HYDERABAD, Mar 30 (APP): The first International Conference on Plant Protection Sciences organized by the Faculty of Crop Protection, Sindh Agriculture University TandoJam concluded on Wednesday night with the presentation of 288 research papers from experts from 17 countries.
Addressing the concluding ceremony, the Vice Chancellor Dr. Fateh Marri said that use of pesticides was posing different threats to health of plants, animals, humans and the environment. If plants are healthy then nature will be healthy, therefore agriculture must be made nature-friendly and biological control should be expanded to protect the society.
Former chairman of the Pakistan Science Foundation and a well-known scientist Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro said that more research was needed on climate change with available funds. The agriculture experts must realize their responsibilities and play their key role in this regard, he added.
The host of the conference and Dean Faculty of Crop Protection, Dr. Jan Muhammad Marri said that about 600 experts, teachers, students and various institutions from 17 countries participated in the conference.
Earlier, experts have proposed to formulate a plant protection policy in Pakistan. The experts observed that risk of new infectious diseases in the country was increasing due to non-testing and quarantine of imported plants, seeds and agricultural products from different countries.
The experts have termed unnecessary use of pesticides as the main cause of various diseases including skin, stomach, eyesight and respiratory problems in men, women and children of Pakistan even cancer diseases in women in rural areas.
Among others, Dr. Asadullah Shah from Malaysia, Dr. Hisham Naseer-u-Din from Sudan were present in the concluding session which was followed by distribution of shields and certificates among keynote speakers and members of the organizing committee.
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