CABI organizes five-day Integrated Pest Management course in Beijing
CABI organized a five-day course on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) at the Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science (CAAS) in Beijing on 13 to 17 February 2017. The course was delivered by CABI IPM expert Stefan Toepfer, a visiting professor at the Institute of Plant Protection in CAAS, where the joint Chinese…
Cabbage disease mystery in Ghana
Cabbage is an important crop in Ghana where it grows all year round, right across the country. It is mainly grown for commercial production in Southern Ghana, in Akwapim and Kwahu areas and in the moist high elevations around Tarkwa. Growing cabbage in Ghana is challenging since it can be attacked by a variety of…
Why the green peach aphid is such a successful pest
Recent research highlights why the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) is one of the most successful crop pests. These findings will help further the development of effective management and control measures which will ultimately reduce worldwide crop losses.
New device can detect crop pathogens by smell
By Philippa Merry. Reblogged from The Courier. Dubbed an E-Nose, the equipment has been developed by engineers and scientists to detect crop pathogens by smell weeks before any infection becomes outwardly apparent or evident on any visual basis. “It’s an amazing tool for early detection,” commented Kit Franklin, a lecturer of agricultural engineering at Harper…
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…