Scientist Must Develop Resilient Agriculture To Tackle New Challenges: UAF Vice Chancellor

The global scientist community must develop and promote resilient agriculture to tackle the emerging challenges of climate change and its related impact to feed the growing population of the world, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Jun, 2022 ) :The global scientist community must develop and promote resilient agriculture to tackle the emerging challenges of climate change and its related impact to feed the growing population of the world, said University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan.

Chairing the inaugural session of an international symposium titled 'Network analysis in agricultural systems' to address the grand challenges to food security. The event was arranged by Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security. The VC said that out of four world largest famines, two were caused due to plant diseases. He said that the Irish potato famine began when a fungus-like organism spread rapidly throughout Ireland. In the second famine, corn disease was a reason. He said that in the country, wheat is the main staple food and we have to protect it from diseases and other factors. Otherwise, it would hurt the food security. He said that it was a matter of concern that the country was importing edible items including wheat worth $10 billion. Dr. Karen A. Garrett from University of Florida said the network analysis identifies geographic and temporal priorities for intervention, provides new tools to operationalize concepts such as sustainability and resilience, link plant pathology with socioeconomic situation to reach low income farmers and increase agriculture development impacts.

She said that integrated approach would help address the challenges to agriculture security. She called for adaptation tools, diseases mitigation techniques and climate smart agriculture.

OIC Islamic Organization for Food Security Director Dr Ismaeel Abdul Hammed said that the in the current era, climate changes were the real challenge that were posing a serious threat to the food security. He said that world water reservoirs were shrinking that was a matter of grave concern.

Director Dr Sultan Habib-Ullah said that In Iran, wheat is affected by rust that came from Africa. He said that we have to adopt the latest methods including network analysis.

Principal Officer PRP Prof Dr Jalal Arif said that the UAF was advocating the wheat-maize flour that will also address the issue of malnutrition.

Ayub Research Director General Dr Nawaz Maiken and others also spoke.