Update: Plant Health News (29 Sept 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Mexico: fruit flies damaging orange crops in Veracruz Fresh Fruit Portal, 29 September 2011 Ghana: Engaging cocoa growers through text messaging from AgInfo News World Education, 26 September 2011 Tanzania: Regional Crisis as Sugarcane Production Falls AllAfrica News: Food, Agriculture and Rural…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (22 Sept 11)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Click on the links to view the abstracts. Identification of some viruses causing mosaic on lettuce and characterization of Lettuce mosaic virus from Tehran province in Iran. Soleimani, P.; Mosahebi, G.; Habibi, M. K.…
No confrontation as UK MPs debate food security and famine in the Horn of Africa
Praise for the generosity of the British public, the need to continue supporting small-scale farmers, and the importance of science: these issues were all raised in a debate on food security and famine in the Horn of Africa in the UK’s House of Commons on Thursday 15 September.
Coffee Berry Borer thriving due to Climate Change
A newly published paper has found that temperature increases are benefiting coffee berry borers in East Africa. The insects are causing more damage to coffee crops and it has also been reported that their distribution range has also expanded. The researchers behind the study also predict that the damage caused by the borers will worsen…
Sunscreen for temperate crops
British researchers have discovered how corals are able to resist harmful UV light through their relationship with algae. They have found more than 20 sun-protection compounds within corals that could be used to benefit farmers in developing countries. The new compounds could bolster the current sun protection processes found in temperate crops to allow them…
Update: Plant Health News (31 Aug 11)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest news stories about plant health: Herbicide choice for high blackgrass dormancy Farmers Weekly, 30 August 2011 NZ: pest costs potato industry US$101M FreshFruitPortal.com, 30 August 2011 Banana threatened by old, new pathogens African Agriculture, 29 August 2011 Yellow leaf spot resource Australian Government Grains Research & Development Corporation, 29 August 2011…
Pest-fighting Anthocyanins
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists in Illinois, USA, are investigating the role of anthocyanins in pest-control. They believe that the plant pigment can adversely affect crop pests such as the corn earworm caterpillar and the cabbage looper caterpillar that feed on it. Anthocyanins are a plant pigment which give blackcurrants and flowers, such as…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (24 Aug 11)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Click on the links to view the abstracts. First record of black vine thrips, Retithrips syriacus Mayet, in Tunisia. Elimem, M.; Navarro-Campos, C.; Chermiti, B. (2011) Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bulletin 41 (2), 174-177. Ditylenchus gigas…
Microwaved Pests: A new recipe for success?
Researchers at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) are currently exploring the use of microwaves as a potential pest control method. Unlike traditional chemical pesticides, which indiscriminately kill all insects, microwaves would be able to target specific insect pests and not affect other insects in the area. This new application of microwaves could benefit farmers in…
Increasing Food Security and Empowering Women
Efforts to help developing countries increase their food security and to empower women should be considered together as both are dependent on one another. The FAO has said that if women had the same resource access in agriculture as men then food output in developing countries would increase by enough to pull 100-150 million people…