FAISALABAD, May 12: Punjab Forest Secretary Iqbal Ahmad Raja has called upon the scientists and forest experts to present their recommendations to the government for the treatment of Shisham dieback and growing disease-free trees.

Speaking to the participants in the third National Shisham Dieback seminar held at the Punjab Forest Research Institute Gatwala, he asked the experts to formulate recommendations regarding treatment and reclamation of infected trees, strategy for developing healthy trees and adopting a pragmatic future policy for ensuring disease-free Shisham production so that a comprehensive strategy could be evolved for ensuring disease-free growth and optimised production of Shisham.

He said the Punjab government had approved a five-year research project in 2001-02 at a cost of Rs18 million to address the issue under which research was started at the Forest Research Institute, Agriculture University and Ayub Agricultural Research Institute.

Chief Conservator Forests Lahore Malik Mahboobur Rehman appreciated the efforts put in by the researchers for identifying the causes of this disease. He said Shisham had been brought about 150 years ago from Nepal to be planted in the sub continent. The causes of Shisham dieback included undue lopping, scarcity of water and development of fungus.