Plantwise Photo Of The Month – June

June 1, 2013 by Leave a comment

Plant clinic in Machakos, Kenya

Plant clinic in Machakos, Kenya © CABI

Photo Of The Month for June shows a plant clinic during market day at a village near Machakos, 50 kilometers outside Kenya’s capital city Nairobi. The photo shows a farmer showing a crop sample to a plant doctor, who is using his knowledge and reference material on the table to diagnose what is wrong with the crop and provide management information to the farmer.  You can read more about plant clinics in Kenya here

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Plantwise news update May 2013

May 22, 2013 by Leave a comment

PlantwiseLeaves150x150The latest Plantwise newsletter is here. Click ‘Read more’ to find out about the launch of Plantwise in Ghana, discussions on greater collaboration between CABI and agricultural stakeholders in Myanmar,  support for Plantwise from the European Union, and developments in the Knowledge Bank.

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Plan for the Launch of Plant Clinics in Baghlan Province

March 21, 2013 by Leave a comment

CABI country coordinator briefed Plantwise program to the Dean of Agriculture Faculty, Baghlan University, Afghanistan

CABI country coordinator briefed Plantwise program to the Dean of Agriculture Faculty, Baghlan University, Afghanistan

Muhammad Faheem, CABI Country coordinator for Plantwise Afghanistan travelled to Baghlan province north of Kabul, which has great agriculture potential. Six plant doctors, belonging to Plantwise partners DAIL, AKF and Baghlan University were recently trained in how to become plant doctors. Introductory meetings Between Plantwise and implementing partners were held to set up the future plan of operation for three plant clinics in the area. Read more of this post

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Genetic Engineering in Barbados

February 8, 2013 by 1 Comment

Agrobacterium on Sorrel

 

The Sorrel plant (left) was one of those found by the trainees during the recent training in Module 1 of how to be a plant doctor. The plant doctor training uses live plant material as well we photographs to lead the trainees through the process of field diagnosis.

The large and hard beige lump at the base of the stem is a gall caused by the bacterium  Agrobacterium tumefaciens.  The unique thing about this host/ pathogen interaction is the fact that DNA from the bacterium is inserted into the plant where it remains even long after the bacteria have been removed. This is the only natural example of DNA transfer of this kind; a natural genetic engineer.

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Plantwise Photo Of The Month – February

February 1, 2013 by Leave a comment

A farmer getting advice at a plant clinic in Nepal © Dannie Romney/CABI UK

A farmer getting advice at a plant clinic in Nepal © Dannie Romney/CABI UK

To read more about plant clinics in Nepal and to watch a video of a plant clinic in action, click here.

To find out more about plant pests and diseases in Nepal visit the Plantwise Pest Distribution map 

Filed under Agriculture, Crop losses, Food security, Knowledge Bank, Plant clinics, Plant health, Plant pests and diseases Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Success for plant clinics in China

January 4, 2013 by Leave a comment

Since the first Plant clinic in China opened its doors in 2012, Plantwise activities in the country have gone from strength to strength. With help from local partners and the Chinese Institute of Plant Protection (IPP-CAAS), CABI were able to set up 9 plant clinics in China in 2012 and trained 29 plant doctors to run them. These clinics have received a great deal of praise for the services they provide for local farmers, which include diagnostic expertise, information about the pest or disease and tailored treatment advice.

China’s first Plantwise plant clinic, in Rongjiang town, Xing’an county, Guangxi province, Southwest China

China’s first Plantwise plant clinic, in Rongjiang town, Xing’an county, Guangxi province, Southwest China

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Plantwise news update December 2012

December 10, 2012 by Leave a comment

PlantwiseLeaves150x150The latest Plantwise newsletter is here. Click ‘Read more’ to find out about plant clinics being set up in Rwanda, the experiences of a plant doctor in DRC, and what plant doctor training really entails.

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Farming in Afghanistan – how plant clinics can help farmers

November 1, 2012 by 5 Comments

by Muhammad Faheem, CABI Country Coordinator for Afghanistan, and Julien Lamontagne-Godwin, Plantwise Coordinator

Afghan farmer looking for armyworms

Mohammed Rauf looking at his cabbage crop to ensure no armyworms are present. Credit: Muhammad Faheem © CABI

Mohammed Rauf is living in the Afghani province of Bamyan, to the west of the capital Kabul. His village is called Dahene Nargis in the Punjab District. Bamyan Province is an agricultural hotspot in Afghanistan. Apple, potato and wheat are the major crops. Plant clinics have been operating in Bamyan Province since May 2012, supported by the Agha Khan Foundation, the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) and the Plantwise initiative of CABI. The plant clinics are operating in 7 districts of the Bamyan and Parwan provinces and help farmers obtain information on the pests and diseases affecting their crops. Read more of this post

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World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue 2012 highlights the real people affected by global food security issues

October 22, 2012 by Leave a comment

World Food Prize bannerBy Daniel O’Hara

This year’s World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue concluded on Friday with a breakfast address from the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, highlighting the importance of food security to global prosperity. The Secretary General’s attendance was an indicator of the importance of food security on the international agenda. He summed up the conference simply: that “no parent should have to choose which child to feed”.  This simple message, of real people, was at the heart of many of the presentations and discussions at this year’s Borlaug Dialogue. Read more of this post

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Plantwise plant clinic at the Nairobi International Trade Fair

October 19, 2012 by 1 Comment

Visitor to the Plantwise stand at the Nairobi International Trade Fair

Visitor to the Plantwise stand at the Nairobi International Trade Fair © CABI

by Kimani Chege and Abigail Rumsey

Plant clinics have been running in Kenya since 2010. There are currently 35 clinics throughout Kenya, to which farmers can bring their crops and receive a diagnosis of the pest or disease that is causing them problems. These clinics are organized and run by the Ministry of Agriculture extension services with support from the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) and CABI. While plant clinics are mainly organized in marketplaces in Kenyan towns, they mostly interact with rural populations keen to get diagnosis of their crops and better their production. However, this October, for the first time, plant doctors had an interaction with urban farmers during the Nairobi International Trade Fair. Read more of this post

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