The University of Agriculture, Peshawar,Pakistan

The Department of Plant Pathology was established in 1985 for imparting quality education, conducting problem oriented research and technology transfer to the end users. The Department of Plant Pathology offers degree programs including B. Sc (Hons), M. Sc (Hons) and PhD. The Department operates through semester system at all levels and strictly adheres to the admission policy of Agricultural University Peshawar for its degree programs. Merit is the heart core of its policy in line with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) guidelines. Students are admitted in fifth semester of their enrollment in the Department. A similar policy for M.Sc. and PhD admission is followed as per rules of the University/HEC. The Department offers courses as per academic calendar. Courses are assigned by the Chairman to each faculty member on the basis of his/her area of specialization in Plant Pathology. The Department also has a focal person and class coordinators to address academic and other issues of the students. The Departmental Counseling Cell (DCC) informs students about career opportunities in various organizations and prepares students for such challenges.

The main offices and graduate research laboratories are housed in the Plant Science Building while the screenhouse; mushroom house and experimental fields of the Department are located nearby at the AU campus. The research laboratories are equipped with the basic and sophisticated equipment for research in different areas of plant pathology such as mycology, virology, nematology, bacteriology and mushroom technology. The main library has sufficient number of books and research journals on various aspects of plant pathology. Currently there are 11 faculty members mostly with PhD degrees from USA, UK and Japan. So far, over 26 projects have been completed and two are underway which have been funded by various donor agencies including Board of Science and Technology for International Development, Washington, USA; Higher Education Commission, Islamabad; Ministry of Science and Technology, Islamabad; Pakistan Science Foundation, Islamabad; Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad and PATA Groundwater Irrigation Project Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Malakand Division. More than 400 research papers have been published by the faculty in peer-reviewed journals of national and international repute.

The students are required to have studied basic biology and introductory plant pathology courses for specializing in various disciplines of plant pathology. The Department has awarded 255 B.Sc (H), 150 M.Sc (H) and six PhD Degrees with specialization in plant pathology. Some of these graduates received Gold Medals (14), silver medals (4), bronze medals (2) and Presidential awards (4) and 13 distinction certificates. Majority have been employed in various government departments/NGOs such as Agricultural Research System Khyber Puktunkhwa, PARC, NIFA, SRSP, AKRSP, ACTIONAID, SUNGI and various financial institutions including banks.

Beside, teaching and research, the Department also provides advisory service to the farmers, Government Departments and others concerned with plant disease diagnosis and their management. The Department regularly receives a large number of disease specimens from farmers, growers, extension workers, home gardeners and agricultural research stations for diagnosis and advice on management.

Mushroom cultivation has gained enormous importance over the past few years and there is great demand both inside and outside the country. In this context people from all walks of life including chamber of commerce and industry, hotel management and others have been contacting this department from time to time. The Department has successfully introduced mushroom farming in this province and quality spawn of the cultivated mushrooms have been produced and, provided to the farmers. As a result, mushroom farming at cottage and commercial levels have been established. Farmers, students, teachers and other mushroom growers have been provided trainings and practical experience on regular basis and through specially arranged courses/workshops.
Clean seed potato production, multiplication and marketing through informal and formal methods, is another area, where the Department facilitate the farming community of the Province both for food security as well as to improve livelihood of the community.

The Department has been accredited by the National Agricultural Education Council (NAEAC). In future, the Department envisions offering Plant Doctor Degree programme, establishing several research laboratories and developing a network of plant disease clinics throughout the province to combat the plant diseases.

We welcome you to the Department and will be more than happy to provide further information regarding the Department. Inquires may please be directed to the Chairman, Department of Plant Pathology, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar.