Update: Plant Health News (5 Jan 12)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Malaysia: Banana growers’ big headache FreshPlaza.com, 3 January 2012 Evaluation of Foliar Fungicides and Insecticides on Soybean in 2011 Crop News, 3 January 2012 iMetosTRAP: Alert automatic system for pest occurrence on crops FreshPlaza.com, 2 January 2012 Rwanda: Scientists to Help Fight Coffee Pest AllAfrica News:…
Long-horn beetles take a liking to frankincense
Frankincense – Image from Wikimedia While we have been filling our homes with traditional Christmas trees, the long-horn beetle has instead decided to go for a more up-market décor. Boswellia trees, which produce the resin used to make frankincense, have recently suffered from a worrying decline in numbers, with experts predicting that we have limited…
Update: Plant Health News (21 Dec 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Ethiopia: Tuta absoluta is extending its damage to the potato tuber Fresh Plaza, 20 December 2011 Kenya: Hope for avocado as country sets wasps on fruit flies FreshPlaza, 20 December 2011 Israeli green pest control FreshPlaza, 20 December 2011 Scientists crack locust…
Deck the halls with boughs of…Vascular-Streak Dieback?
As the supermarkets fill their shelves with an abundance of chocolate in anticipation of the festive season, the supply appears plentiful. For Indonesian cocoa farmers, however, the story is a very different one. 10% of global cocoa output comes from Indonesia, but this year the Indonesian cocoa industry has suffered from outbreaks of Vascular-Streak Dieback…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (15 Dec 11)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Click on the links to view the abstracts. Detection of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma brasiliense’ in a new geographic region and existence of two genetically distinct dnaK genotypes. Balakishiyeva, G.; Qurbanov, M.; Mammadov, A.; Bayramov, S.;…
Update: Plant Health News (7 Dec 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Whitefly, tomato growers find truce in new Texas variety EurekAlert!, 5 December 2011 Weather blamed for rise in violet root rot FWi – Arable News, 2 December 2011 Parasitoids Larvae in Caterpillars Affect Behaviour of Moths CropBiotech Update, 2 December 2011 Scientists Evaluate Effects of Bt…
Managing deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in Fusarium head blight affected wheat
Fusarium spp. (particularly F. graminearum) causes a serious disease on wheat called Fusarium head blight. The disease affects the quantity and quality of grain and under favorable weather conditions can cause more than 45% yield losses. Symptoms include the appearance of tan or brown discoloration on spikelets resulting in white, shriveled kernels. Such infected kernels…
The seed social network
A new study by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) looking at cowpea crop diversity following floods and drought in Mozambique has shown that seed sharing networks are a valuable way to maintain, and often improve, crop diversity. Informal sharing and trade of seed within and between local communities in the Limpopo River Valley,…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (30 Nov 11)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Click on the links to view the abstracts. Molecular characterization of a new strain of sugarcane streak mosaic virus (SCSMV). Li WenFeng; He Zhen; Li ShiFang; Huang YingKun; Zhang ZhiXiang; Jiang DongMei; Wang XiaoYan;…
Update: Plant Health News (22 Nov 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Black Sigatoka fungus hits Dominican Republic’s bananas Fresh Fruit Portal, 21 November 2011 Cassava Virus Spreading in East Africa CropBiotech Update, 18 November 2011 A Rapid PCR-Based Detection Method of Black Leaf Streak Disease in Indonesian Banana Crops CropBiotech Update, 18 November 2011 Scientists Develop New Product to Boost Kiwifruit…