The Faculty of Crop Protection, Sindh University of Agriculture, succeeded in identifying the insect casing enormous damage to mango plants in the province.
The insect was identified as Asian Ambrosia Beetle, which survives on fruit trees and move from plant to plant and made it dry.
The faculty has launched a project with the help of Higher Education Commission to evolve a mechanism to combat the menace and other fruit diseases. The project includes selection of two Ph.D. students to conduct research. These students would be selected on merit and provided financial backup to complete their research on the insect and other diseases causing production losses to horticulture produce.
After the completion of project, the technology to combat the beetle and other insects would be transferred to horticulturists and mango growers.