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CAP moot opens in Peshawar

Promotion of safe use

of pesticides stressed

PESHAWAR: A three day first ever conference on crop protection under the auspices of the Crop Protection Association of Pakistan (CAP) was inaugurated on Sunday at NWFP Agricultural University Peshawar by Professor Dr S Basit Ali Shah, Vice Chancellor.

The theme of this conference is "Food and the Environment" a large number of agricultural and biological scientists were present at the inaugural session besides more than 250 crop protection experts from all over the country representing university, research, extension and other scientific organizations, including pesticides manufacturing and business enterprises.

The three-day technical deliberations include discussion on the recent trends in disease development in Pakistan and futures strategies, integrated pest management in cotton - wheat cropping system organisation and future goals, and environment friendly pesticides, bio-botanical.

Concluding today the delegates would present their findings in the plenary session and formulate recommendations for inclusion in the policy formulation on country level and elsewhere.

In his inaugural speech Prof Basit said that it was a matter of pleasure for him to see the plant protection scientists at one stage under the umbrella of CAP which was the first step towards integrated approach in finding plant protection problems and their solutions for sustainable agriculture.

He added, "being an agricultural country we have to boost our production through efficient use of agricultural inputs including improved seed, water management, use of Integrated Pest Management (IMP) and harvest and post harvest management".

He stressed the need to mobilize crop protection services to promote safe use of pesticides by using biological, bio-botanical, cultural and chemical control methods in integrated manner.

Earlier Professor Dr Naseer Hussain, Dean Faculty of Crop Protection Sciences and chief organizer of the conference welcomed the guests and said that from the DDT era to the present means of safer post control methods the plant protections in one way or the other were the pioneers in fighting against insects pests, diseases and weeds.

He said that the role of plant protectionist was very important in the present dilemma of food and environment.-PPI