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HYDERABAD, Feb 28 (APP):Tomato cultivation in Sindh is facing multiple challenges with pest infestations and diseases emerging as major concerns.
The rapid spread of the leaf miner poses a threat to future harvests.
Experts of the Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam, the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Sindh Agriculture Research provided critical insights to farmers during an awareness seminar held in Tando Muhammad Khan.
The SAU spokesperson informed that the Sindh Agriculture University, in collaboration with the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council’s Agriculture Linkages Program, organized the one-day awareness seminar and field day. During the event, experts highlighted concerns about the various issues impacting tomato crops.
PARC Director and National Coordinator Dr. Falak Naz cautioned that if timely measures are not taken to control the leaf miner, the pest could devastate tomato crops, leading to a significant decline in national production and causing economic losses. Senior Scientific Officer and Investigator of the Agriculture Linkages Program Abdul Rauf Bhatti explained that the leaf miner damages both the leaves and fruits of the tomato plant, inflicting severe losses, particularly in the lower parts of Sindh.
Chairman of the SAU department of entomology, Professor Dr. Imran Khatri emphasized the need to launch structured training programs for farmers to combat such pests.
He urged relevant institutions to educate farmers on field-based preventive measures. Associate Professor Dr. Irfan Ahmed Gillal and Senior Scientist from Agriculture Research Sindh Dr. Sajjad Hussain Rind highlighted that research was currently underway in laboratories to control the pest through scientific and traditional methods.