Working together for Plantwise in South and West Asia

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Representatives for agricultural development from South and West Asia came together for a two-day conference in Bhurban, Pakistan in April to discuss country plans for Plantwise activities. Decision-makers from countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and UK, met to share ideas and knowledge of their plant health systems.
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Italian news coverage for Plantwise exhibit at Expo Milano 2015

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Check out some Italian news coverage about the interactive Plantwise exhibit at Expo Milano 2015! The Plantwise programme is featured at the Swiss pavilion showing visitors how international development programmes, through the support of the Swiss Confederation and public funding are providing solutions for farmers to manage plant health challenges through timely, science-based knowledge. The…
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Drones approved for spraying crops in the US

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Crop-spraying drones have now been granted the stamp of approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. The particular drone which was approved, pictured above in California, is equipped to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides, and intended to reach difficult areas to access by ground-based spraying equipment and manned planes. This…
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (27 May 15)

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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 rosemary leaf spot caused by Nigrospora oryzae in Iran, one new species and six new records of Thripinae from bamboo in Malaysia and a new record of Mycodiplosis…
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National newspaper features launch of E-plant clinic pilot in India

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Contributed by Vinod Pandit, CABI Country Coordinator for India For more on ICT pilots in the country, take a look at this video featuring the Plantwise Factsheets Library app and a blog on CABI’s experience launching E-plant clinics in India.
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Mango production in Bangladesh

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According to the Daily Star, mango production in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts in Bangladesh might be hampered by unfavourable weather this year. The farmers are worried as large numbers of fruits, up to 70%, fell from the trees before ripening. Following the attack by leaf hoppers earlier in March, mango trees in that area are…
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Update: Plant Health News (20 May 15)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including a model for sustainable onion production in India, a new training guide produced by FAO and ILO to protect children form the harmful effects of pesticides and a Chinese agricultural technology company providing support to improve food production in Tanzania. Click on the…
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Mobile phone app for Agricultural video animations

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Scientific Animations without Borders (SAWBO) has released a mobile app for viewing their videos on agrilcuture, health and women’s empowerment. SAWBO has developed more than 30 different 2D and 3D animations with voice-overs in over 50 different (majority African) languages. They have now released a mobile app that is available for any compatible Android device. Download the app in…
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (15 May 15)

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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 Lonchaeidae associated with the genus Annona in Mexico, the first report of choanephora rot of okra in Korea and a review of Chinese species of the leafhopper genus Scaphoidella with description…
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Plantwise opens at Milan Expo 2015

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A new exhibit by Plantwise launches at Milan Expo 2015 for this year’s theme ‘Feeding the planet: Energy for life.’ Take a look at the story from the beginning as word of the exhibit builds on social media up to launch day on site in Milan. Can’t make it to Expo this year? Play along…
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