In Uganda, coffee faces many uphill battles

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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (30 Apr 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 myrothecium rhizome spot of ginger caused by Myrothecium verrucaria in Japan, the first record of the sugarcane froghoppers Mahanarva spectabilis and Mahanarva liturata infesting sugarcane plantations in Goianésia (Brazil)…
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First plant doctors trained in Costa Rica

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Contributed by E. Chernoh and E. Hidalgo In March 2014, the Plantwise programme was initiated in Costa Rica. Twenty-two extension workers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) and the National Plant Health Department (SFE) were trained in Module 1: “How to Become a Plant Doctor- Field Diagnosis and Plant Clinic Operation”. In addition…
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Making the most of Coconut in Sri Lanka

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Coconut is well known for its flavour, nutritional benefits and source of versatile materials, prompting it to be known in Sanskrit as kalpavriksha, meaning “the tree which provides all the necessities of life”. Sri Lanka is the 5th highest producer of coconut in the world, with an FAO-estimated production of 2 million tonnes in 2012.…
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Ghana’s Minister of Food & Agriculture supports Plantwise as an innovative approach

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As reported this week in a news article from Modern Ghana, the country’s Minister of Food and Agriculture recently spoke at a national review and planning workshop on his support for the ‘innovative approach’ to agricultural development he’s seen through Plantwise with CABI support.  He said in his speech that due to challenges which face…
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Update: Plant Health News (23 Apr 14)

Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the postharvest pathology of beans, a reduction in the proportion of shade grown coffee and the filamentous fungus that may be effective at controlling sugarcane nematodes. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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Our Earth Day stories…What’s yours?

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At CABI we spend a lot of time researching some of the most extreme challenges facing the environment, and supporting livelihoods that depend on the environment with programmes like Plantwise. Each year the international community celebrates Earth Day on April 22nd, to draw public attention to some of these challenges like climate change, food insecurity, loss…
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Family Farming and Women in Agriculture

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A blogger from Trinidad writes about his visit to a family farm where they grow purple sweet peppers. To read about Plantwise clinics in Trinidad & Tobago, visit this page: http://www.plantwise.org/default.aspx?site=234&page=5022 To get information on the management of crop pests and problems in T&T, visit this page: http://www.plantwise.org/knowledgebank/CountryHome/TT/
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Take a look at SciDev.Net’s scoop on what Plantwise is doing with mobile

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SciDev.Net, an online magazine aiming to ‘bring science and development together through news and analysis’, covers the work that Plantwise are doing with mobile in Kenya. It reports on how Plantwise’s mobile initiative is using new technologies to deliver good scientific information to agricultural extension workers in developing countries. This information aims to assist extension workers as they advice farmers…
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (16 Apr 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 Fomitiporia maxonii causing citrus wood rot in commercial orange and grapefruit groves in Cuba, the first report of Daldinia concentrica on Ficus benjamia from India, and Monilinia species identified…
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