Factsheet of the month: September – Bacterial wilt management in tomatoes
Last month, SciDevNet reported on a hybrid tomato variety that is encouraging Nepali farmers back into tomato production after the majority of plantations were wiped out by storms and disease 5 years ago. The variety, known as Shrijana, is high-yielding, wilt and disease-resistant and flavoursome. The higher yields have increased farmers’ incomes, thus raising their…
Factsheet of the month: August – Sulphur to control powdery mildew in cashew
Last weekend, a team of experts from the Naliendele agricultural research institute (NARI) held a seminar in Tanzania to present lectures on the prevention and control of pests affecting cashew. Although cashew production in Tanzania has declined since the 1970s, it remains an important cash crop in the coastal regions of the country. The seminar,…
Factsheet of the month: July – Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease
On Friday, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) released an official pest report, submitted by KEPHIS, for the presence of Maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND) in Kenya. This disease is caused by a co-infection of Maize Chlorotic Mottle Virus and another cereal potyvirus, such as Sugarcane Mosaic Virus, Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus or Maize Dwarf Mosaic Virus.…
Factsheet of the month: June – Wild Oat Weed in Wheat
Wheat is one of the most important crops grown around the world. Its high protein content compared to other cereals means it is a key component in the diets of many. It is also easy to cultivate, versatile and contains a range of vitamins and minerals. Although pest resistant varieties of wheat have been developed,…
Youth Changing the Face of Agriculture in Kenya
They are young and sophisticated technophiles operating in the fast lane of life. A typical day for them entails spending considerable amounts of time on the cyberspace. Additionally, they are innovative and have a proclivity for taking greater entrepreneurial risks. Meet the burgeoning youth population that is revolutionizing the agricultural landscape in Kenya.
Factsheet of the month: May – Fruit Fly Control
Today, the European Union (EU) has imposed a ban on imports of Alphonso mango from India after authorities in Brussels found fruit flies infesting mango shipments earlier this year. This ban is likely to affect everyone in the supply chain – from growers to wholesalers to consumers. Fruit flies are a major pest of mango…
Factsheet of the month: April – Wheat stem rust
Last week, the Borlaug Summit on Wheat for Food Security took place in Mexico, bringing together thought leaders, policymakers, and leading agricultural research-for-development organizations to discuss the role of wheat in the future of food security. Wheat is an extremely important crop that provides around 20% of the world’s calories but this staple crop is threatened…
Plantwise Factsheets App gets the attention of BBC radio [Video]
Plantwise and White October met up for an interview on BBC Radio Oxford’s Kat Orman show to talk about how the new Plantwise Factsheets Library app will help get good crop information out to local extension workers, helping them to help farmers.
Tackling food insecurity with mobile technologies
It is important for farmers in developing countries to have access to the best agricultural information available to prevent crop losses and boost food security and wider livelihoods. Under the Plantwise programme, CABI helps local governments and extension workers set up plant clinics where farmers can come for unbiased and practical agricultural advice helping them to “lose less and…
Plantwise visits ‘open source GIS’ conference, FOSS4G 2013
On Thursday 19th November, I attended the ‘Free and Open Source Software For GIS’ (FOSS4G) conference in Nottingham, UK with two of my colleagues from the Plantwise Knowledge Bank. The conference, organised by OSGeo, had the strapline “Geo For All” and aimed to show that the tools that this Geographic Information Systems (GIS) community is…