Maize lethal necrosis has spread to Rwanda
Report by Abigail Rumsey, Beatrice Uwumukiza and Bellancila Uzayisenga. In the past two years, we have reported on the presence of the maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease in East African countries including Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The disease is also present in South Sudan. The most recent report has been of its spread to the…
Plantwise in Suriname
Blog post by Shamela Rambadan and Abigail Rumsey In May last year, discussions began with the Ministry of Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Fisheries (LVV) to start up a Plantwise programme in Suriname. By December, 22 plant doctors had completed Module 1 of the Plantwise ‘How to Become a Plant Doctor’ training course. In January 2014,…
Rising levels of CO2 could exacerbate malnutrition
New research suggests that rising levels of carbon dioxide will not only have a devastating effect on our climate but will lower the nutritional value of many staple crops, increasing deficiencies in iron and zinc.
Managing plant pathogens by enhancing ecosystem services
From the 8th-12th April experts met in Bellagio, Italy to develop a strategy to mitigate the effects emerging plant diseases are having on crops in sub-Saharan Africa. Among these experts were Plantwise staff. A major theme throughout the conference was ecosystem services and how agricultural biodiversity can enhance the provision of these services, creating resilient agro-ecosystems. Click on the…
Invest in prevention: save money, save lives, save livelihoods [Video]
This video from the Food Chain Crisis Management Framework of FAO shows how investing in prevention of pests and diseases before they are present in a region can save money and livelihoods in the long term.
Marginalised issues in food security: Oxford Food Security Forum 2014
A blog by Léna Durocher-Granger and Rachel Hill On 4th May we attended the Oxford Food Security Forum’s Annual Conference. The conference aimed to address some of the topics in food security research that have become excluded or marginalised.
Family Farming and Women in Agriculture
A blogger from Trinidad writes about his visit to a family farm where they grow purple sweet peppers. To read about Plantwise clinics in Trinidad & Tobago, visit this page: http://www.plantwise.org/default.aspx?site=234&page=5022 To get information on the management of crop pests and problems in T&T, visit this page: http://www.plantwise.org/knowledgebank/CountryHome/TT/
Food security and Biofuels
A short extract of some of the main points raised during the course “Examining Issues around Global Food Security” by Dr Julie Flood from CABI at the Department of Continuing Education’s program of the University of Oxford on March 7th, 2014. The course aimed to highlight the issues of food security/insecurity, and particularly around growing…
Green Invasion: Destroying Livelihoods in Africa [Video]
Invasive weed species in East Africa are causing losses to crop yields and severely impacting livestock. This video from the CABI Invasives team gives the story from the communities whose livelihoods are directly impacted by invasive plants.