KPPSC Assistant Director (Plant Protection) (BS-17)
The Directorate General of Agriculture Extension and Adaptive Research, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is tasked with safeguarding agricultural productivity against destructive insect pests, invasive swarms, fungal epidemics, and post-harvest diseases.
The appointment of Assistant Director (Plant Protection) (BS-17) (Advt. No. 02/2026) oversees plant protection field units, pesticide quality monitoring, spray campaigns, and farmer advisory services across KP’s districts.
KPPSC 45-MCQs Examination Blueprint
The KPPSC screening paper contains 45 objective MCQs focused exclusively on prescribed qualifications:
1. Applied Agricultural Entomology (approx. 20-25 Questions)
- Insect Anatomy & Physiology: Types of insect antennae, legs, wing venation, and mouthparts (chewing, piercing-sucking, siphoning, sponging).
- Economic Pests of KP Crops:
- Sugarcane pyrilla, stem borer, and whitefly in Charsadda and Mardan basins.
- Fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis and Bactrocera zonata) in deciduous orchard zones (Swat, Malakand, Peshawar).
- Codling moth (Cydia pomonella) in apple production areas.
- Locust Control: Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) biology, solitary vs gregarious phase transformation, and survey and control operations.
- Pesticide Toxicology: LD50/LC50 determination, WHO pesticide hazard classifications, organophosphates, synthetic pyrethroids, neonicotinoids, and maximum residue limits (MRLs).
2. Plant Pathology & Disease Diagnostics (approx. 15-20 Questions)
- Rusts and Smuts: Wheat yellow/stripe rust (Puccinia striiformis) epidemiology in cooler KP districts.
- Blights & Wilts: Potato late blight (Phytophthora infestans) and tomato bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum).
- Fungicides & Bactericides: Systemic vs contact fungicides, copper oxychloride, strobilurins, and triazole resistance.
- Quarantine Measures: Seed inspection procedures, international phytosanitary certificates, and preventing entry of destructive exotic pathogens.
Recommended Study Approach
- Review High-Yield Entomology Handbooks: Focus on orders of economic importance (Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Coleoptera).
- Memorize Disease Causative Agents: Fungal taxonomic names, alternate hosts, and environmental triggers are frequently tested.
- Attempt ExamHub 45-Minute Timed Mockups: Replicate the high-speed pressure of the KPPSC examination hall.