The intensive cultivation, injudicious use of irrigation water, imbalanced nutrients application and urbanization of well cultivated soils in the last few decades have led to depletion of natural resources. The conservation and optimum/efficient utilization of available natural resources (soil, water and nutrients) is essential for sustainable agriculture and increasing crop productivity on long term basis. The mission of Plant Nutrition Group is to work out ways and means for efficient utilization of scarce and depleting natural resources like soil, water and nutrients. The scientists of the Plant Nutrition Group are in endeavor to devise strategies to enhance the use efficiency of these costly inputs for various field and horticultural crops under irrigated and rainfed agriculture. The techniques of integrated plant nutrients management system, fertigation and foliar feeding were the outcomes of these successful attempts. Selection of genotypes with higher yield potential on low fertility soils for different crops is an important research activity of this group to benefit farmers and the crop breeders. Assessment of nutritional requirements of upcoming NIFA varieties and screening of zinc efficient wheat genotypes is another research target of Plant Nutrition Group.

• To develop and apply environment friendly technology packages for integrated nutrient and water management of different field and horticultural crops
• To evaluate and give recommendations of nutritional/ irrigation requirements for upcoming varieties of different crops evolved at NIFA
• To evaluate wheat genotypes for nutrients stresses

1. Dr. Muhammad Imtiaz, Dy. Chief Scientist/ Group Leader
2. Dr. Syed Azam Shah, Dy. Chief Scientist
3. Mr. Parvez Khan, Pr. Scientist
4. Mr. Yasir Anwar, Pr. Scientist

Developed following products/ technologies for the farming community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa:

• Zinc Biofortification in Wheat
• Tunnel/ Vertical Farming
• Nutrient Management of Plum Fruit Orchards