Expanding our e-plant clinic network in Sri Lanka
The Sri Lankan e-plant clinic pilot, which launched in 2015 at 10 clinics in Central Province, was extremely successful in minimizing the time as well as workload of plant doctors performing data management tasks. As a result of these and various other benefits established over the last 2 years, the e-plant clinic network has been scaled up…
Our favourite recipes – India
As part of our new mini-series, “Our favourite recipes”, here is the next delicious recipe for you to try from India. Baingan Bharta (Roasted mashed brinjals cooked with onions, tomatoes, green chillies and ginger) is one of the most popular dishes in India. Brinjal (aubergine/eggplant) is an important ingredient of the recipe.
Frosty Pod Rot announced on Caribbean Cocoa
Frosty Pod Rot, a potentially devastating disease of cocoa caused by the fungus Moniliophthora roreri, has been reported for the first time in Jamaica. First discovered in Ecuador in 1917, Frosty Pod Rot has since spread to many other Latin American countries including Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Peru, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala. Until now, countries in the…
Plantwise: connecting smallholders to knowledge through ICT interventions
The emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the last decade has opened new avenues in knowledge management that could play important roles in meeting the prevailing challenges related to sharing, exchanging and disseminating knowledge and technologies. The types of ICT-enabled services are capable of improving the capacity and livelihoods of poor smallholders are…
Cassava viruses threaten food security
Written by Joao Junior, Plantwise Knowledge Bank Intern. Known as the poor people’s crop, cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the most important subsistence crops in Africa, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and West Africa being consumed fresh, cooked or processed. It is estimated that cassava contributes to nearly 40% of the total daily calories…
CABI showcases scientific know-how at Agriculture Science Week-FARA
This week, CABI delegates attended the 7th Africa Agriculture Science Week and general assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA). The theme for this year’s FARA general assembly was ‘Apply Science, Impact Livelihoods’. The subject fitted well with CABI’s core objective of applying scientific knowledge and innovation to improve people’s livelihoods.
Buzzing activity around pollinator health
By Anu Veijalainen, CABI. Reblogged from CABI Hand-picked blog. Yesterday I cherished the start of spring in England by attending an event devoted to pollinators and pollination at the University of Reading. Most presentations at this meeting organised by the Royal Entomological Society were understandably about bees, but we also heard a few talks highlighting the…
How plant clinics helped a paddy farmer in Tamil Nadu, India
Guest blog contributed by MSSRF Mr Natarajan and his family farm 5 acres of irrigated land in Neduvasal village in Pudukkottai District, Tamil Nadu. Like his father before him, he cultivates paddy, ground nut and pulses during the Kharif, Rabi and summer seasons. He has been growing BPT 5204 paddy, a super fine Ponni variety during the Samba season (October-January). …
Innovative Digital Applications for Sustainable Development – Eighth GCRA International Conference at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru
It is evident that the development in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital applications plays pivotal role in present knowledge based economies. Recently, I attended an ICT focussed international conference with my colleague from D2F in Bengaluru which was organised by UAS Bengaluru and GCRA, Australia from 5th-7th January, 2016 on…
CABI’s Dr Julie Flood becomes President of British Society for Plant Pathology
Contributed by Rachel Winks, CABI. Dr Julie Flood, CABI’s Senior Global Director for Commodities, became President of the British Society for Plant Pathology (BSPP) on 1 January 2016. This is a 12-month post that follows on from her role as Vice-President in 2014 and President Elect in 2015. BSPP was founded in 1981 for the advancement of…