Why we need a skills framework for agriculture
Agriculture has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. Technological progress and scientific research are constantly reshaping the roles within agriculture and the skills required to do them. As such, it is essential to have a well-defined skills framework to guide the workforce. The Skills for Agriculture (SfA) is a structured approach to identifying, developing, and…
Training Kenya’s young farmers and women to help ensure greater food security
The theme for this year’s United Nations World Youth Skills Day was ‘Skilling teachers, trainers and youth for a transformative future.’
The Formosan subterranean termite: a destructive force
Termites, numbering over 3,100 species worldwide, are infamous for their ability to wreak havoc on building structures and vegetation. The Coptotermes genus particularly stands out, containing the most termite pests, with 28 pest species. However, one species, in particular, has gained prominence as the most widespread and economically significant of them all. The Formosan subterranean…
Youth Skills Day: empowering and supporting young people in agriculture
To mark Youth Skills Day, Deogratius Magero, CABI’s Youth Engagement Manager for Africa, discusses why youth skills development programmes are vital for food security.
Permanent Crop Clinic Programme in Sri Lanka to be strengthened following stakeholder meeting
The CABI-led Permanent Crop Clinic Programme (PCCP) in Sri Lanka is to be strengthened further and provide greater help to the country’s smallholder farmers looking to sustainably protect their crops from devastating crop pests and diseases.
CABI’s expertise in digital data highlighted at Kenya meeting to help ensure greater sustainable food security
CABI’s expertise in digital data and development has been highlighted at a meeting in Kenya convened to identify ways in which Earth Observation (EO) data, products and services can help ensure greater sustainable food security.
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (05 July 2023)
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 record of the genus Tagosodes in South Korea and the first report of a rot on Welsh onion caused by Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria in Japan.
PlantwisePlus India: challenges and opportunities
Agriculture forms the backbone of India’s economy, employing nearly 44% of the workforce. However, farmers in the country face many challenges, not only pests and diseases, which destroy up to 40% of crops. Outbreaks, such as the locust swarms of 2020 and, more recently taro caterpillar in Madhya Pradesh, can affect food security, national security and human health.
Control of scale insects in fruit trees
Scale insects are a diverse group of small, sap-sucking insects with flat or domed shells. Their lack of mobility and protective shell make them difficult to manage. This explains why many scale species are commercial agricultural pests. Scales pierce plant tissue with their mouthparts to feed on the sap weakening the plant. Any excess fluid…
Use the Crop Sprayer app to improve your Integrated Pest Management strategy
The Crop Sprayer mobile app is the latest tool in the PlantwisePlus Toolkit. The free app helps users apply just the right amount of pesticide to treat and protect crops from pests.