How plant clinics helped a paddy farmer in Tamil Nadu, India
Guest blog contributed by MSSRF Mr Natarajan and his family farm 5 acres of irrigated land in Neduvasal village in Pudukkottai District, Tamil Nadu. Like his father before him, he cultivates paddy, ground nut and pulses during the Kharif, Rabi and summer seasons. He has been growing BPT 5204 paddy, a super fine Ponni variety during the Samba season (October-January). …
Innovative Digital Applications for Sustainable Development – Eighth GCRA International Conference at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru
It is evident that the development in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital applications plays pivotal role in present knowledge based economies. Recently, I attended an ICT focussed international conference with my colleague from D2F in Bengaluru which was organised by UAS Bengaluru and GCRA, Australia from 5th-7th January, 2016 on…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (10 Feb 16)
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 Lima bean, a new host of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli in Iran, the characterization of Phytophthora amaranthi sp. nov. from amaranth in Taiwan. and new records of Lasiodiplodia theobromae in Tetrapleura tetraptera…
Agricultural innovation framework agreed in Rwanda
Contributed by Rachel Winks, CABI. The partner organisations of the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) met in Kigali, Rwanda, on 19-21 January to agree a new concept for agricultural innovation: the common framework on capacity development for agricultural innovation systems. With growing global population and increased food demand, agricultural innovation can help improve food security, increase…
Update: Plant Health News (03 Feb 16)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the new parasitic wasp that can detect aphid infestation, the effect that El Niño will have on avocado in Peru and the threat of Huanglongbing (HLB) on agriculture in Colombia. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Feasibility of adopting an IPM approach for sustainable Christophene production in the Northern Range of Trinidad
Contributed by Aldo Hanel, CABI. Brasso Secco is a pristine environment located in the Northern Range of Trinidad in close proximity to the world famous Asa Wright Nature Centre. This farming community, among others, is nestled deep in the bosom of the of the Northern Range where approximately 300 family farms depend on Christophene production for…
Factsheet of the month: February 2016 – Rotation against purple seed stain in soya
At the beginning of January, a new research centre opened in Benin, which aims to boost productivity and incomes of smallholder farmers, and create job opportunities. Researchers based at the Green Innovation Center, which has been funded by the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), will develop tools for training and improve frameworks…
Food Security: Where Environmental Health Meets Community Health
Guest blog by Julie Potyraj If the health of a person depends on the status of their body – genetics, eating habits, age – then environmental health encompasses everything outside of the body. Improving air, soil and water quality, maintaining safe infrastructure, preventing exposure to hazardous substances, and promoting healthy homes and communities are all focuses…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (27 Jan 16)
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 antifungal activities of Chaetomium spp. against Fusarium wilt of tea, the characterization of Alternaria species associated with muskmelon foliar diseases in Beijing municipality of China, and the first report…
Plant clinics help tackle crop diseases in Rwanda
Excerpt from The New Times article, published 22 January 2016 It is a Monday evening and Dominique Nkundukozera, a farmer in Rusatira Sector in Huye District, is seated on a chair at Kinkanga market, with several cassava stems. He had brought the stems for examination by experts at a ‘Plant Health Clinic’ at the market.…