Plant doctor training improves Rwandan farmers’ access to plant health advice
A six-day Plantwise plant doctor training session took place in Rwanda this March. Funded by CABI, the training aimed to build the capacity of Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) staff in the diagnosis of crop pest problems, and providing advice to farmers.
Crop App Index: search over 800 plant-health apps
The Crop App Index website helps users to find the plant-health apps and websites they need to answer their crop pest and disease questions. CABI recently added a further 250 websites and apps to the search tool. It now features over 800 different plant-health-related platforms to support decision-making.
Embracing equity for women farmers
Women farmers make up around 43% of the agricultural labour force and produce over half of all food grown worldwide. Yet, when you picture a farmer, are they a woman? This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘embrace equity’ and its aim is to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren’t enough. People…
East Africa’s bean industry adapts to climate change
Climate change is likely to have a severe impact on East Africa’s bean industry. Beans are a vital crop, with over 200 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa depending on them as their most important pulse.
Seek and destroy: use of nematodes for insect pest control
This article was originally published on the CABI BioProtection Portal blog. Visit the original blog post here. With many insecticides being banned from use in agriculture due to their harmful effects on users and the environment, nematodes can offer an effective alternative to controlling these insect pests. They are particularly useful in managing pests that are difficult to target…
PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank joins the CABI Digital Library
The PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank has joined the CABI Digital Library platform. Developed by subject experts in partnership with international collaborators, the CABI Digital Library (CDL) makes it easier for practitioners, students and researchers to find in-depth scientific information in their area of interest.
Supporting women farmers by boosting the skills of agricultural advisory services
Agricultural advisory services can benefit farmers in low- and middle-income countries. They can help farmers to learn new techniques, increase their crop yields and improve their livelihoods. They can even deliver advice about global challenges like climate change.
5 cotton pests devastating farmer yields
Cotton pests can have a devastating impact on cotton-producing communities, causing huge crop losses. For many low- and middle-income nations, cotton is a major cash crop, with millions of farmers dependent on it for their livelihoods. For this year’s World Cotton Day (7th October), we take a look at some of the major cotton pests, their…
CABI Academy eLearning courses available in Burkina Faso
CABI Academy’s eLearning courses are now available free for users in Burkina Faso. The new digital learning platform provides online courses for agricultural extension and advisory service providers to help them expand their agricultural knowledge and skills. The courses are also relevant to agriculture and crop protection students, reinforcing the knowledge, skills, and experience they gain…
Could biocontrol solve the papaya mealybug problem for Ugandan farmers?
Papaya mealybug, Paraccous margniatus, is native to Central America but has spread rapidly in invaded countries. It was detected in Uganda in 2021 where it has the potential to affect the production and quality of papaya and other host crops.