RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

CARDI Plant Protection Division conducts researches and gathers data on pests and pest control practices through field-based research, evaluates management practices for key pests, improves upon those practices and integrates the practices into a functional pest management system for Cambodian farmers. Current research and development activities include:

• Identify pests and natural enemies in rice and upland crops
• Evaluate upland crops for resistance to major pests
• Document farmers' pest control practices in upland crops
• Assess the level damage of rats and insect pests in rice store and evaluate the control method on rats
• Identify and curate herbarium specimens and isolate of pathogens and other principal crops present in Cambodia
• Evaluate the distribution, prevalence, severity and priority for future work of rice disease occurring in Cambodia
• Develop, test and, if appropriate promote some best-bet Integrated Disease Management strategies for several major diseases
• Evaluate the rice yield loss by the diseases
• Determine the banana Fusarium wilt disease severity and incidence in Cambodia
• Develop and test techniques for monitoring, prevention and controlling pests
• Integrate these methods into a practical pest management program