Entomology

Department of Entomology plays a major role in the faculty of plant protection at the University of Agriculture Swat. The University was established in 2019 and the department of Entomology was established in 2022. The department of Entomology is composed of outstanding talented students and faculty staff. Currently four faculty members are serving at the department.The department of Entomologyhas been involved in the teaching and conductingvarious applied research according to the climatic condition of the region.

Swat district is a hub of temperate fruits and vegetables. Apart from fruits and vegetables Swat also accounts for production of cereal crops like wheat, maize and rice etc. About 68% of the total area is solely covered by peach and about 71% of the total provincial production regarding peach is yielded by Swat. Other stone fruits and pome fruits grown here are apricot, plum, apple and pear etc.

Fruits and vegetables are subject to many insect pests among which fruit fliesare the devastating insect pests and are responsible for 70-100% yield losses. Crops like onion, potato, tomato, peas and garlic are mainly infested by thrips, cutworm/aphids and jassids, leaf miner/armyworm, pod borer and garlic thrips respectively.

Entomology department has to play a vital role in the management of these entomological problems. Indiscriminate and no judicious use of insecticides and pesticides is a common issue here which may leadto carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects. So department of Entomology has to develop an IPM program for each of the major insect pests of each crop to reduce these effects and keep these insect pests under EIL to maintain natural balance of the ecosystem.

The aim of Entomology’s students is to understand the effects ofinsect pests on agriculture crops, stored commodities and human health. Furthermore, to develop new ideas to understand the importanceof insect pest management and to produce manpower trainers to maximize agriculture production.

• Graduates of Entomology has wide range of career opportunities. It includes,
  • Agricultural, biological,and genetic research.
  • Forensic Entomology.
  • Consulting (agricultural, environmental, public health, urban, food processing)
  • State and federal government agencies.
  • Conservation and environmental biology.
  • Natural resources management
  • Research organizations
  • Seed industry
  • Agrochemical industry
  • Military
  • Federal research laborites
  • State departments of agriculture
  • Extension services
  • Academic institutions
  • Quarantine department
  • Apiculture and Sericulture industrial

The Department of Entomology offers the given courses of total 58 credit hours in four semesters.

Department of Entomology
Mobile # 0345-4976343
Email: entomology@uoas.edu.pk