Agri experts asked to develop biopesticides to control locusts

FAISALABAD: University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashraf has directed the agriculture experts to develop phyto-chemical biopesticides from the extracts of tobacco, Neem, Datura, castor bean, etc to control locusts.

He was chairing a meeting of agricultural experts, including Dr Mansoor Sahi, Dr Sohail Ahmad, Dr Ameer Rasool, Dr Muhammad Sagheer, Agriculture Office Plant Protection Imran Faraz, UAF Research Officer Ahmad Waqas and other notables during a field visit to Athari Hazari.

He said that locust had emerged second coronavirus in term of food security as it was playing havoc with food security. He said work on war footing was essential to fight the crisis to ensure the food security.

He said after the 27 years, it had hit crops at the huge level. He said that to search food, locusts travel in swarms in millions. He said that they had initiated the working on locust life history, attacked areas, various stages with day, critical stage to hit for low pesticide, management techniques, potential threats, effect of climate changes, and mitigation strategies He said that the government had set up a consortium of the agricultural universities, Food Security Ministry, Agriculture Department NDMA and PDMA to work jointly on the locust.