The Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms has decorated University of Agriculture Faisalabad scientist Dr Muhammad Naveed with Young Development Leader Award (Agriculture Category) for his valuable service for the sector.
Dr Muhammad Naveed, Assistant Professor, Institute of Soil and Environmental Sciences, UAF has developed an innovative biologically-enhanced seed for maize that will increase the production of subsequent plant generation upto 20 percent. The seed is employing novel endophytic bacteria for improving crop biomass and yield. He has established a new method of applying bacteria strains for improved plant growth and vitality- integration of bacteria strain inside the plant seed. The bacteria are sprayed on the parent flowers, enter the plant, and colonize the emerging seeds. By planting the internally colonized seed, the bacteria get activated and proliferate and colonize the offspring generation plants. Internally colonized seeds result in improved biomass production and plant vitality in the subsequent plant generation. This methods and his other research work have been granted as International patents. Dr Naveed research on utilization of bacterial endophyte has encompassed providing a fundamental understanding of the response of crops to water deficits, temperature and nutrient deficiencies. He is conducting research on the role of bacteria in ameliorating stress in crops, combined use of beneficial bacteria with different organic amendments to advance soil fertility, biochar for crop production and environment remediation, sulfur oxidizing bacteria and their role in crop nutrition, allelochemical bacteria in suppressing the weeds, and bio-control of crop disease with beneficial bacteria.
The research resulted in the development of novel bioherbicides containing allelochemical bacteria for weeds control in a range of field crops wheat, maize, rice. Medicinal plants have lower contents of the active ingredients and also the isolation of single active ingredient costs is much higher. Dr Naveed has enhanced the active ingredient of medicinal plants using novel endophytic bacteria. He also developed an innovative biotechnological approach of using endophytic microbe, organic amendments and elemental sulfur to enhance nutrient uptake Zn, Fe and Mn in calcareous soil.