A Tale of Two Worlds: Favourable Projections, Looming Dearth
It is the best of times, it is the worst of times, it is the season of plenty, it is the season of famine – in short, it is that time when the positive medium term outlook for world agriculture is tempered by the “usual suspects.” For the fourth month running, the FAO Food Price…
Warming Climate Marches Pests and Pathogens Polewards
The distribution of plant pests and pathogens has been observed to be moving away from the equator towards the North and South poles and inhabit areas previously too cold for their existence. This threatens to increase the percentage of crops lost annually to pests and pathogens and subsequently raises major concerns over global food security. A…
Update: Plant Health News (11 Sep 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including using hot water to control Monilinia rots on peaches and nectarines, stem borers causing concern for Indian farmers and the use of new yield-improving technology being used by Ghanaian mango farmers. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (04 Sep 13)
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 Cherry leaf roll virus in Darrow’s Blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii), the first report of fruit stem anthracnose of Kiwifruit caused by Glomerella septospora in China and a new genus…
Record crop losses cost the United States $17.3B last year
Over $17 billion was spent in 2012 on farm insurance claims for destroyed crops in the U.S., up from an average of $4.1 billion per year from 2001 until 2011. This record-breaking jump in insurance pay-outs was in large part due to extreme weather conditions over the past growing season. Drought, heat and hot wind accounted…
Plantwise Photo Of The Month- September
This photo was taken in July when data management training and Module 4 training took part in Sri Lanka. Twenty-seven participants took part in the Module 4 training, in which methods for managing and monitoring clinic data collected at plant clinics in Sri Lanka were discussed.
Update: Plant Health News (28 Aug 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including two new types of coffee rust found in Costa Rica, the release of two extra-early maturing white maize Hybrids in Nigeria and the farmers who are diversifying their crops to increase resilience to climate change. Click on the link to read more of…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (21 Aug 13)
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 new species of rust fungus from India, the occurrence of Sclerotium rolfsii causing collar rot to Peperomia glabella in Argentina and the first report of the giant stem nematode Ditylenchus gigas from broad bean in…
Update: Plant Health News (14 Aug 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including foot rot disease attacking basmati crop in Punjab, Australian authorities intercept citrus pest on curry leaves and the ants that are threatening cocoa crops. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Black Sigatoka Ravages Caribbean
Caribbean banana farmers are abandoning fields where crops have been badly affected by Black Sigatoka disease. Black Sigatoka has badly affected several countries in the region, including Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada and Guyana. Black Sigatoka is considered the most destructive disease of bananas and plantains and is caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis. It first arrived in…