Could biocontrol solve the papaya mealybug problem for Ugandan farmers?
Papaya mealybug, Paraccous margniatus, is native to Central America but has spread rapidly in invaded countries. It was detected in Uganda in 2021 where it has the potential to affect the production and quality of papaya and other host crops.
Mass rearing training strengthens papaya mealybug biocontrol programme in Kenya
PlantwisePlus has been working in collaboration with partners in Kenya to implement a classical biological control strategy to manage papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus). The invasive pest has been devastating papaya crops in Kenya. A CABI study in 2019 found it caused an estimated 57% yield losses across five counties.
Spotting and managing Spodoptera armyworms
Armyworms are the larvae of Spodoptera moths. There are over 30 different species of Spodoptera, which are found all over the world. Although structurally the same, there are differences between species in colour, host plants and geographical distribution.
Pest Risk Analysis workshop: spotting Pakistan’s potential invaders
Invasive species can cause enormous damage, affecting biodiversity, the environment, and people in invaded areas. They disproportionately affect communities in poor rural areas; people who depend on natural resources and healthy ecosystems to make a living. It is widely accepted that prevention is better than cure, however, how do you work out which species pose…
Conservation farming: can it offset fall armyworm’s impact?
Conservation farming has been promoted in sub-Saharan Africa as a way to potentially improve yields while conserving the environment. Farmer livelihoods are increasingly threatened by climate change, declining soil fertility, land degradation, pests, and diseases. Finding sustainable farming methods that address these challenges is key to feeding a growing population.
Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease – the invasive threatening maize
Maize lethal necrosis disease (MLND) was first identified in Peru in 1973. Since then, the disease has spread rapidly to other parts of Latin America and the USA. In Africa, the disease was first reported in Kenya in 2011. By 2014, it had spread to other countries in East Africa including Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan,…
Benefits of Pest Risk Information Service highlighted at CODATA Virtual SciDataCon
The benefits of the CABI-led Pest Risk Information Service (PRISE) in helping smallholder farmers mitigate crop pests outbreaks, thereby boosting their yields and livelihoods, have been highlighted at the CODATA Virtual SciDataCon 2021.
What’s on the horizon?
Pests do not recognise borders. With the increased movement of people and goods, comes the increased risk of pests moving from one geographic area to another. For this reason, it is important to identify and categorize species that are likely to enter a particular geographic area from another geographic area. CABI’s Horizon Scanning Tool (HST)…
Watch the PlantwisePlus Launch Video
This week saw the digital launch of CABI’s new global programme – PlantwisePlus. The online event featured presentations from both CABI representatives as well as partner organisations, including FAO and the governments of Kenya and the Netherlands.
What is the Plantwise Knowledge Bank?
The Plantwise Knowledge Bank is a free online resource that gathers plant health information from across the world. Over 15,000 pieces of content, which include, pest management decision guide’s (PMDG), factsheets for farmers (PFFF), species pages, photosheets, manuals and video factsheets in over 100 languages.