Plant protection in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan : a multi-disciplinary study team report

No nematology problems have been identified in Afghanistan and only some of the more obvious nematode-induced diseases have been recognized in Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan. The development and functioning of plant pathology varied from country to country in the region visited. Because of the availability of educated personnel, institutions and facilities, Iran and Turkey are best capable of moving rapidly ahead with comprehensive disease control programs. Afghanistan is least prepared for work in plant pathology and Pakistan is at an intermediate state. In each of the countries visited, weed science was a secondary effort conducted primarily by people trained in another area of agricultural science. The work underway was often a herbicide testing program and invariably emphasized solving problems which had been only vaguely defined. Therefore, we recommend that weed science programs be initiated or redirected toward problem definition. Relative to other plant protection sciences, entomology was generally found to enjoy preferential treatment in terms of scientific manpower for research and budgets for teaching and extension. This is not to imply that manpower or budgets for entomologically-related activities were adequate in all countries visited, or that there were not field problems of importance left unsolved. It does point out the greater visibility of insect-caused losses as compared to those caused by plant diseases, nematodes, or weeds. In connection with the operational use of pesticides in the countries of Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Team recommends that the use of DDT and many other chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides be retained for specific uses.