The seed social network
A new study by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) looking at cowpea crop diversity following floods and drought in Mozambique has shown that seed sharing networks are a valuable way to maintain, and often improve, crop diversity. Informal sharing and trade of seed within and between local communities in the Limpopo River Valley,…
Weevils get bugged
Banana weevil, image from via rural Never mind phone hacking scandals, it has recently been revealed that radio tags have been attached to banana weevils allowing their exact movements to be followed. Ignoring any controversy over invasions of privacy, this new insight into weevil journeys’ has produced some interesting results for researchers and banana growers…
Virtual farming becomes a reality
Screenshot of a farming app, image from TheAppera The modern world seems to have an increasing fascination with virtual farming, as more and more of us are downloading applications like ‘FarmVille’ and ‘Zombie farm’. For farmers in Tanzania growing crops successfully is much more than a game, but they are now joining smartphone users to try to increase their…
Clash of the food security threats
“On a planet with sufficient food for all, a billion people go hungry.” The Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change As the global population grows, it is not just one factor that threatens food security but several interconnected threats that will continue to make it difficult to produce enough food for everyone. The combination…
Update: Plant Health News (22 Nov 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Black Sigatoka fungus hits Dominican Republic’s bananas Fresh Fruit Portal, 21 November 2011 Cassava Virus Spreading in East Africa CropBiotech Update, 18 November 2011 A Rapid PCR-Based Detection Method of Black Leaf Streak Disease in Indonesian Banana Crops CropBiotech Update, 18 November 2011 Scientists Develop New Product to Boost Kiwifruit…
Cassava – another superhero unmasked?
For those of you keeping a watchful eye on the plant health news feed, you may have noticed a recurring theme around the topic of cassava crops in East Africa over the last few days. Cassava, a staple crop across sub-Saharan Africa, has been the subject of a well-established battle against Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD),…
How plant diseases attract plant pests
In the same way that mosquitoes transmit the malaria-causing parasite, Plasmodium, between humans, some species of leafhopper transmit phytoplasma bacteria between plants. Phytoplasmas are bacterial pathogens that infect the plant phloem and require sap-sucking bugs to transport them to other plants. Researchers at the John Innes Centre on Norwich Research Park have found that leafhoppers…
Ozone pollution negatively affects crop yields
It is predicted that, as levels of the air pollutant, ozone, continue to increase, they will be highest in areas of the world with the most rapidly increasing population levels. This is bad news for crop growers in developing countries, as it has been found that high concentrations of ground-level ozone can have a negative…
The papaya mealybug reaches Malaysia
Distribution of the papaya mealybug (screenshot from the interactive distribution map at www.plantwise.org) © CABI Native to Mexico, the papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) is controlled in its home range by endemic natural enemies, like the parasitoid Acerophagus papayae. When the papaya mealybug invaded a number of countries in the neotropical region, including the Caribbean, US…
Update: Plant Health News (09 Nov 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Chile starts kiwifruit inspections for Psa-V disease Fresh Fruit Portal, 8 November 2011 Crop parasite may spread with global warming Business Weekly, 7 November 2011 Preventing Epitrix potato flea beetles FWi – Arable News, 7 November 2011 How parasites modify plants to…