Plant Protection in the Focus | University of Debrecen

Experts emphasized the importance of plant breeding and the improvement of the resistance of plants at the Eastern Hungarian Plant Protection Forum held in the headquarters of the Debrecen Regional Committee.

- One of the challenges today is that we have to produce more from less. Plant protection experts are highly required to ensure yield stability and reliability for the processing industry – said the dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Sciences and Environmental Management at the opening event.
László Stündl highlighted that the Faculty had allowed a growing number of international plant protection engineers and researchers to present their findings at the symposium organised in the framework of the event.

At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Maecenas Award of the Faculty was delivered to Mihály K. Szabó plant protection engineer, who provided the Faculty with seeds of 325 weed species, greatly contributing to the education of plant protection engineers.
Gábor Tarcali, senior research fellow of the Institute highlighted that plant protection was about to change significantly.

- Pests are growing in number, and new species have appeared, while the hands of plant protection experts are tied. Pesticides are poisonous and can be very harmful to the natural environment, and residues can be harmful to food. However, without them, agriculture does not function. This is why it is important to explore alternative solutions. Young plant protection engineers are required to know how to handle these  pesticides and to be aware of the fragile balance – pointed out Gábor Tarcali.
He added that plant protection engineering was becoming popular. The number of international students at the agricultural faculty is also increasing.

- We are willing to equip our students with knowledge that allows them to manage integrated plant protection efficiently, and minimize the harmful effects of pesticides – explained Gábor Tarcali.