Days are numbered for pests in Kenya’s irrigation schemes
Report by Peter Karanja and Abigail Rumsey Between May and July this year, 22 new plant clinics were established in Kenya. Nine of these clinics were launched by the Smallscale Horticulture Development Project (SHDP), which has been funded by the African Development Bank to help smallholder farmers increase the amount that they produce and earn…
Warming Climate Marches Pests and Pathogens Polewards
The distribution of plant pests and pathogens has been observed to be moving away from the equator towards the North and South poles and inhabit areas previously too cold for their existence. This threatens to increase the percentage of crops lost annually to pests and pathogens and subsequently raises major concerns over global food security. A…
Update: Plant Health News (11 Sep 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including using hot water to control Monilinia rots on peaches and nectarines, stem borers causing concern for Indian farmers and the use of new yield-improving technology being used by Ghanaian mango farmers. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health…
IPPC and Plantwise Collaboration initiated with a Rome Secondment
As part of our recent efforts to improve collaboration on joint activities, CABI Plantwise is delighted to announce an agreement with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to initiate secondments between the two organizations, and thereby increase transparency and effectiveness. Katherine Cameron, Knowledge Bank Development Manager for Plantwise, has joined the IPPC secretariat at the FAO…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (04 Sep 13)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include the first report of Cherry leaf roll virus in Darrow’s Blueberry (Vaccinium darrowii), the first report of fruit stem anthracnose of Kiwifruit caused by Glomerella septospora in China and a new genus…
Record crop losses cost the United States $17.3B last year
Over $17 billion was spent in 2012 on farm insurance claims for destroyed crops in the U.S., up from an average of $4.1 billion per year from 2001 until 2011. This record-breaking jump in insurance pay-outs was in large part due to extreme weather conditions over the past growing season. Drought, heat and hot wind accounted…
Plantwise Photo Of The Month- September
This photo was taken in July when data management training and Module 4 training took part in Sri Lanka. Twenty-seven participants took part in the Module 4 training, in which methods for managing and monitoring clinic data collected at plant clinics in Sri Lanka were discussed.
Update: Plant Health News (28 Aug 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including two new types of coffee rust found in Costa Rica, the release of two extra-early maturing white maize Hybrids in Nigeria and the farmers who are diversifying their crops to increase resilience to climate change. Click on the link to read more of…
A Happy Brinjal Farmer in the North of Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka many plant clinics are running to provide free advice to farmers. One such plant clinic at Mallavi vegetable market, received a desperate farmer with an unknown problem in his brinjal crop in the beginning of May 2013. He was fed up of using different pesticides suggested by the local agro-chemical dealer and…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (21 Aug 13)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this fortnight include a new species of rust fungus from India, the occurrence of Sclerotium rolfsii causing collar rot to Peperomia glabella in Argentina and the first report of the giant stem nematode Ditylenchus gigas from broad bean in…