Plant Diseases and Pests, Growing Threats to Food Security of Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Abstract

The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region of Pakistan was free from plant diseases and pests. However, plant diseases and pests intensities are increasing and threatening the food security of GB. These plant diseases and pests seem to be exacerbated by climate change and transmitted to GB from other regions with food supplies and spillover. In addition, the evolution of new pathogen and pest strains causes catastrophes to GB’s cereal and horticultural Crops. Moreover, Traditional plant varieties that resist disease and pests have been supplanted with fragile but high-yielding cultivars. As a result, diseases like rust, smut, black scurf, early blight, late blight, potato leaf roll virus, potato virus Y, grey mold, mildew, crown gall disease, gummosis disease, and nematodes and pests such as insect pests, i.e., fruit fly, armyworms, apple wooly aphids, aphids, mealy bug, scales and whiteflies, and parasitic weeds are considerably affecting GB crops. These diseases and pests can jeopardize GB’s food supply if not monitored regularly. The consequences of these biotic agents range from minor symptoms to catastrophic events that destroy whole fields. Plant protection units are needed to tackle these challenges to prevent future outbreaks. Herein, we describe significant diseases and pests that are catastrophic to GB’s crops in the future. In addition, this review shows how diseases and pests impact the yields of GB’s crops.