According to experts, AI-based systems were required for the identification and management of pests (insects, pathogens, and weeds) as a result of climate change.
The Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture (MNSUA) organised a two-day international conference on plant protection to inform farmers and students about clever ways to protect plants and to recommend an artificial intelligence (AI)-based system for the identification and control of insect pests, pathogens, and weeds to increase production.
Dr. Ghulam Muhammad Ali, the chairman of the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), attended the opening session of the conference as the chief guest, and Secretary Agriculture joined him for the closing session on Wednesday at the Institute of Plant Protection, MNSUA.
Dr. Tariq Butt, Chair of Bioscience at Swansea University in the UK, Dr. Syed Farooq Shah, CEO of Razbio Limited in the UK, Dr. Fatma A. Mostafa, from Egypt, Alaa Alnaimee, Ghulam Farid, CEO of Rise AG, and Sultana Rasheed, from Japan, were some of the keynote speakers who discussed innovations and advancements in plant protection technology to safeguard plant resources from the invasion and infestation of insect pests, plant pathogens and weeds.
According to experts, AI-based systems were required for the identification and management of pests (insects, pathogens, and weeds) as a result of climate change.
They suggested creating a pest prediction model for real-time monitoring, delving deeply into pesticide resistance mechanisms, formulating biopesticides, conducting on-site research and engaging stakeholders in interactive sessions, developing transgenic-based pest resistance, managing refuges for the preservation of insect biodiversity and resistance dilation, and revising production technology to align with these recommendations.
The conference stimulated and facilitated discussions and dialogues between stakeholders like scientists, researchers, and practitioners, including policymakers, businesspeople, members of civil society, and farmers. It also provided opportunities for partnerships and alliances on plant protection.
According to researchers, developing good agricultural practises that can mitigate these problems is the only thing that will ensure the success of crop protection in its entirety.
It should be noted that Smart Plant Protection (SPP) is one of the forums established to bring together academics and plant protection supporters to share research findings that will serve as the basis for future studies that will benefit farmers.
SPP-2023 was structured around four main themes: management of insect pests, diagnosis and control of plant diseases, weed control, and biotechnology for plant protection. All submitted abstracts are subjected to a double-blind peer review by the conference committee. About 75% of the total submissions were accepted.
There were about 350 registrants, and about 60 oral presentations from countries including Australia, Benin, Canada, Chile, China, Egypt, England, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Sudan, Turkey, and the United States were chosen.
To help the farming community, the recommendations will soon be published as Science for Farmers in the local tongue.