Faisalabad Agriculture University Develops Technology To Control Wheat Weeds

A cost-effective technology for application of bioherbicide to the crops has been developed under public-private partnership to control weeds of wheat and increase its production

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Apr, 2019 ) :A cost-effective technology for application of bioherbicide to the crops has been developed under public-private partnership to control weeds of wheat and increase its production.

The initiative was taken by the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad in collaboration with Jaffer Agro Services which was later approved and undertaken by the Higher education Commission (HEC) under Technology Development Fund (TDF), the Project Director Professor Zahir Ahmed Zahir told APP.

He said, since the wheat was Pakistan's major crop, it was witnessing 40 per cent decline in its annual production due to the weeds which grew on its own during cultivation process, causing Rs.37.9 billion loss to the country's economy.

Zahir said he along with his team developed the technology and prepared a Bioherbicide containing Allelopathic Bacteria for Bio-control of Weeds of Wheat.

The Professor said they had already identified useful strains of rhizobacteria, a root-colonizing bacterium suitable to develop a bioherbicide, which may be applied to wheat crop through the technology and a specified process.

The coating of wheat weeds with the bacterium would help suppress the growth of those wild shrubs in crops, he added.

At present, he said, various weed control strategies were being employed, including manual weed control, which were proved time consuming and labour intensive.

The manual weed control strategy was not only suitable for crops grown in rows but also elevate the cost due to high energy inputs, he said and added that chemical control was time-saving and cost-effective, but it caused harmful environmental impacts, destroying beneficial organisms, pollinators, terrestrial and aquatic life in different ways.

Zahir said field trials of the technology conducted in collaboration with the industrial partner had already proven its ability to suppress weed growth and increased wheat growth by more than 15 per cent.

He said the technology would be offered to farmer community in a user-friendly form by the nest season.

Zahir believed that over 567 tons of wheat crop yields worth Rs.18.44 million annually may went up by applying bioherbicide to only 15 per cent of total area under wheat cultivation.

He said three million rupees could also be saved from import of harmful insecticides and pesticides in addition to other multiple benefits to biodiversity, ecosystem and economy of the country, \778