Arooj Zulfiqar

The Chinese scientists are collaborating with their Pakistani peers to boost the quality and quantity of citrus fruit by breeding parasitic wasps and predatory insects in order to prevent pest attacks, reports WealthPK. China is renowned for its expertise in citrus cultivation and advanced agricultural technologies, and this collaboration will significantly advance the citrus farming practices in Pakistan. In 2018, the China-Pakistan Citrus Pest Management Centre was established to jointly explore green and sustainable solutions to the growing prevalence of citrus diseases across Pakistan.

The centre – initiated by the South China Agricultural University and Sargodha University – undertook four strands of research work to find environment-friendly solutions to the pest attacks. According to Professor Dr. Qiu Baoli and Professor Dr. Shaukat Ali, Director and Deputy Director, respectively of the China-Pakistan Citrus Pest Management Centre, the first line of research focuses on using "lure and kill" technologies to drive the pests away. For example, the researchers have looked into how various lures and traps may affect the success rate of collecting pests from citrus orchards in six cities in Pakistan. According to Prof Qiu, the researchers have developed a technology for breeding parasitic wasps and predatory insects, which are natural enemies of citrus pests.

He said the Centre had discovered 22 new species of predatory insects and reported seven new genera and two new subgenera. According to a report by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), citrus dominates the table with a share of about 30% of the total fruit production in Pakistan. Citrus is cultivated predominantly in Sargodha, Bhalwal, Toba Tek Singh, Khanewal, Multan, Layyah and Fateh Jhang in Punjab (above 90%) and smaller quantities in Swat, Swabi, Khanpur and Haripur areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). In 2021, citrus fruit production was 2.33 million tonnes. The production increased from 495,000 tonnes in 1972 to 2.33 million tonnes in 2021, growing at an average annual rate of 3.95%.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk