security and Research-Islamabad
10. Pakistan Tobacco Board, Central Cotton Research Institutes etc.
11. Teaching positions of Botany in Government/Private Colleges
12. Teaching positions in Agricultural Training Institutes
13. Private Seed Industry
14. Banking Sector
15. Other Allied Sectors

Contact

Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics
Phone Office: +92 91 9221210
Fax: +92 91 9221262
Mobile: +92 316 5333271
Email: mehrpbg@gmail.com, mehrpbg@aup.edu.pk

Mailing Address: Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar 25130, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.