Update: New Pest & Disease Records (17 Oct 12)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include a new record of the whitefly Acaudaleyrodes rachipora attacking clusterbean in India, detection of algal leaf spot in citrus in Paraná state and a novel mastrevirus infecting wheat in India.
Fungi just as effective as pesticides at controlling crop pest
Researchers at Swansea University have found a strain of fungi that could replace harmful pesticides in the control of the European crane fly (Tipula paludosa). The effects of 17 strains of entomopathogenic fungi, chlorpyrifos-based pesticides and a nematode worm were compared. The pesticides and fungal strain V1005 Metarhizium robertsii were both found to be 100%…
Get more scientific and international development news on CABI’s Facebook page!
CABI has just launched its Facebook page. In addition to posts from Plantwise, there will be news and articles from the other arms of CABI including Global Health, Environmental Impact, Animal Science, Forest Science, and newly published books and journals. There will also be updates from the work that CABI is doing in countries all…
Update: Plant Health News (10 Oct 12)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including snow and frost affecting Brazil’s apple crop, Bangladesh decoding the genome of a crop-killing fungus and ways to keep barley yellow dwarf virus under control. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Discovery of genes for resistance to black Sigatoka in bananas
Researchers at Equador’s Biotechnology Research Centre (CIBE) have isolated the genes that are responsible for conferring resistance to black Sigatoka in the naturally resistant banana variety Musa Calcutta-4. Scientists have now been able to develop a protocol for the genetic transformation of banana cultivars Williams and Orito as well as the plantain cultivars Barraganete and…
Cassava virus resistance breakthrough for Africa
One of the worst diseases of the tuber crop, cassava, in sub-Saharan Africa is Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD). Since its resurgence in East Africa in recent years, it is now spreading to Central and Western Africa. The other major disease of cassava in this region, Cassava mosaic disease (CMD), can also cause widespread damage…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (03 Oct 12)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include the first report of Tomato mosaic virus in eggplant in Iran, Brazilian ground pearl damaging blackberry, raspberry and blueberry in Brazil, and the first report of Ascochyta rabiei causing ascochyta blight of chickpea…
Sweet Like Chocolate: Breeding Programs Combating Fungal Diseases of Cocoa in Ecuador
Cocoa, Theobroma cacao L. is the third most important export product in Ecuador; a country which produces 70% of the world’s highly prized Arriba cocoa. However, the sustainability of this crop is threatened by a number of devastating pest species including fungal diseases and insect pests. Among the most severe are the closely related fungal diseases…
Earthworm-farmer friendship, redefined
Earthworms are known as farmers’ best friends because of the multitude of services they provide that improve soil health and consequently plant health. The density of earthworms in the soil is considered to be a good indicator of a healthy soil because they improve many soil attributes like structure, water holding capacity, moisture content etc.,…
Plantwise plant clinics – Pest diagnosis for a farmer in Barbados
A farmer, Pedro Welch, attended the Plantwise plant clinic at this year’s Agrofest 2012, the annual agricultural show in Barbados. He described the problems he was having on his lime tree, and the plant doctor diagnosed the problem straight away, giving advice on how to manage the pest. Watch the video below to see a…