An Olive Orchard has been inaugurated here Tuesday at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) which is to promote production of the olive fruit in the country.
It is an extension of the University's botanical garden for promoting academic research in gardening and horticulture sector.
The AIOU's Olive Orchard will work as full-fledged nursery to give academic support to the students of agriculture sciences, said Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Zia-Ul-Qayyum at the inaugural ceremony that was largely attended by the officers and the employees.
He assured that work force (gardeners) involved in its development will be fully encouraged and facilitated. He hoped that they will properly look after the Orchard that is hopefully to start producing the fruit within 3-4 years.
A reasonable space has been allocated in the main Campus for its development and around 1500 saplings have been planted that have been made available with the support of National Olive Promotional Project.
The Vice Chancellor while planting its sapling along with other officers of the University announced that the AIOU will be a helping hand to the government for production of the precious fruits like Olive.
The University will be a source of wide-range of plants and it will augment beauty and research environment of the university.
According to Prof. Dr. Sher Muhammad, Chairman Department of Agricultural Sciences AIOU, the Orchard will consist of popular variety Gemblic besides pollinators (BARI Zaitoon-I, BARI Zaitoon-II and Coratina).
Dr. Sabir Hussain Shah, Assistant Professor, the University's Department of Agricultural Sciences said, a well-equipped tissue culture lab is also available in the University that will help the students and academicians to multiply the various fruits varieties.
The best olive variety in this Orchard will be multiplied by Tissue Culture Technology to produce true to type and disease free olive plants at AIOU. Moreover, the Orchard is a big headway towards the University's consistent efforts of providing research-based facilities to their students on regular basis.
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