Update: Plant Health News (22 Jun 16)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the effects of Tuta absoluta on tomato prices in Zambia, hail causing damage to crops in Colombia and the threat of invasive species on agriculture around the world. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Update: Plant Health News (16 Feb 16)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including Tanzanian stakeholders concerned about whitefly pest, biocontrol in Kerala’s banana plantations and a record output of cashews in Ivory Coast. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
Update: Plant Health News (06 Jan 16)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the invasive plants posing risk to food production in East Africa, a new tomato variety a hit with farmers in Australia and the use of botanical big data helping to predict how plant species will react to environmental change. Click on the link…
Water weed removed with surgical precision
Blog written by PT Bandara, CABI Associate, and WMDH Kulatunga, Sri Lanka. “A looming threat imposed by Salvinia molesta was averted through the introduction of a biocontrol agent by technical experts of the Department of Agriculture.” These were the words of Project Director Engineer RB Tennakoon, of the Moragahakanda Kaluganga Development Project, Sri Lanka; a project with…
New edition of weed biocontrol catalogue gives information on more than 2000 releases
The fifth edition of Biological Control of Weeds: A World Catalogue of Agents and Their Target Weeds has been released after years of literature searches and the involvement of 125 weed biocontrol specialists. The publication of this catalogue, available as a searchable online database and as a PDF book, was led by Mark Schwarzländer, University of Idaho…
Update: Plant Health News (08 May 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the risk of Septoria attack if sprays are delayed, an internet data portal plan from the banana industry and new plant protein discoveries that could ease global food and fuel demands. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health…
Invasive species by sea: What can be done?
Contributed by Roger Day and Melanie Bateman from Rome One major cause of pest spread- sea shipment containers- was a key discussion topic on the first evening of the IPPC’s week-long annual meeting, the CPM8. With over 35 million sea shipments each year, regulation is both crucial and extremely complex. “The complexity of the situation is such that…
Spot The Difference: Decoy Beetles Created To Manage The Invasive Emerald Ash Borer
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a beetle native to Asia which was first identified near Detroit, Michigan and Ontario in 2002. It is now a serious invasive pest of North American ash trees in the genus Fraxinus. Emerald ash borer populations are spreading rapidly in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states of the USA,…
New Type of Invasive Whitefly Recorded In South Africa
A species of whitefly that transmits cassava mosaic virus has been detected in South Africa for the first time. The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci is a cryptic species complex containing some important agricultural pests and virus vectors. The term ‘cryptic species complex’ means that Bemisia tabaci is considered to be a complex of at least 24 different…
Plantwise launched in Barbados
The Plantwise program was launched at the Bajan Agrofest that took place at the end of February near Bridgetown. The agrofest is an annual event that this year attracted over 60,000 people, this is approximately 25% of the island population. Working with the Dept of Crop Protection (Ministry of Agriculture) a plant clinic was run…