Plantwise heads west (in Uganda)

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The recent awareness raising exercise that took place in Fort Portal in the west of Uganda was a roaring success.  The key to extending Plantwise in Uganda was to involve the Chief Administrative officers, District Agricultural officers and the NAADS coordinator of each of the districts.  The extension service in Uganda is mostly decentralised with…
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Local trainers trained in Uganda

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Plantwise is expanding rapidly and it is difficult to keep up with the demand (see Plantwise heads west) in some parts of Africa.  Uganda was one of the first countries that took up the concept of Plant clinics and thus it is one of the most advanced in clinic numbers and in the integration of…
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Update: Plant Health News (30 Jan 13)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including an update on GM rice, an estimate of crop production loss due to climate change in Africa and details of trials aiming to halt Psa spread in New Zealand. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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How mobile technology could improve agriculture

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Technological innovation is becoming increasingly important in agricultural development and productivity. The use of mobile ICT (information and communication technology) in agriculture provides a more efficient and cost-effective method for sharing and exchanging knowledge more widely. Farmers are benefiting  as they can access key information such as pest and disease reports, weather conditions and market prices.…
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Taken With A Pinch Of Salt- Danish Scurvy Grass Thrives Along Gritted Roads

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For the past week, most of the UK has experienced freezing conditions with widespread ice and snow over the country. It has now been revealed that salting roads with grit salt in icy conditions is helping a coastal flower become one of the fastest spreading plants in Britain. Danish Scurvy Grass (Cochlearia danica) is a salt marsh Brassica that…
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (23 Jan 13)

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We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include the first report of Alfalfa mosaic virus and Soybean dwarf virus on soybean in North Dakota, storage rot of dragon fruit caused by Gilbertella persicaria and a new wilt disease of banana…
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A Sting In The Tale- EFSA Assesses The Risks of Neonicotinoids To Bees

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Bees represent a proportion of the insects that contribute to the pollination of crops, and the potential impact of observed declines in bees on crop yields, as well as their importance as pollinators of wild flowers, has resulted in significant attention and controversy in determining the causes of bee declines. No single factor has been…
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CABI scientists help to uncover new occurrences of plant diseases

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In 2012, CABI scientists continued to contribute to the discovery of new occurrences of plant pests and diseases, via the Plantwise diagnostic service. CABI’s Plantwise initiative offers a free service for eligible clients in developing countries, providing disease identification support to plant clinics. Every year, the DFID-funded service receives more than 500 samples from 80…
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Update: Plant Health News (17 Jan 13)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the use of bananas to improve the production off coffee, rain in Zimbabwe intensifying the armyworm outbreak and the potential cost of banning neonicotinoids in the UK. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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Why food losses are even greater than the Global Food report by IMechE says

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by Daniel O’Hara Yesterday saw the release of a report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers which highlighted the shocking level of waste within the global food system. The report, ‘Global Food – Waste not, want not’, claims 30-50% (or 1.2-2bn tonnes) of all food produced is wasted. In the context of a rapidly growing…
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