September 06, 2007	Thursday	Sha'aban 23, 1428

MULTAN, Sept 5: Scientists of the Bahauddin Zakariya University College of Agriculture have achieved 70 per cent success in finding a cure to of a disease causing sudden withering of mango trees due to fungus called “Botryodiplodia Theobroma” that consumes the plant very quickly.

Prof Dr Shafqat Saeed of the college explained that an insect called `bark beetle’ had also been identified as a carrier of this disease to healthy plants.

He said scientists had developed micro nutrients which injected strength into the mango plant and enabled it to resist the disease attack.

He said a liquid “worm wash” had also been prepared by the scientists to supplement plant resistance.

He disclosed that mango orchards have been grown on over 94,000 hectares in Punjab and over 14 per cent have been affected by this disease during the last two-three years.—APP