Working with Papua New Guinea to safeguard crop production
Papua New Guinea (PNG) relies on agriculture for income. But a host of plant health problems could put its valuable commodity crops at risk. Protecting high-value crops like cocoa and coffee is essential for safeguarding the country’s future. Agriculture is big business in PNG. It provides 22% of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and…
Plantwise training materials for plant doctors now available in 11 languages
Plantwise training materials, given to extension workers so they can help smallholder farmers lose less of their crop to pests and diseases, are now available in 11 languages – writes Dr Stefan Toepfer, Research Scientist Arthropod Biological Control; Integrated Crop Management Advisor at CABI.
Analysis of plant doctor recommendations across the globe: a student project
Last year, I had the pleasure of working on a project for Plantwise as part of my university course, writes Isabel Williams – a Master’s student in the Department of Biology at The University of Oxford. Myself and five other students – Amy Barnes, Rosario Bonnie Evans Pena, Mairi Franklin, Zac Lumley and Mary Woodward…
CABI facilitates Pest Risk Assessment writeshop in Nepal
Last month, CABI delivered technical support in a two-day pest risk assessment writeshop for plant quarantine officers in Kathmandu, Nepal. The Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre (PQPMC) which serves as National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) of Nepal organized the writeshop.
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (12 January 2022)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this month include the first report of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum on Atractylodes lancea in China and the first report of carrot torrado virus 1 (CaTV1) naturally infecting carrots in Spain.
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.
PlantwisePlus most read blogs of 2022
As 2022 draws to a close, we have crunched the numbers to present the most-read articles on the PlantwisePlus Blog this year. Plus a few firm favourites. Articles on the PlantwisePlus tools and plant doctor training across the globe were some of the most read during 2022, as were those covering the work Plantwise continues…
A more sustainable way for food production
As the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) is now underway in Montreal, Canada, until 19 December, we take a look at how the CABI BioProtection Portal can contribute towards a more biodiversity-friendly way to produce food and feed our growing planet.
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (05 December 2022)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this month include information about a new virus disease of sunflower from Nebraska and the isolation and identification of the top blight pathogen of Passiflora edulis.
Jamaica’s plant doctors shine in Plantwise programme awards
Three plant doctors in Jamaica – operating as part of the CABI-led Plantwise programme which helps farmers grow more and lose less to crop pests and diseases – have been honoured with awards established by the island’s government.