Locusts and grasshoppers are major economic pests in China and
are controlled through the preventive management system using environmental friendly
technologies. Moreover their invasion is monitored using remote sensing technology
to minimize the potential cop damage. Therefore, PASTIC/PSF in collaboration with
Beijing Technology and Business University (BTBU), China initiated a series of online
workshops to provide an exchange platform for China-Pakistan Agricultural cooperation,
and to promote China-Pakistan science and technology exchanges. The second workshop
of this series titled “Use of New Technology in Locust Control” was successfully
held on 20 August, 2020 at 10:00-14:00 hrs (Pakistan Time) over zoom platform. It
was supported by China Association for Science & Technology (CAST), Pakistan
Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST), Embassy of the People’s Republic of
China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and Embassy of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan Beijing, and was co-organized by China Centre for International Science
and Technology Exchange (CISTE) and Beijing Association for Science & Technology
(BAST). The main objective of this workshop to provide intellectual support for
Pakistani expert to deal with the locust disaster.
More than 100 Pakistani Science & Technology professionals
across the country participated in this online training. The Opening Ceremony was
presided over by Di Yuna, Dean of the Department of International Business Management
of the School of International Economics and Management. Prof. Zheng Wenhong, Vice
President of BTBU, Prof. Muhammad Akram Shaikh, Director General of PASTIC, Prof.
Muhammad Ashraf, Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture Faisalabad, and Gu
Wenliang, Agricultural Commissioner of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, delivered speeches successively.
Dr. Muhammad Akram Shaikh, Director General PASTIC said that through
this bilateral cooperation between Pakistan-China, capacity of our scientific and
technological workforce will be strengthened to combat war against locust plague.
Prof. Dr. HUANG Wenjiang (Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy
of Sciences) and Prof. Dr. TU Xiongbing (Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences) were the resource persons of the training workshop.
Latest strategies for locust monitoring using GIS and Remote sensing
used were discussed by Prof. Dr. HUANG Wenjiang in his lecture on Pest and disease
monitoring and forecasting by Remote sensing and GIS at global, national and regional
scales. Dr. TU Xiongbing in his lecture on Biological characteristics and sustainable
management of desert locust presented detailed life cycle of the desert locust alongwith
its potential migratory routes. Different environmental friendly strategies and
techniques against desert locust especially plant based insecticides (sophocarpidine
and azadirachtin) and the naturally occurring fungus (Metarhizium and Microsporidian)
were mentioned.
The participants from Pakistan
expressed thanks to the Chinese expert for their wonderful lectures and active discussion
about the content of the lectures. The third training from this series will be held
on 27th August on "Science and Technology Information Management and Science
and Technology Report Publication".
Prof. Dr. HUANG Wenjiang (Aerospace Information Research
Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences) delivering his lecture on Pest and
disease monitoring and forecasting by Remote sensing and GIS at global, national
and regional scales
Prof. Dr. TU Xiongbing(Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences) delivering his lecture on Biological characteristics
and sustainable management of desert locust
Prof. Dr Muhammad Akram Shaikh DG PASTIC delivering his
speech in the opening ceremony.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Akram Shaikh (Director General PASTIC),
Mr. Saifullah Azim (Principal System Analyst), Dr. Maryum Ibrar (Senior scientific
Information Officer) and Dr. Saima Huma Tanveer (Additional Director, STI) attending
the online workshop (left to right).