Punjab Study

LAHORE:MERITORIOUS Professor of Weed Science Dr Khan Bahadar Marwat has said the weeds’ losses in Pakistan amount to Rs 250 billion annually in the major crops of maize, wheat and rice.

He was addressing the opening session of the 22nd International Asia-Pacific Weed Science Conference which kicked off at the Government College University (GCU) on Tuesday.

Experts from Indonesia, United States, Bangladesh, Australia, Sudan, Jordon, Iran and India are participating in the five-day conference being held on the theme ‘Judicious Weed Management-Road to Sustainability’.

Dr Bahadar further said besides economic losses, invasive weeds were major threat to our biodiversity, adding many of the weeds caused allergies and also promoted insect and disease proliferation.

He also said that Canada thistle, a weed of sugarcane, had developed resistance against specific herbicides and spread to other crops in Peshawar Valley.

GCU Dean of Sciences Dr Ikramul Haq said weed scientists were confronted with incalculable challenges in eradication of weeds. He said the changing behaviour of weeds was also causing problems for vegetation managers, which was compelling the human attitude towards sustainable management of weeds.

GCU Professor Emeritus Dr Khalid Hameed Shiekh said all researches were useless unless implemented. “The researches done in the filed weeds and seeds should be forwarded to the framers, so that they can draw benefits out of them,” he added.

Later, Colorado State University Professor Emeritus Robert Zindhal gave a comprehensive lecture on the ethics of weed science. University of Jordon, Amman, Prof Dr Jamal R Qasem presented his findings on parasitic flowering plants in Jordon. The technical sessions of the conference Ecology, Allelopathy and Management begin today (Wednesday).

Around 150 presentations are scheduled to be held at the conference in the next four days of the conference. The conference will remain in session till March 12. The news