ISLAMABAD: Nuclear science has helped Pakistan achieve self-sufficiency in mung bean production, as most varieties grown in the country have been developed by the Nuclear Institute for Agri­culture and Biology (NIAB), in collaboration with the joint FAO-IAEA Centre for Nuclear Techni­ques in Food and Agriculture.

These varieties have improved crop yields, enhanced disease resistance and enhanced nutritional profile.

The two varieties released in 2021 — NIAB Mung 2021 (NM-2021) and Abbas Mung — were grown on about 70 per cent of Pakistan’s mung bean land area that year, making a substantial contribution to the country’s food security and economy, the IAEA states in its latest bulletin.

Mung bean is one of the most important Kharif pulse crops in Pakistan. It is mainly grown in southern Punjab and Sindh. Pun­jab is the major mung bean growing province that alone accounts for 80pc area and production.

While the Abbas Mung variety produces medium-sized beans and is known for its........

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