PlantwisePlus Blog

photo: Sven Torfinn. Kenya, Nairobi, Machakos, October 2011. Plant Health Clinic during market day in the village near Machakos, 50 kilometers outside the capital Nairobi. Farmers visiting the market can come to see a plant doctor and show them samples of
With 2018 drawing to a close we take a look at the most popular articles on the Plantwise blog this year, along with some firm favourites.
Read the most popular pieces written this year below. A mix of Plantwise news and plant health articles make this list diverse and engaging.

Top 10 Most Read 2018

1. Plantwise Photoguides (October)pw1
The photoguides are crop specific and each problem often has several photos illustrating the various symptoms (on fruit leaves stems etc) or the various life stages of the pest.
2. CABI warns of rapid spread of crop-devastating fall armyworm across Asia (August)pw2
CABI fears the food security of millions could be at risk if fall armyworm spreads across Asia, attacking maize crops. 
3. Plantwise trials image recognition app Plantix in India (March)pw3
Plantwise and the German-based company PEAT (Progressive Environmental & Agricultural Technologies) are about to conduct an 18-month pilot study to assess the benefits of PEAT’s smartphone app Plantix, which can help to diagnose plant pests, diseases and nutrient deficiencies in the field.
4. Is it time for genetically modified bananas in Uganda? (January)pw4
With global warming threatening an increase in plant pest and disease spread on a global scale, it is not surprising that the country is considering the use of genetic modification as a solution to this issue.
5. From satellites to stem borers: using earthing observation to forecast pest outbreaks (May)pw5
By combining earth observation technology, modelling pest outbreaks, and real-time field observations, the PRISE project can deliver tailored pest alerts and actionable advice to farmers.
6. The benefits of crop rotation for corn and soybean (June)pw6
Evidence suggests that rotating crops increases yield and lowers greenhouse gas emissions compared to monoculture corn or soybean.
7. New study shows that bacteria can be engineered to create their own fertilizer using air (August)
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This new development could reduce the need for human-made fertilizers on agricultural crops, thus reducing the cost and manpower required for fertilizer application.
8. Plant health key to reducing world hunger (October)pw8
Plant health has always been tightly linked to human health. There are infamous cases where a decline in plant health has contributed to food shortages and caused severe human suffering.
9. TerraSentia: the automated crop monitoring robot (July)pw9
The 13 inch wide, 24 pound robot called TerraSentia is transportable and autonomous. It is able to move freely between crop rows and capture plant informatics using a range of sensors, algorithms and deep learning. 
10. Rallying around plant health in Jamaica (June)pw10
Plant doctors developed a plant health rally on beet armyworm as it is a pest of economic importance in Jamaica due to its adaptation to harsh environmental conditions and resistance to pesticides.

Firm Favourites

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These top three articles consistently prove popular with our Plantwise readers.

  1. Earthworm-farmer friendship, redefined (2012)
  2. The Life Cycle of Fall Armyworm (2017)
  3. From discovery to eradication: the coconut rhinoceros beetle on Guam (2012)

Thank you for being a valued reader of the blog this year and we hope you stay tuned to see what 2019 holds for Plantwise.

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