Zambia Battles Armyworms That Are Decimating Corn Fields
By Matthew Hill and Taonga Clifford Mitimingi. Reblogged from Bloomberg Markets. Zambia must intensify its fight against an outbreak of armyworms that’s wiping out fields of the staple corn crop, posing a threat to the southern African nation’s food security, Vice President Inonge Wina said. “They are posing a big threat to food security in…
CABI argues for stronger links between rural advisory services and research, private sector and ICTs
At a meeting of the world’s top agricultural scientists in China, CABI’s Executive Director for Global Operations, Dr Ulrich Kuhlmann, stressed the key role rural advisory services play in lifting agricultural communities out of poverty. As he pointed out, “Some of the most relevant and appropriate information isn’t high tech or innovative, but that doesn’t…
On International Tea Day, raise a cup to the growers
International Tea Day is observed annually on 15 December, and aims to raise awareness of the impact of the global tea trade on the farmers and agricultural labourers who produce tea. It has been celebrated since 2005 in tea producing countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India and Tanzania…
International students graduate with Masters degree in crop management
A graduation ceremony took place on 17 November 2016, in Interlaken, Switzerland, to mark the successful completion of the 2016 Masters of Advanced Studies in Integrated Crop Management (MAS ICM) programme. The 12 agricultural professionals who participated in this year’s programme have gained valuable knowledge in sustainable crop management to apply back home and to…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (17 Nov 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 a report on new species of aphids of the Macrosiphini tribe from Kazakhstan, the first report of Caryedes brasiliensis preying on seeds of Dioclea violacea in Brazil and the first…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (02 Nov 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 new hosts (lettuce and wild rocket) of Fusarium equiseti in Italy, studies on occurrence of entomopathogenic nematodes in India and the first detection of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) on…
Tune in to the Cassava show
Last week in the Nkhotakota region of Malawi a new radio show went on air. Not a news programme or a music show, but a show devoted to Cassava. Sounds pretty specific? Well, it’s even more focussed than that. The weekly 30 minute programme is actually focussed on managing one of Cassava’s most damaging diseases…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (19 Oct 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 descriptions of two new species from the subfamily Greenideinae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) from Laos, a report on Megachile leaf-cutter and resin bees of Singapore and a report on the host plant of Cercophana frauenfeldii…
A greater role for educational animation in extension?
Blog contributed by Nick Quist Nathaniels, Independent Consultant, Denmark Computer animations are a rather special and exciting communication medium. For example, they can be used to illustrate the basic biology of pests and diseases and explain control measures. Animations are also an effective way to show changes that occur over a long time or at the…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (05 Oct 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 a record of Yamatochaitophorus yichunensis, a new species of aphid from northeast China, a report on Rust (Olivea neotectonae) occurrence on teak plants in Sergipe, Brazil and a new record of a…