New global plant health resource to improve food security
From the devastating Coffee Wilt Disease to the infectious Wheat Stripe Rust: for the first time ever, distribution maps, diagnostic support and treatment advice for thousands of the world’s most damaging pests and diseases of plants and crops are being made available free of charge on the new Plantwise website, www.plantwise.org, launched today. The Plantwise…
Update: Plant Health News (22 Jul 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: British wasps protect lettuce and celery from pests Plant Science, 20 July 2011 Modelling the root of crop disease Plant Science, 18 July 2011 USDA Restricts the Importation of Commercial and Noncommercial Quantities of Rice from Countries Where Khapra Beetle Is Known to Occur USDA-APHIS Newsroom, 14…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (13 July 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. A new disease in mango caused by Trichothecium roseum. ShiLan, H.; ZengLiang, L.; XiaoMei, L.; YiXian, X.; JinJiPankaj, P.; Sirohi, A.; Jain, R. K.; Singh, K. (2011) Journal…
State of severe food insecurity in Africa
On the 7 July the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) announced that an appeal to help more that 10 million people in east Africa, suffering from their worst drought in over half a century, would be broadcast on ITV, BBC, Sky, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
Update: Plant Health News (6 Jul 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Sensor developed to detect crop disease FWi – Arable News, 5 July 2011 Sweetpotato foundation seed tested in commercial operations; Virus-tested seeds proven to increase yields ScienceDaily: Latest Science News, 1 July 2011 Putting Ug99 on the Map: An Update on Current…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (29 June 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. First report of Agathis fuscipennis in Europe as parasitoid of the tomato leafminer Tuta absoluta. Loni, A.; Rossi, E.; Achterberg, K. van (2011) Bulletin of Insectology…
Update: Plant Health News (22 Jun 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: New locust threat in Madagascar FAO, 21 June 2011 US: Tiny fly causes big trouble for Oregon’s fruit farmers Fresh Plaza, 20 June 2011 ‘Super wheat’ resists devastating rust SciDev Net, 17 June 2011 Weeding out Africa’s witch plant New Agriculturist, June 2011 U.S.…
Animal and Human Pathogens Can Cross from Manure into Food Crops
Following the recent outbreak of E. coli food poisoning in Germany that claimed at least 39 lives as of 16 June 2011 and still counting, numerous articles have been written, but many fundamental questions still remain unanswered. As you will remember, contaminated Spanish cucumbers were initially blamed for the outbreak of E. coli infection, which…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (15 June 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. Incidence of Meloidogyne graminicola on rice in Andaman Islands. Pankaj; Anil Sirohi; Jain, R. K.; Khajan Singh (2011) Annals of Plant Protection Sciences 19 (1), 259-260.…
Call for support for sustainable smallholder agriculture
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), last week called for a dramatic increase in support for sustainable agriculture, including smallholder farmers, as a way to drive green growth and reduce poverty. This is…