By Omer Bilal ISLAMABAD, Feb. 17 (INP-WealthPK): The Board of Investment (BOI) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Department of Agriculture are going to establish a state-of-the-art “Quality Fruit Plant Nursery” for the production of peach on a large scale to boost its export. The estimated cost of the project is Rs2.463 billion which has been completed in two phases in Upper Dir and Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. A BOI official told WealthPK that the project is amid at processing and preserving fruits and vegetables in a proper nursery so that the variety of production and exports of fruit can be increased. For shoot production, a feasibility report has been prepared in which different concentrations (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 mg l-1) of peach have been analysed. Applications are being sought from both local and international investors. Preferred mood of investment in the project is set up on the basis of public-private partnership (PPP). Abid Kamal, Deputy Director of Bureau of Agriculture Information, told WealthPK that different types of roots have been used for peaches in the world. He said GF 677 (rootstock peach/nectarine) is a potential root and under Pakistani soil conditions, its yield is very productive. The GF 677 is considered to be a rootstock for calcareous and high pH soil conditions because it is resistant to calcium induced iron chlorosis and useful in replant situations to avoid replant disease syndrome. It is resistant to peach rust, crown gall, root knot, and is more vigorous than peach seedling rootstocks. Fruit yield, average fruit weight and fruit quality are higher in trees on GF 677. However, GF 677 cannot be propagated through seed, being a hybrid. Abid Kamal said there is immense need of Quality Fruit Plant Nursery because the demand for peach plants grafted on GF 677 may not be met by conventional multiplication of this rootstock; therefore in vitro propagation has become an interesting alternative to conventional methods. However, no report exists about its multiplication through tissue culture in Pakistan. Hence, at NARC, Islamabad protocols for in vitro shoot proliferation, rooting, and acclimatisation have been standardised. Saleem Shahzad, Deputy Director Horticulture, Directorate of Agriculture Extension, KP said while talking to WealthPK that peach (prunus persica) is the second most important stone fruit (after plum) in Pakistan. He said the economic life of peach orchards in Pakistan is seven to 10 years, which is declining, and the most important factors responsible for it are the use of inappropriate rootstock and calcium-induced iron chlorosis. Peach is a traditional crop of northern areas of Pakistan and occupies an area of 4,543 hectares with a production of 48,284 tonnes. Quetta, Peshawar, Swat valley and certain parts of Kohistan hills are the main growing areas of peach. Peach contains 10-14% sugar, 2% protein and is rich in ascorbic acid. It is also enriched with vitamins A and B besides iron, phosphorus and calcium. According to agricultural statistics, the area under cultivation of fruits in Pakistan is about 875,000 hectares from which 7,200,000 tonnes of fresh fruits are produced annually. According to BOI, Pakistan’s average fruit production is about 8.23 tonnes per hectare, which is very low as compared to advanced countries.