Pakistan, China scientists to combat citrus diseases
Chinese and Pakistani scientists are collaborating to develop biological control measures to enhance the quality and quantity of citrus fruit in Pakistan.
A research centre was launched by the two countries in 2018 to jointly explore green and sustainable solutions to the growing prevalence of citrus diseases across the South Asian nation.
Speaking to the China Economic Net, Professor Dr Qiu Baoli and Professor Dr Shaukat Ali, Director and Deputy Director of the China-Pakistan citrus pest management centre, said that while chemical measures could provide quick responses to citrus disease outbreaks, they also increased the resistance of pests against pesticides, posing grave environmental and health threats.
The researchers told CEN that the centre, initiated by South China Agricultural University and Sargodha University, had undertaken four strands of research work to produce environmentally friendly solutions.
The first line of research, Qiu and Ali noted, focused on the use of “lure and kill” technology to dispel pests. For example, researchers have investigated how different types of traps and lures will affect the efficacy of capturing pests in citrus orchards across six citrus-producing Pakistani cities.
Qiu said that the researchers had also been developing technologies to breed parasitic wasps and predatory insects, which were natural enemies of citrus pests.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2023.
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