Plant Protection

Plant Protection

The main goals of the FAO Plant Protection Programme are:

Integrated pest management of major crop pests in the Region,
Promotion of the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and Use of Pesticides,
Enhancement of the International Plant Protection Convention,
Strengthening national and regional plant protection infrastructures,
Promotion of information exchange.
Coordination of activities for the containment and control of desert locusts.

The continuous collection and dissemination of information in the Arab and the Near East Plant Protection Newsletter promotes regional informational exchange on plant protection issues. The newsletter provides news on plant protection and research activities in the Region, an overview of international plant protection activities, schedules of meetings and activities, and information on recent publications and research relevant to crop protection in the Near East.

The citrus leaf miner, one of the major citrus pests in almost all citrus orchards in the Region, was the subject of a regional workshop held from September 30 through October 3, 1996 and was hosted by the Syrian Citrus Board in Safita (Tartous). Scientists from Cyprus, Egypt, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Turkey prepared country reports and participated in the workshop, which reviewed and assessed the present status of the citrus leaf miner in the Region, evaluated the impact of present control measures, and proposed an environmentally friendly strategy for containing the pest in the Region. For information about the final report on the Regional Workshop on the Citrus leafminer and it's control in the Near East, click here...

Plant Protection in the Near East Region

FAO-RNE maintains continuous contacts with plant protection institutions in the Region to address plant protection activities and problems and to provide guidance on major issues. Examples are the use of FAO standards and guidelines related to plant quarantine, pesticide management, and the development of integrated pest management programmes. The preparation of plant protection profiles for some countries helps identify problem areas and highlight expertise that can be of use to other countries in the Region. Through its publications, which include most recently Citrus Pest Management in the Near East Region, A Technical Review of Sunn Pests, Prevention of Accumulation of Obsolete Pesticides (in Arabic), and A Historical Review of the Major Graft-Transmissible Diseases of Citrus, FAO-RNE also helps member countries keep abreast of the latest research and findings in the field.

The battle against the desert locust continues, and FAO-RNE provides support by servicing the Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region and by publishing the monthly Arabic version of the Desert Locust Bulletin. The Commission adoptes training methodologies and research programmes for developing and strengthening regional infrastructure to combat this pest, by providing spray equipment, publishing desert locust information, and coordinating early detection, early reaction, and applied research activities, the commission assists member countries in their individual and collective efforts to control the desert locust, and organizes Regional training courses on subjects related to its area of specialization.

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