Pakistani scholar plants dreams with soybeans

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Hafiz Mamoon Rehman, born in a small village in Pakistan's Punjab Province, grew up surrounded by golden wheat and cotton as white as snow. Unlike the generations before him who worked the land, he chased academic excellence and sought knowledge beyond the familiar terrain of his homeland.

Rehman made a journey into the fields of biotechnology, where he grappled with the intricacies of herbicide resistance and genetically modified wheat. In 2016, while pursuing his doctorate at Chonnam National University in South Korea, he chose soybeans as the subject of his long-term research.

Later, he sent resumes to soybean experts across the globe. It was a message from Lam Honming, a professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong's School of Life Sciences, that set the stage for what was to come.

Lam, a prominent expert in agricultural science, had decoded the genomes of 31 soybean varieties, bred non-genetically modified drought and salinity-tolerant germplasms, and was the first from Hong Kong to participate in a national-level space agricultural research project.

Two years later, Rehman joined Lam's lab, completing a successful three-year postdoctoral stint. Hong Kong became a dream for him, a place where he built a family and created memories, including the birth of his child at Prince of Wales Hospital.

Yet, despite the allure of the vibrant city, Rehman never lost sight of his goal — returning home and using his knowledge to help his people.

After years of learning, Rehman is now at the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, developing local soybean varieties suited for the conditions in Pakistan.

Pakistan, primarily an agrarian nation, faces challenges due to limited crop diversity and the adverse effects of climate change. With most of its agricultural land dedicated to five traditional crops and suffering from low soybean yield and quality, the country relies heavily on soybean imports for animal feed.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres once said that Pakistan is one of the countries most severely affected by climate change, a fact not lost on Rehman as he sought to introduce soybeans as a sustainable crop in his homeland.

Sowing hope

Iqrar Ahmad Khan, vice-chancellor of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, explained that Pakistan spent up to $2 billion annually importing about 300,000 metric tons of soybeans. "What's important now is to bring in soybean as a mainstream green crop," he said.

Achieving this goal meant finding the right seeds, and that is where Lam's expertise came into the picture. He had already cultivated the Longhuang series soybean in China's Gansu province, which is known for its high yield and quality even in arid and saline conditions.

In 2023, Lam, for the first time, visited Pakistan, taking with him a branch of seeds. Unlike the Longhuang series, what Lam prepared for Pakistan is genetically unstable soybean seeds, still undergoing change, with the hope of developing a variety that could thrive in the local environment.

Early this May, Lam led a team, including agricultural scientists, engineers and seed experts from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, alongside a group of Pakistani students from two Hong Kong middle schools, that arrived in Lahore, Punjab, to make a straightforward agricultural exchange.

Lam said he hoped these students could observe their homeland from a different perspective and understand the connection between Hong Kong and Pakistan.

Punjab, Pakistan's breadbasket, is a province with more than 100 million people and the most developed agricultural sector in the country.

"Introducing soybeans to Punjab is not an easy task," said Rehman, who noted the crop's novelty to local farmers.

Zhang Guohong, a retired seasoned expert from the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, bridged language barriers through his extensive agricultural knowledge, communicating with local farmers about irrigation, fertilization and cultivation techniques.

The high temperatures of Punjab, edging close to 50 C, posed a significant challenge. "The extremely hot weather almost melted everything," Zhang said.

The resilient seeds provided by Lam sprouted, offering a glimmer of hope. "It's only by starting from a seed and struggling together that they can develop new varieties that truly belong there," said Lam.

China, with only 9 percent of the world's arable land and 6 percent of its freshwater resources, has sustained nearly one-fifth of the global population.

Lam, 64, said China's experiences in rural vitalization over the past decade or so have provided valuable lessons for other developing countries.

Official data show that China has dispatched more than 2,000 agricultural experts and technicians to more than 70 countries and regions worldwide.

At the University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Iqrar Ahmad Khan said the institution has signed more than 50 cooperation agreements with numerous Chinese universities and research institutions.

Rehman also has strong ties with China. He showed the shirt he was wearing, saying it was a commemorative T-shirt given to him during a previous agricultural inspection in Hainan province, and had a Chinese logo printed on it.

And this time, the seeds from Hong Kong, China, did not disappoint him.

Approximately 3.5 hectares have been planted with soybeans that are anticipated to produce an impressive yield of 2,500 kilograms per hectare come summer. Additionally, Rehman witnessed a breakthrough three months into planting, with the soybeans segregating positively toward a locally adapted variety.

The collaboration between China and Pakistan in agricultural development highlighted the enduring bonds between the two nations, he said. "Building international friendships, connecting people at the grassroots level, and using science to help those in need have always been the core values of our Hong Kong team."