Update: Plant Health News (03 Dec 14)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including farmers in Bangladesh benefiting from early variety potatoes, water-saving technology introduced to rice farms in Vietnam and a model guava farm developed in India using traditional and modern methods. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (26 Nov 14)
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 first report of Erwinia carotovora causing bacterial pod rot of cocoa in India, a new combination of viruses causing tobacco bushy top disease in Ethiopia and research into yam virus X, a…
Update: Plant Health News (19 Nov 14)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the insect-resistant maize that could increase yields and decrease pesticide use in Mexico, nematodes that are threatening rice in the Ayeyarwady Region of Myanmar and a study into how salt-loving plants could contribute to sustainable global food production. Click on the link to…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (13 Nov 14)
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 identification of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus infecting common bean in Japan, Diaspididae scale insects in olive trees in Brazil and the first report of ‘Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum‘ on carrot in Africa.
Update: Plant Health News (06 Nov 14)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including analysis of the impacts of biotech crops, the role of salt tolerant plants in food production and 6 inventions that can help to prevent harvest loss. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Plantwise knowledge bank wins Open Data Award for Social Impact
On 4 November, the CABI-led Plantwise programme was announced as the winner of the Open Data Award for Social Impact. This is the latest accolade for this innovative open access platform for knowledge to help farmers lose less of what they grow to crop pests and diseases. Plantwise knowledge bank Global Director Shaun Hobbs accepted…
Mexico eradicates Mediterranean fruit fly
Mexico’s Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fishing and Food (SAGARPA) has declared the country free of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, in a development that is expected to ease trade restrictions and boost the produce industry. The declaration will positively impact on 1.8 million hectares of growing land for some key agricultural crops –…
Combatting the “black spot” on citrus production in Ghana
Contributed by Melanie Bateman, Integrated Crop Management Adviser, CABI in Switzerland Not long ago, farmers in the Ashanti region of Ghana had seen citrus as a potential money-maker but now many are now giving up in despair as pathogens such as citrus angular leaf spot (Pseudocercospora angolensis) and citrus black spot (Guignarida citricarpa) diminish yields…
Pesticides-L mailing list: creating a global conversation on pesticides issues
Written by Melanie Bateman, Integrated Crop Management Adviser, CABI Switzerland As has been mentioned before in this blog, there are a staggering number of chemicals in the world – estimates go as high as 2 million different preparations for sale. This is a lot for regulators in any given country to assess and monitor for…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (29 Oct 14)
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 (turmeric and black pepper) of root knot nematode in Pakistan, two fungal leaf spot pathogens on Indonesian cinnamon, and a species of phytoplasma not previously found on apple…