PlantwisePlus Blog

Rhinoceros beetles are a major pest of coconut © John_Amend (via Flickr)

Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including a new biocontrol treatment to control Rhinoceros beetles on coconut,  research to show GM Bt crops don’t harm non-target insects  and research into the use of insects to control invasive weeds.

Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!

• Using nanotechnology in fight against insects
  ABC News, 6th February 2014
• Almonds, oranges and grapes could be lost to California drought
  Fresh Plaza, 5th February 2014
• Bt crops can be safer alternative to pesticides
  Deccan Herald, 5th February 2014
• AATF Receives Feed the Future Funding to Improve Maize Production in East Africa
  Crop Biotech Update, 5th February 2014
• Scientists Reveal Secrets of Potato Blight
  Crop Biotech Update, 5th February 2014
• Insects Can Help Control Weeds
  NAPIS Pest Tracker, 5th February 2014
• ‘Master regulator’ protein controls flowering, disease resistance in plants
  Yuma Arizona News, 4th February 2014
• Beneficial insects, nematodes not harmed by genetically modified, insect-resistant crops
  EurekAlert – Agriculture, 2nd February 2014
• Dawn attack: how plants anticipate pathogen infection
  Lab Rat Scientific American Blog, 2nd February 2014
• CPCRI evolves technique to control coconut pest 
  The Hindu, 2nd February 2014

See more plant health news on the Plantwise Knowledge Bank.

If there’s another news story you’d like to highlight, please post a comment below.