The department focuses on conducting studies, research, and applications in the field of protecting plant resources from economic diseases and pests, protecting agricultural environments and reclaimed areas from chemical pesticide pollution, and predicting the status, spread, and risks of various diseases and pests in agricultural areas. The department comprises five specialized units: the Pesticides Unit, the Entomology Unit, the Nematode Unit, the Plant Pathology Unit, and the Animal Pests Unit.
The department aims to conduct the following studies and research:
Conducting biological, environmental, taxonomic, and physiological studies on the most important agricultural pests affecting crops and their products, both in the field and in storage.
Conducting studies aimed at predicting infestation dates and determining the optimal time for control measures.
Participating with central pest control authorities in developing pest control plans.
Determining the appropriate type and quantity of pesticide for controlling each pest and providing recommendations accordingly.
Designing research plans related to the use of biological control agents as a safe method for pest control.
Contributing to agricultural quarantine efforts to protect the country and prevent the introduction of new pests.
Publishing guidance bulletins for farmers and agricultural specialists to help them identify pests and learn the most appropriate methods for controlling them.
Conducting studies on the economic threshold for damage (pest damage tolerance, economic threshold, and economic damage level) of major agricultural pests.
Conducting studies on the natural enemies (parasites, predators, and pathogens) of agricultural pests and enhancing their role in biological control.
Utilizing insect-pathogenic nematodes in pest control.
Conducting studies on the role of piercing-sucking insects in transmitting plant pathogens.
Conducting biological and ecological studies on the most prevalent rodents, estimating the losses they cause, and developing control methods.
Conducting studies on insect enzymes and their use in insect control.
Utilizing molecular biology and nanotechnology techniques in plant protection.
Utilizing modern alternatives to chemical pesticides in agricultural pest control.
Conducting studies on bee diseases and their control.
Conducting studies on certain honeybee products and identifying their natural and therapeutic properties.
Utilizing modern approaches (plant extracts and biopesticides) in pest control.
Evaluating the effectiveness of herbicides on different crops and studying their phytotoxicity.
Evaluating the effectiveness of fungicides on different crops.
