Agricultural experts at the national conference titled "sustainable management & control of fruit fly infestation" have recommended the usage of advanced biotechnological techniques including sterile insect Technique, release of insects carrying a dominant lethal and sterile-male incompatible insect technique to engineer fruit fly for effective control.
The conference was arranged by US Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the Department of Entomology, UAF at New Senate Hall. They also recommended creating awareness about fruit fly and beneficial insects at all levels using different media sources. They also suggested that by involving the insect chemical ecology, we can combat the issue of fruit fly in a unique way. They said that good agricultural practices, pruning of trees for light and aeration, collection and dumping of dropped / rottening fruit should be adopted and installed. They said that establishment of common hot water quarantine treatment facilities in major mango cluster would help control it. Addressing on the occasion, UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that the university would conduct a commissioned research on fruit fly to overcome the disease. He said that the government was taking measures in the national agricultural policy to address the issue whereas the Punjab Agri policy was also being mapped out . It will result in providing the solution to fight the pest . He said we have to quarantine our orchards all the year to overcome the disease. USPCAS Chief of Party Dr Bashir Ahmad said called for increasing the per acre production to feed the increasing population. He said the control of diseases was prerequisite to increase the productivity He said that fruit fly affects the production by 20 to 50 percent whereas in the worst condition upto 80 percent. Prof Dr Jalal Arif said that the Entomology Department had developed Maximum Residual Limits (MRL) for the Punjab government to register new pesticides. He said that the Punjab government was revamping the agriculture policy under the convenership of UAF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan with a special focus on productivity enhancement, farmers issue and disease management.. Dr Ashfaq Chatha said that plant protection measures helped increase per hectare yield by protecting crops from pests. He said that they will conduct commissioned research under the USPCA on the fruit fly in order to overcome the problems. ORIC Director Zahir Ahmad Zahir said that multiple researches were being carried out to control the fruitfly in the campus. Dr Shahid Majeed said that they were working on the nano technology on the issue that will help control the pest.