Achievements

(I) PESTICIDE DIVISION
Quality Control of Pesticides
Pesticide Division at Plant Protection Institute, Faisalabad and its Pesticide Quality Control Laboratories at Lahore and Multan function to regulate the testing and quality control of pesticides in the Punjab under the Agricultural Pesticide Ordinance, 1971. The testing of pesticides is a regular feature and a large number of pesticides have been analyzed in these laboratories and reports submitted to proper quarters for further necessary action. Details of pesticides samples tested so far, are as under:-

Year	Number of pesticide samples analyzed
	Total	Fit	Unfit	%age unfit
1971-72	28	11	17	60.71
1972-73	58	29	29	50.00
1973-74	88	45	43	48.85
1974-75	28	15	13	46.42
1975-76	38	15	23	60.52
1976-77	38	19	19	50.00
1977-78	20	5	15	75.00
1978-79	49	38	11	22.44
1979-80	150	83	67	44.46
1980-81	288	148	140	48.61
1981-82	1851	900	951	53.53
1982-83	863	408	455	52.73
1983-84	1030	402	628	60.97
1984-85	114	57	57	50.00
1985-86	299	237	62	20.73
1986-87	253	154	99	39.13
1987-88	487	202	285	58.52
1988-89	713	291	412	57.78
1989-90	598	282	316	52.84
1990-91	926	519	407	43.95
1991-92	1840	1394	446	24.24
1992-93	1848	1436	412	22.29
1993-94	1728	1451	277	16.03
1994-95	3511	3091	420	11.96
1995-96	2585	2268	317	12.26
1996-97	3059	2707	352	11.51
1997-98	4255	3823	432	10.15
1998-99	2928	2780	148	5.05
1999-2000	3256	3118	138	4.24
2000-2001	3742	3606	136	3.63
2001-2002	4400	4232	168	3.82
2002-2003 (up to April, 2003)	4527	4357	170	3.75

Storage Stability/Shelf-Life of Pesticides
The field and laboratory studies for checking the storage stability and shelf-life of different pesticides under our agro-environmental conditions are in progress which indicated that almost all the pesticides were found stable over a period of 2 years/expiry date. They also qualified the storage stability tests under accelerated temperature conditions(54oC ± 2 oC). However, some dimethoate formulations for 14 - days degraded before their expiry dates after one year of storage during summer.
Pesticide Residue Studies
1. Pesticides, no doubt, play very important role for overall agricultural production but their haphazard and non-judicious use may also cause adverse effects on the crops, human health and environment. In this regard different studies have been conducted to determine the residual effect of various pesticides on fruits, vegetables, soil and human health.
2. With holding period of some pesticides on fruit and vegetables have been worked out. The effects of insecticides and herbicides on the ammonification and nitrification processes in soil and uptake of nutrient by plants have been studied and no adverse effects have been noticed.
3. A survey conducted to check the cholinesterase level in blood serum of workers involved in pesticide handling/business indicated that about 50% of total samples contained cholinesterase enzyme below normal level when affected by organo-phosphatic pesticides.
Bio-efficacy of Pesticides & Standardization
1. The standardization and screening of new pesticides and bio-efficacy studies of different pesticides are constant features of the Bioassay Section. In this regard 110 field experiments were conducted to evaluate 681 different pesticides against sucking insect pests/insect pest complex, bollworms and heliothis of cotton, maize borer and shoot fly, aphid on tobacco, armyworms on lady's finger, red pumpkin beetle and tobacco, rodents of wheat, aphid and butterfly on cauliflower and sucking insect pests and leaf eating larvae of potato.
2. Testing of pesticide formulation through bioassay techniques is also carried out to confirm the bio-efficacy of various formulations. In this regards 242 samples have been tested.
3. The culture of stored pests viz. Trogoderma granarium (khapra beetle),, Sitophilus aranarius (Grainary weevil), Rhizopertha dominica (Brown grain beetle), Tribolium castaneum, Tribolium confusum (Red flour beetle), Sitophilus oryzae (Rice weevil), Citotroga cereallela (Angounois grain moth) and Bruchus chinesis (Gram dhora) were reared in the bioassay laboratory to be used for the purpose of biological assay of fumigants and grain protectants.
Advisory Service
Advisory service is being provided to the farmers, Pesticide Inspectors, Extension workers, Pesticide Dealers and other Organization regarding the pesticide sampling , testing, handling, storage and safe use of pesticides and other matters relating to pesticides.

(II) PEST MANAGEMENT DIVISION
1. Minimum sugarcane borers infestation (3.48%) with maximum cane yield (31.41 tons/acre) were recorded where Furadan 3G @ 12.0 kg/acre was applied to soil as a single dose after sowing of sugarcane crop.
2. Sugarcane crop sown during September showed significantly minimum stem borer infestation (6.28%) and maximum stripped cane yield (35.50 tons/acre).
3. Minimum sugarcane borers infestation (6.41%) with maximum cane yield (38.50 tons/acre) was recorded where neem oil at 6% concentration was sprayed.
4. Economic injury level of sugarcane borers except Gurdaspur borer worked out as 7.50 percent to tackle the aforesaid cane borers problems and to run the integrated pest management programme more fairly and wisely.
5. Minimum sugarcane borers infestation (4.37%) with maximum cane yield (33.76 tons/acre) was recorded where both borers and weeds were controlled.
6. Cutting of gurdaspur borer affected shoots at an interval of 15 days significantly reduced Gurdaspur borer infestation (64.06%) against check.
7. Economic injury level 90 days after sowing has been estimated 7.50% for sugarcane borers complex except gurdaspur borer.
8. Tobacco, okra, onion and bitter gourd intercropping with sugarcane proved advantageous over sole cropping. These treatments not only reduced the borers infestation to a significant level but also gave a significant increase (10.99 to 29.69%) of stripped cane yield.
9. Sowing of maize crop during Ist week of August significantly reduced the maize borer infestation (5.96%) with maximum maize grain yield (1.73 tons/acre).

(III) PEST CONTROL TRAINING DIVISION
Training
Since the inception of this Division, training in modern techniques of plant protection has been imparted to 4065 in-service trainees viz; Field Assistants, Mechanics, Agricultural Inspectors, Agricultural Officers, Agricultural Research Officers, Extra Assistant Director of Agriculture, Technical staff of Sugar Mills, Army Officers from supply wing, Agronomists, Assistant Entomologists, Assistant Plant Pathologists and Master Trainers. Besides regular training classes 2635 personnel visited the Institute to whom special Plant Protection Training of short duration was imparted.

Research Work
1. Studies carried out to see the effect of three groups of insecticides (organophosphate, pyrethroid and combination) on insect pest complex of cotton showed that organophosphate group proved the best for controlling sucking insect pests followed by combination and pyrethroid respectively while the pyrethroid group gave minimum bollworms infestation (7.40 to 8.18 %) followed by combination and organophosphate group.
2. Studies on the behavior of insect pests attacking cotton crop showed that first of all sucking insect pests attack the crop then the insect pests complex and thereafter the bollworms.
3. Studies carried out to observe the effect of various groups of insecticides on aphid development showed that maximum population of aphid 6.5 per leaf was found in pyrethroid insecticide (Cymbush), treated plots.
4. Results of a research trial conducted to study the post treatment storage of wheat seed revealed that wheat seed could be stored upto 3 months after treatment with systemic fungicides i.e. Benlate 50wp, Vitavax, Daconil 75w etc. @ 2 gm/kg of seed.
5. In case of mango powdery mildew almost 100% disease suppression was achieved with spray application of Score 250 EC @ 25 ml/lit. of water.
6. Studies carried out for evaluation resistance of American bollworm against conventional insecticides, revealed that Spinocid 48 EC gave the best performance followed by Indoxacarb 15 EC and Pyrolle 36 EC.
7. The trial conducted for evaluating resistance of whitefly against different insecticides revealed that Acetamiprid 20 SP gave the lowest whitefly population followed by Diafenthiuron 50 EC and Imidachloprid 20 EC.
8. The trial conducted for the control of mango mealy bug on mango trees revealed that the use of polythene slippery band around tree trunk is the most effective.
9. Physically verified the ground position of farmers training programme for rice crop (Agronomy and Plant Protection phases) organized by the Extension Wing of Agriculture Department, in District Faisalabad.

Standardization of Plant Protection Material for use in the Punjab
(A) Pesticides
The following different types of pesticides were tested and got standardized through Technical Sub-Committee and later through Punjab Standardization Committee for day to day use on different field crops, fruits and vegetables against their insect pests, weeds, diseases, mites, rodents, etc.

S.No.	Group of pesticide	Number
1.	Insecticide	261
2.	Fungicide	43
3.	Weedicide	71
4.	Acaracide	7
5.	Rodenticide	6
6.	Fumigant	9
	Total	397

B) Plant Protection Machinery
The following plant protection machinery was got standardized to use in the Punjab:-
(i) Power Sprayers
1. Germax Power Knapsack Sprayer.
2. Jico Minor.
3. AS-I-SL9 Power Knapsack Sprayer.
4. Solo Port 423 (40123)

(ii) Hand Sprayers/Dusters
1. Carvan Wheel Barrow (Trolly Mounted).
2. Chinese Knapsack Sprayer GN-16.
3. MICRON ULVA-8 Sprayer (for private sector).
4. Compression Sprayer Hadson and Jico.
5. Jico Pioneer Knapsack Hand Sprayer.
6. PIR Knapsack Hand Sprayer Model 16-L.
7. PIR Hand Compression Sprayer.
8. Jasmine Hand Knapsack Sprayer Model-16.
9. Turbair Sprayer (Micron ULVA-8).
10. Arimitsu Hand Duster & Granular .
11. Applicator (Model HD-4).

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