Update: Plant Health News (15 Jul 15)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including Theni banana farmers in Tamil Nadu adopting more efficient production techniques, why GM crops have been slow to take hold in Africa and the bio slurry pellet method of rice cultivation that could save farmers time and money. Click on the link to read more…
Sri Lankan plant doctors launch e-plant clinics
24 June marked the launch of the first e-plant clinics pilot in Sri Lanka. Experienced plant doctors from ten plant clinics in Nuwara Eliya district came together to learn how tablet computers could enhance the current Permanent Crop Clinic Programme (PCCP) led by the Plant Protection Service, Department of Agriculture. Plant doctors learnt: how electronic data collection…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (08 Jul 15)
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 Rice stripe necrosis virus infecting rice in Benin, the occurrence of Tomato zonate spot virus on potato in China and the first report of Cassava common mosaic…
New FAO Report: Climate change and what it means for food systems
How will climate change impact the future of food production, trade and consumption, and most importantly, what do leading scientists recommend as an appropriate policy response? In a newly released book from FAO, cross-sectoral insights from scientists and economists put the picture of food and food security into perspective in a changing climate. The findings…
Plant Doctors facebook group – new innovation by Plantwise Bangladesh
Contributed by Malvika Chaudhary CABI Bangladesh and Madeleine Kaufmann CABI Switzerland We would like to share with you a new innovation by Plantwise Bangladesh. They lately created a “Plant Doctor Facebook Group” having two purposes. On the one hand plant doctors can communicate with each other sharing and exchange information and experience on plant pests…
Factsheet of the month: July 2015 – Prevention of powdery mildew on mango using cultural methods
The use of pesticides in Ethiopia has been increasing in recent years but it is thought that due to a lack of training and awareness, these chemicals are often being used unsafely and excessively. Many groups in Ethiopia are therefore raising awareness of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in which control methods are selected based on…
Developing skills for kitchen gardeners in the Punjab
Contributed by Madeleine Kaufmann, CABI Switzerland, with information from CABI Pakistan. https://vimeo.com/132439159 Agriculture is the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy. It engages nearly half of the country’s workforce and accounts for over 20% of GDP. Together with agro-based products, agriculture contributes 80% of the country’s total export earnings. But despite the economic importance of agriculture, many…
Update: Plant Health News (01 Jul 15)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including a reduction in banana yield in the Philippines due to the effects of El Niño on rainfall, a pest causing severe damage to tomato production in Nigeria and the use of pheromones to control insect pests in the field. Click on the…
Expo visitors discover the plant clinic experience in Milan
For 3 minutes, you, too, can experience how smallholder farmers in over 30 countries receive the practical plant health advice they need to save their crops. This was the message shared with visitors of the live plant clinic session hosted by Plantwise at the Swiss Pavilion, Milan Expo on June 25. Plant clinics are one…