How IPM is helping Vietnam’s tomato farmers manage invasive tomato leafminer
Tomato farmers in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, are gaining practical knowledge on managing the invasive South American tomato leafminer. The pest, Phthorimaea absoluta (formerly Tuta absoluta), can be difficult to control once established. Through integrated pest management (IPM) and biological control approaches, farmers are learning how to manage the pest while reducing reliance on chemical…
Fall armyworm control starts with farmers, and collective action is key
Fall armyworm is a highly mobile crop pest that moves quickly between maize fields. Since it arrived in Africa, the pest has quickly spread across land managed by millions of smallholder farmers. The speed at which it moves makes its management complex. Rather than working independently, one field at a time, recent research from Zambia has…
Banana bunchy top disease prevention in Ghana – proactive strategies help reduce risks
Banana bunchy top disease is one of the most destructive banana and plantain diseases worldwide. Caused by a virus, it poses a considerable risk to commercial and smallholder farmers alike, causing yield losses of 2 to 12 tonnes per hectare and income losses of up to 100%. A recent CABI study estimated that farmer income losses range from US$289 to a substantial US$1,444 per…
Papaya mealybug biocontrol boosts farmers’ incomes in Kenya and Uganda
Papaya mealybug is a devastating invasive polyphagous pest. This means it can feed on many different plants, making it a greater threat to plant health. In East Africa, it causes yield losses of 57-91% and annual household economic losses of up to £2,224/ha. Managing it effectively can help to save papaya harvests and safeguard farmer livelihoods. Around half of the farmers in the…
Pest preparedness starts on the farm: Discover how Ghana’s farmers are helping protect crops
While institutional pest preparedness is essential, farmers are often the first to notice the spread of crop pests. In Ghana, invasive pests continue to make their way across borders through trade, travel, and tourism. Farmers and farm labourers form the frontline of pest discovery. They are among the earliest to identify unusual symptoms in affected…
Most read blogs of 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we’ve tallied the numbers to reveal the top 10 most read blogs on the PlantwisePlus Blog this year, plus a few firm favourites! Our most read blogs feature voices from those benefiting from our work, as well as crop pest guides, digital tools, and invasive species management, highlighting the…
Rooting out parthenium: A milestone moment for sustainable weed management in Pakistan
Parthenium hysterophorus, commonly known as parthenium or “famine weed”, is one of Pakistan’s most damaging invasive species. It spreads aggressively, suppresses crop productivity, threatens grazing lands, impacts biodiversity, and poses serious health risks to humans and livestock. Over the past decade, CABI has led a comprehensive, science-based campaign to address this threat. Now, as the…
Understanding invasive species in agriculture: introduction, impact, and management
Invasive species are a growing threat to sustainable agriculture worldwide. When they are introduced into a region, they can spread rapidly, damage crops, disrupt ecosystems, affect native biodiversity, and result in significant economic losses. Understanding how invasive species are introduced to new areas is crucial in preventing their spread and protecting global food systems.
How do pest risk registers address the spread of plant pests in Africa?
Pest risk registers can help to solve problems in agriculture, addressing the growing global threat of plant pests. Moreover, changing weather patterns, led by rising temperatures, are causing them to reproduce faster and expand into new regions. In addition, global trade and increased movement of people are accelerating the spread of pests across borders. These…
Pest preparedness in action: Preventing the coconut hispine beetle invasion in Bangladesh
The coconut hispine beetle (Brontispa longissima) is a destructive pest of palms, including coconut palms. It is a major pest in Southeast Asia, the Pacific and parts of South Asia. For several years, Bangladesh has recognized the potential threat that the beetle poses. It has worked to prevent its outbreak using a pest preparedness strategy.…