Wheat production in Pakistan – ProducciĂłn de trigo en MĂ©xico

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Pakistan According to Reuters (source provided by ProMED-mail), farmers from districts southeast of Islamabad in Punjab province have seen their crops affected by unusual weather this year. First affected by hailstorm and now by heavy rain and cold weather, wheat fields of the region have been damaged severely. Some farmers have lost up to 70 %…
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (01 Apr 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 Alternaria leaf blight disease on oil palm in Thailand, caused by Alternaria longipes, the detection of a virus affecting chilli pepper in Chihuahua, Mexico and the…
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Mexico eradicates Mediterranean fruit fly

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Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fishing and Food (SAGARPA) has declared the country free of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, in a development that is expected to ease trade restrictions and boost the produce industry. The declaration will positively impact on 1.8 million hectares of growing land for some key agricultural crops –…
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Update: Plant Health News (18 Dec 13)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the use of technology to improve the detection of papaya viruses, toxins discovered in banana root tissue kill root pests and the vital importance of water conservation in Nigeria to avoid food crises. Click on the links to read more of the…
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How The Gates Foundation and Carlos Slim are Supporting Innovation and Crop Improvement For Farmers

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and FundaciĂłn Carlos Slim have announced a partnership in support of efforts by the Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de MaĂ­z y Trigo (International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center CIMMYT) in Mexico to develop and disseminate higher-yielding, more resilient wheat and maize varieties.
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Improved Pest Control From Macho Hormone Treated Male Fruit Flies

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The Mexican Fruit Fly Anastrepha ludens is the most important native fruit fly pest of citrus in America and also infests other economically important crops such as peaches, peppers and mangoes. In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Mexico has developed a Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) method which involves exposing huge quantities of male fruit flies to…
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Puddles of pests: why the weather really matters

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Weather – an integral part of farming ©Paul Dickson While folklore has worked well for many farmers over the years, watching out for red skies or the wind changing direction isn’t always convenient, and a little more notice of hurricanes and tropical storms is usually appreciated. With recent stories of rain beating down on mangoes in…
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