University of California USA Professor Thomas L. Rost has stressed upon agri scientists to pace up their efforts to fight numerous plant diseases in order to increase productivity and ensure food security.

He was addressing a seminar on “pierce disease” at New Senate Hall arranged by US Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies (CAS) in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad. He said with the passage of time, new diseases were posing threats as the result of climate changes. He said that varieties having climate changes resistance was essential in the modern era. He said Pierce disease was discovered in 1892 by Newton B. Pierce (1856–1916; California's first professional plant pathologist) on grapes in California near Anaheim, where it was known as Anaheim disease. He said that agriculture was the backbone of Pakistan economy. He said that under the CAS, all measures were being taken in term of trained agricultural manpower, curriculum reform, climate changes and outreach initiatives.

UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the UAF would initiate a programme in the climate changes in order to fight the challenge with the help of trained manpower. He urged the scientists to come up with tangible researches to increase the agricultural productivity for the increasing population. He said that UAF was committed to address the issue of food security and rural development. CAS Chief of Party Prof Dr Bashir Ahmad said that under the CAS, numerous initiatives were being taken for the uplift of the agricultural sector that would bring the tangible results. Dr Abdul Wahid said that the country per acre agricultural productivity was low for which we have to take the tangible measures to address the educate the farming community about the latest trends.