Abdul Rashid (agriculturist)
Abdul Rashid | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 Pakistan |
| Occupation(s) | Agricultural scientist, soil scientist, agronomist |
| Years active | 1970–2011 (retired) |
| Known for | Research on micronutrient deficiencies in crops, leadership at Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission and National Agricultural Research Center |
| Notable work | Dryland Agriculture: Challenges and Strategic Approaches (2004) |
Abdul Rashid, born in 1950, is a prominent Pakistani expert in agricultural science who held the position of Member (Bio-sciences) at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) between 2008 and 2011. Prior to this, he served as Director General of the National Agricultural Research Center (NARC) in Pakistan from 2006 until 2008. He attained his Ph.D. degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, United States.
Early life and career
Between 1973 and 1979, Abdul Rashid focused on studying zinc deficiency in key crops such as rice, wheat, and corn, which led to his involvement with Pakistan’s Micronutrients Project. He completed both BSc (Honors) and MSc (Honors) degrees at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad before earning a PhD in agronomy and soil science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1986. His doctoral research concentrated on micronutrient issues vital to Pakistan’s agriculture. Upon returning to Islamabad, he contributed significantly to advancing research in soil fertility and plant nutrition at the National Agricultural Research Center.
In 1970, he began investigations into boron fertilization for crops grown on calcareous soils, developing analytical methods for assessing boron levels in plants to diagnose nutrient shortages. From the mid-1980s through 2008, he directed research initiatives at NARC that uncovered widespread boron and zinc deficiencies impairing the yield and quality of rice and cotton. His team innovated affordable, farmer-friendly techniques involving boron fertilizer application in rice, zinc supplementation in cotton, zinc-enriched rice nursery practices, and phosphate band placement for wheat, thereby improving nutrient management strategies for these crops.
During his tenure as Director General of NARC (2006–2008), he played a pivotal role in reforming national agricultural research frameworks. Since 2008, he has been actively involved with the multinational HarvestZinc Project, coordinated by Prof. Ismail Cakmak at Sabanci University, which aims to enhance staple cereal crops through agronomic biofortification with zinc, iodine, and selenium. Although retired since 2011, Abdul Rashid continues to engage in agricultural research and development activities.
His prolific output includes numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, technical reports, and advisory documents. The fertilizer application technologies developed under his leadership have received official endorsement and are widely utilized across Pakistan.
Within PAEC, Abdul Rashid oversaw agricultural and biotechnological R&D spanning four institutes: NIA Tandojam; NIAB Faisalabad; NIFA Peshawar; and NIBGE Faisalabad. Additionally, he supervised operations at 18 Nuclear Medicine and Oncology Hospitals throughout the country.
He holds editorial board memberships for the European Journal of Agronomy (Elsevier) and Communications in Soil Science & Plant Analysis (Taylor & Francis).
Awards
Abdul Rashid is associated with several professional bodies including the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Indian Society of Soil Science, East–West Center, Association of Former PARC Scientists, as well as the Soil Science Society of Pakistan where he has served as President.
Among his numerous accolades are the 2013 IFA Norman Borlaug Award recognizing outstanding achievement in plant nutrition research and the IPNI Science Award received in 2017. That same year, he was also honored with the J Benton Jones Award for his significant contributions to soil testing and plant analysis. He is recognized as an East-West Center Distinguished Alumnus and holds fellowships with the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Indian Society of Soil Science, and Soil Science Society of Pakistan. Additional honors include being named PARC Silver Jubilee Laureate, Pakistan’s Scientist of the Year, and recipient of the National Book Foundation Award.
In 2005, he was awarded Pakistan’s Dr. Norman Borlaug Award.
Publications
- 2004 – Dryland Agriculture: Challenges and Strategic Approaches