Pakistan and China have launched a common initiative to test environmentally friendly methods of tomato cultivation aimed at cutting pesticide use while maintaining yields.
The field trials were carried out in the tomato -growing area of Chak #48 NB, Sargodha, under the supervision of the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UK) and Yunnan University. The work was done through Yunnan Fruit Vegetable Flower Integrated Pest Management International Joint Lab.
Researchers tested a system known as “3MP” or multidimensional handling of multiple pests. The method combines improved fertilization to strengthen the natural plant resistance with accompanying pruning. Sesamum indicum were planted as a trap crop to attract harmful insects away from tomatoes while Verbena Hybrida was introduced to give nectar to advantageous insects that live on pests.
According to experimental results, the 3MP growth reduced chemical pesticide use by more than 40 percent. Tomato yields were maintained at levels comparable to conventional farmer practices, where some cases recorded light increases. The experiments also reported improvements in fruit quality, soil health and biodiversity in the field along with lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Dr. Abid Ali, a Pakistani agricultural scientist, explained that many farmers in the absence of officially recommended pesticides have been dependent on unregulated chemical spraying that bears the risks of soil, biodiversity and human health. He noted that the new system offers a safer alternative for breeders.
Dr. He money from the common laboratory said that the trials in Sargodha showed that integration of trap crops, nectar plants and improved fertilization provided effective pest control without severe dependence on chemical pesticides.
Two Pakistani Ph.D. -Candidates, Mr. Jawad Hassan and Miss Sana Anjum, were closely involved in the field experiments.
Cooperation between Uves and Yunnan University began in 2023 and is part of wider international trials with the 3MP system in China, Vietnam, Thailand and parts of Europe.
Project managers plan to expand education through workshops with farmers, expansion workers and decision makers in support of the adoption of the new system in Pakistan’s tomato breeding.
