Plantwise 2013 Highlights

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As we move into the New Year and all that 2014 has to offer it seems like a good time to review some of the achievements of 2013. Here are a few of the Plantwise highlights of 2013!
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Plant health system developing well in Zambia

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Since the launch of Plantwise in Zambia last year, much progress has been made to build capacity within the national plant health system. In collaboration with the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), CABI staff have successfully trained crop officers and extension staff from the Department of Agriculture, ZARI, and Self Help Africa on ‘how to…
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Update: Plant Health News (29 Jan 14)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the development of shock treatments for weeds, plans to monitor pesticide residues in Nepal and the development of enset varieties resistant to bacterial wilt disease in Ethiopia. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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Plant Health Rallies: Giving Rwandan agronomists the tools to inform the public

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In November 2013, three members of the CABI Plantwise team (Dr Noah Phiri and Peter Karanja of the Nairobi office, and Julien Lamontagne-Godwin of the UK office) visited Musanze in the Northern zone of Rwanda. 12 participants from the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB) were trained in techniques to inform the surrounding rural communities on serious…
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Tuta absoluta: combating the tomato leafminer [Video]

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A recent IPM workshop in Ethiopia focussed on the tomato leafminer – a pest that causes devastation on tomato crops in Europe, Africa and South America. This video shows how the workshop attendees dedicated their time to finding out more about the pest, seeing it in the field, and working on recommendations for control. To…
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (22 Jan 14)

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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 leaf blight of mint caused by the fungus Helminthosporium spiciferum, the first occurrence of fire blight on apricots in Hungary and the first report of Tomato rugose…
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The Rotterdam Convention: safeguarding human and environmental health from hazardous chemicals and pesticides

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Contributed by Melanie Bateman CABI, Switzerland This year marks the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Rotterdam Convention, which aims to: Promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts among Parties in the international trade of certain hazardous chemicals in order to protect human health and the environment from potential harm; Contribute to the environmentally sound use…
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Update: Plant Health News (16 Jan 14)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the role of radio and mobile phones in boosting crop yields in Namibia, the discovery of ants protecting Acacia trees from pathogens and different approaches to controlling the emerald ash borer in the US. Click on the link to read more of…
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Horizon Scanning for Invasive Species

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This article from the CABI Invasives Blog highlights the importance of looking to the future when determining the threat of pests to a country.
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (13 Jan 14)

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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 migration of rice planthoppers and their vectored rice viruses in East Asia, Alternaria alternata as a new foliar fungal pathogen of tea in Southern India and the first report of downy mildew…
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