As part of the principle of scientific cooperation between universities, the Dean of the College of Agriculture at the University of Karbala, Assistant Professor Dr. Ali Abdul-Hussein Kareem, participated in the external defense of a PhD dissertation in the Plant Protection Department at the College of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, University of Baghdad.
The dissertation, titled “An Environmental Study of the Fly (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) Delia platura on Cucumber Plants and Its Control Using Integrated Pest Management Applications,” was presented by researcher Mustafa Jawad Ne’ma.
The study aimed to survey and collect species of the Delia genus from cucumber plants, investigate the insect’s most common feeding preferences, and assess the effectiveness of various treatments in reducing crop losses.
The researcher recommended conducting further studies on the pest’s ecology and life cycle, as well as formally naming it the “Cucumber Seedling Fly” as a local designation, given that this is the first recorded instance of its presence on cucumber seedlings in Iraq. Additionally, further research was suggested to determine the insect’s geographic distribution.
The dissertation was approved, reflecting the distinguished scientific efforts and significant academic contributions of the research.
