The Punjab Agricultural Research Board (PARB) is funding a project "Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of Aphids on Wheat Crop" aimed at developing Best Agricultural Practices (BAP) including agronomic and bio-control agents to tackle the problem of Aphid attack on wheat on sustainable basis.
The project has already completed its research phase and entering in demonstration phase, sources in the Board told Business Recorder on Friday. Wheat aphid is one of the dangerous emerging problems and causing serious threat to Pakistan's economy. For the last few years it has started feeding on wheat at milky grain stage when it is not advisable to spray non-selective pesticides on a mass scale as a sole agent for its management.
Aphids attack is becoming very common in many districts of Punjab. Some progressive farmers have started pesticides' spray on their wheat crop and spray areas are increasing on a rapid pace. Wheat is sown on a very large scale and as such it is neither feasible nor economical to manage pests on it through spray. Dependency on sprays will further deteriorate the situation, sources added.
To review the project, a Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting was recently held CEO PARB Dr Mubarik Ali in the Chair and attended by Dr Ghulam Mustafa Ex- Director Entomology, Dr Abdul Rashid Director Oil seeds, Dr M.Aujum Ali, DGA (EX&AR) Punjab, Dr Ahmed Saleem Akhter General Manager (R&D) 4-Brothers and others.
While briefing the participants Dr Rana Muhammad Shafiq said that project has three components: First component of Adaptive Research is dealing with the effect of balanced and unbalance use of fertilisers on aphid infestation on wheat crop. The trials were conducted at 5 Adaptive Research farms located at Agro Ecological zones, Sargodha, Sheikhpura, Vehari, Chakwal and Rahim Yar Khan; the second component of Wheat Research Institute is doing screening of genetic material of wheat resistant to aphids while third component of CABI is endeavouring to develop package of BAP for aphids management on wheat crop, especially by sowing strips of Brassica napus (Canola). He also briefed that there were four species of aphids which attack wheat crop in Pakistan Green aphids, Bird cherry oat aphids, English grain aphids and Corn leaf aphids. Aphid attacks wheat crop in the mid of February, March at its peak and goes till April, he added.
He also threw light on various classes of natural enemies of aphids and studies conducted about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and one study regarding screening of pesticides. Talking about the research trials, he said that different combinations of line strips were tested at various distances in wheat crop and research finding shows that intercropping of 3 lines of Brassica at every 100-150 ft distance is recommended for management of aphids. Besides this, different doses of NPK fertilisers and pesticides were also tested for control of aphid and results shows that six out of ten pesticides gave above 40 percent reduction in aphid population and out of these six pesticides, only two were found friendly for natural enemies.
About benefits of the project, Abdul Ghaffar, Retired DG (Agri. Ext.) said that it is very economically viable project and we must discourage the use of pesticides. He suggested not changing the scales/unit in comparing results across treatments, otherwise results may be misleading. He stressed the need for sensitising to sow canola hybrid for their domestic use and not as a tool to control aphid because aphid infestation may not have reached threshold level. Makhdoom Hussain informed that Oilseed Research Institute has better varieties of canola, "Hyola" as compared to hybrid canola. Dr Ahmed Saleem Akhter said that weather has a direct correlation with aphid population and should be taken in to consideration before reaching any conclusion.
While summarising the meeting, Chief Executive PARB Dr Mubarik Ali said it was decided that 100 ft distance of brassica intercropping with wheat is preferable but not more than 150 ft. Two lines of brassica for intercropping with wheat were recommended for demonstration purposes. For conducting economic analysis, yield data of control and experimental plots should be used instead of yield data of brassica lines. The balance dose of NPK, ie, 69-46-25 proved the best in controlling aphid and gave good yield. The compact block of 1 kanal gave promising results.
Dr Mubarik Ali suggested that compact block of less than 1 kanal should also be tested. Dr Anjum Ali DG (Agri. Ext.) observed that 40 percent reduction in aphid population through pesticide use is not a convincing figure. Dr Ahmed Saleem Akhter suggested that only highly recommended pesticides against aphid attacks should be taken into consideration. "Residual effect and pre-harvest interval of these pesticides can also be taken into account," he concluded.