Description

Wheat, Triticum aestivum (L.), is the major crop with the largest area under cultivation in Pakistan and it plays a significant role in the economic stability of the country. Wheat possesses a high food value and provides all the necessary constituents of human life in an adequate and well-balanced form as compared to other cereals. Wheat being the major food grains, there has been considerable increase in its consumption due to population pressure, income improvement and substitution effects. Out of the total food grain consumption, the share of the wheat is more than 70 percent. It is cultivated over 8069 thousand hectares with annual production of 19235 thousand tons. The average yield in the year 2003 was 2384 kg/ha. The aphid problem can be tackled with the application of commonly used insecticides but the drawback lies with their haphazard use resulting in problems of health hazards, environmental pollution and development of resistance in insects against insecticides. It is, therefore, advisable to screen out wheat varieties/cultivars possessing resistance against aphids.