Update: Plant Health News (09 Nov 11)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Chile starts kiwifruit inspections for Psa-V disease Fresh Fruit Portal, 8 November 2011 Crop parasite may spread with global warming Business Weekly, 7 November 2011 Preventing Epitrix potato flea beetles FWi – Arable News, 7 November 2011 How parasites modify plants to…
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Which is the world’s worst agricultural pest?

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They have caused famines that killed millions; they have precipitated the release of hundreds of megatonnes of carbon; they even turned the UK into a nation of tea-drinkers. And today they are still destroying around 40 per cent of the crops that we grow worldwide. Agricultural pests and diseases have a lot to answer for.
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Understanding and managing aflatoxicosis outbreaks in Kenya

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Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are important fungal pathogens that infect a wide range of cereals, oil seeds and nuts. They produce toxic metabolites called aflatoxins (mycotoxins with carcinogenic and teratogenic properties) that can contaminate food products. Although strictly regulated around the world, aflatoxin contamination in developing countries is poorly regulated. In addition, limited management…
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Colorado Beetle Threatening Potato Crops in Finland

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Finland is experiencing a longer and warmer summer than normal which is threatening their potato crops. The warmer temperatures have led to increases in the prevalence of the Colorado potato beetle which has been attempting to establish in Finland for the past decade. The Colorado potato beetle itself is a highly effective reproducer and necessitates…
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Update: New Pest & Disease Records (2 Nov 11)

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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. Click on the links to view the abstracts. Description of Bursaphelenchus kiyoharai n. sp. (Tylenchina: Aphelenchoididae) with remarks on the taxonomic framework of the Parasitaphelenchinae Rühm, 1956 and Aphelenchoidinae Fuchs, 1937. Kanzaki, N.; Maehara,…
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