Horizon scanning for emerging pests and diseases in Pakistan: Collaborating to safeguard agriculture

Pakistan’s agricultural sector is constantly struggling with the emergence of pests and diseases that pose a serious threat to the livelihoods of millions of farmers. CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme recently held a five-day Horizon Scanning workshop in Islamabad from April 29 to May 3, 2024.
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Empowering women in agriculture: The digital leap in Bangladesh

In the heart of Bangladesh, where agriculture embroiders the vast landscape of rural livelihoods, a digital revolution is quietly unfurling. Although gradual, this change holds the promise of transforming the traditional agricultural practices that have been the backbone of the nation. However, the fulcrum of this transformation—empowering women farmers through digital advisory services—remains a story…
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Successful on-farm trials using Metarhizium rileyi in Zambia

The fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) has wreaked havoc on Zambia’s agriculture, devastating smallholder farmers with staggering losses. But amidst the struggle, a promising solution emerges. Through activities on the PlantwisePlus programme and the Village-based biocontrol of fall armyworm in Zambia project, funded by ACIAR, CABI has delved into combating this agricultural menace with various biological…
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Watch out for these five cabbage pests

Cabbage is a globally important vegetable crop. It serves as a valuable source of nutrition and income for local communities. With a wide range of varieties around the world – from Savoy to Bok Choy – it is an important component of many cuisines. Smallholder farmers often cultivate cabbage as a cash crop. Like many…
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PlantwisePlus restarts plant clinics following conflict in Tigray region of Ethiopia

In the Tigray region of Ethiopia, village-based plant clinics have traditionally flourished. Running from 2014 to 2020, with the support of CABI and Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), the local government and community embraced the clinics. The regional government even expanded on their services. However, a two-year conflict in Northern Ethiopia interrupted plant clinic operations.…
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Fifth PlantwisePlus National Forum vows to address challenges of food security in Pakistan

Last month, CABI in Pakistan conducted the 5th PlantwisePlus National Forum Meeting. The forum, with the national and provincial agriculture departments, aims to improve Pakistan’s food security through CABI’s flagship PlantwisePlus programme.
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What are CABI’s Horizon Scanning and Pest Risk Analysis tools, and how do people use them?

In 2018 and 2019, CABI launched two innovative decision-support tools for identifying pest risks. They are the Horizon Scanning Tool (HST) and the Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) Tool, both of which are used in PlantwisePlus capacity building activities. They help users identify potential future pest threats, especially those working in areas like plant protection and…
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Joining forces to boost agricultural research and innovation in Bangladesh

In a significant development for the global agricultural research community, the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) and CABI have come together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This landmark agreement, inked on 9th October 2023 at BARI’s seminar hall, paves the way for collaborative research. As a part of the workplan, efforts are underway…
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Recommendations made for plant clinic progress in Afghanistan

Plant clinics are an important way that we support farmers in Afghanistan. The programme helps smallholders and kitchen gardeners alike. It aims to give them the knowledge they need to protect their crops from pests and diseases. And by doing this, it helps to safeguard their crop yields and livelihoods. 
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Trichogramma mass rearing facilities piloted in Pakistan

Championing sustainable agriculture by promoting lower-risk plant protection solutions to tackle crop health challenges is a key objective of CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme. In particular, the managing of plant pests and diseases. A cornerstone of this work is setting up local facilities for the mass rearing of lower-risk plant protection solutions. 
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