As part of the framework of joint scientific cooperation between the University of Kirkuk and Istanbul-Cerrahpaşa University, Professor Dr. Shaheen Abbas Mustafa, a faculty member at the College of Agriculture, served as a supervisor and member of the examination committee for a Master’s thesis submitted by Nibaz Mohammed Ahmed at the Faculty of Forestry, Istanbul-Cerrahpaşa University.
The academic explained that the thesis he supervised focused on ecological studies of the walnut aphid on naturally growing walnut trees in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
He added that the study aimed to investigate the seasonal occurrence and distribution of the walnut aphid on naturally growing walnut trees, evaluate the susceptibility of Persian walnut (Juglans regia) and American black walnut (Juglans nigra) to aphid infestation, and assess the effects of tree species, canopy orientation, temperature, and relative humidity on the insect’s seasonal activity.
The research also examined the relationship between the nutrient composition of the leaves of the studied walnut species and the aphid population density, as well as the insect’s feeding behaviour and the damage it causes to naturally growing walnut foliage.
