On March 16th, 2019, at the invitation by Professor Liu Wenge, Professor Aman Ullah Malik from Faisalabad Agricultural University of Pakistan, visited Zhengzhou Fruit Research Institute (ZFRI), CAAS. Mr. Zhao Yulin, Party Secretary of ZFRI, Dr. Wang Lirong, Deputy Director of ZFRI, attended the relative events.

During the visit, Professor Aman Ullah Malik visited the demonstration base of the Cucurbits Germplasm Improvement Research Center and the watermelon and melon cultivation in the greenhouse. On the morning of the 17th, Prof. Malik had a discussion with the researchers and international students of ZFRI, focusing on technological cooperation, talent training and introduction of new varieties and new technologies. The two sides have conducted concrete cooperation plan for the near future: an academic seminar will be held at the Faisalabad Agricultural University in Pakistan in this September, a training course on fruit trees and cucurbits will be hosted by ZFRI in 2020, 6 excellent watermelon and melon varieties were offered to Prof. Malik by ZFRI, and the two sides planned to build a new variety demonstration base in Pakistan this year.

The two parties signed the international scientific and technological cooperation agreement in 2017, and jointly established the Joint International Research Laboratory of South Asian Fruits and Cucurbits in Henan Province in 2018. This visit further enriched the activities of the International Joint Laboratory, expanded the exchages of new achievements and new technologies of ZFRI to Pakistan and contributed to the “One Belt One Road” agricultural development and cooperation.

By Liu Wenge（liuwenge@caas.cn）