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FAISALABAD: Experts speaking at the University of Agriculture (UAF), Faisalabad, called for stepped up efforts to promote biological control of weeds, pests and plant diseases in order to develop the agriculture sector and address health issues.

In this regard, the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International’s (CABI) Biological Control Centre will be established at the UAF to enhance joint efforts for the cause.

CABI’s Deputy Director Abdul Rehman along with international weed bio-control specialist from CABI Switzerland Dr Philip Weyl and CABI Subject Specialist Kazam Ali called on UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan.

They also held meetings with Chairman of the Department of Entomology Dr Jalal Arif, Director of Institute of Agriculture Extension Dr Babar Shahbaz, Director of External Linkages Dr Muhammad Saqib, and Associate Prof Dr Ijaz Ashraf.

The CABI team also addressed a seminar on Biological Control of Invasive Weed Parthenium arranged by the Institute of Agriculture Extension and Rural Development.

Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that excessive use of chemicals on crops was creating health and environmental hazards. He said that biological control was the need of the hour.

Parthenium is a highly destructive weed, as it crosses continents, he said, adding that it is spreading rapidly in both rural and urban landscapes in the country.

Abdul Rehman said that for the establishment of the Biological Centre at UAF, a memorandum of understanding will be inked soon. He invited Dr Jalal Arif of the university’s Entomology Department to nominate entomologists to participate in an international workshop.

He pointed out that CABI had initiated a biological control programme in Pakistan in 2017. For this purpose, CABI established a new quarantine laboratory at its Rawalpindi centre to enhance its capabilities to manage parthenium weed. He said that the university is home to renowned agricultural scientists and joint work with UAF will bring tangible results. He said that they had completed the initial work of biological agent for parthenium and now the testing in fields would be carried out.

Abdul Rehman said that the Department of Entomology was on the frontlines in plant production not just at the national level but also at the international level.

Prof Dr Jalal Arif raised the idea of establishing the CABI Biological Centre at the Department of Entomology for strengthening collaborative efforts. He said that the university, which is the country’s oldest and largest agricultural institution, is taking all possible steps to address the problems of the agricultural sector.

He said that the UAF, under the dynamic leadership of Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan, had emerged among the top 100 universities of the world. He was of the view that the dream of food security could not be ensured without putting agriculture sector on modern lines.

Dr Philip Weyl said that Listronotus is a natural enemy of parthenium, from the weed’s native range of Central America. Listronotus is a nocturnal weevil that lays its eggs primarily in the flowers of parthenium where newly hatched larvae tunnel into the stem and continue to feed, eventually exiting at the base of the stem to pupate in the soil. Several larvae feeding in the stem can kill parthenium rosettes and mature plants.

Dr Babar Shahbaz called for innovative approaches to address the issue of the agricultural sector. He said that adoption of latest scientific trends was a prerequisite to cope with agricultural challenges at the national level.

He said that the university is taking all possible measures to tackle the challenges. He said that they had mapped out a plan to reach out to farming community across the country regarding biological control of parthenium.

Dr Ijaz Ashraf said that parthenium, a toxic weed, is hazardous for human lives as it causes allergy, asthma and other diseases. Parthenium is highly-invasive due to its prolific seed production, flower production within four weeks of germination, tolerance to varying climatic conditions, and the production of allele chemicals that affect the growth of nearby plants.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023

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