Free CABI Academy eLearning courses for extension providers available in Rwanda
CABI’s new digital learning platform, the CABI Academy, is now available for free for users in Rwanda. The digital courses are designed for agricultural extension and advisory service providers. They provide important practical advice and resources to participants to grow their knowledge and provide the best possible advice to farmers.
Biological pest control – what is it?
This article was originally published on the CABI BioProtection Portal blog. Visit the original blog post here. Biological control (or ‘biocontrol’) is the use of living organisms and naturally sourced (or nature-identical) compounds to control pest and disease populations. The IBMA (International Biocontrol Manufacturers Association) defines biocontrol products as:
How Plantwise plant clinics supported a women-led cottage industry in India
In 2003, twelve women in Chokkalingam Puddur village started a local biocontrol agent production unit. The Ellya Thendral women self-help group produced and marketed five different types of fungal biopesticides. Their cottage industry received a boost when a Plantwise plant clinic was established in their village. CABI’s Plantwise programme partnered with M S Swaminathan Research…
Gender-sensitive rural advisory services in Ghana come under the spotlight in training workshop
CABI, as part of its global PlantwisePlus programme, has held a training workshop in Ghana aimed at building the capacity of the country’s regional agricultural officers to deliver advisory services which are mindful of the sensitivities of gender differences.
Coffee leaf rust: Spotting and managing Hemileia vastatrix
Coffee rust or coffee leaf rust is a significant problem in coffee-producing regions. Caused by the fungus Hemileia vastatrix, outbreaks can have a devastating impact on crop yields, rendering coffee cultivation uneconomic wherever it reaches epidemic proportions.
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (7 March 2022)
We’ve selected a few of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this month include five new records of eriophyid mites from herbaceous plants and fruit trees in Turkey and the description of two new species of Monoceromyia in India.
Innovation on the ground can be critical for gender integration
Gender-based social norms are major barriers to women accessing agricultural extension advice and adopting new practices. Although women make up 43% of the global agricultural labour force, just how gender-equitable are extension services like Plantwise?
Digital advisory tools in the hands of women agricultural service providers
Smallholder farmers across the world need access to advisory services to support them in managing pest and disease issues on their crops. As part of its PlantwisePlus programme, CABI is developing and promoting digital advisory tools to increase access to the information that farmers need to adopt safe and effective agricultural practices. One of the…
Digital learning courses available for free in Bangladesh
CABI’s new digital learning platform, the CABI Academy, is now available free for users in Bangladesh. The digital learning courses are designed for agricultural extension and advisory service providers. They provide interactive exercises and resources to help participants grow their knowledge, so they can deliver the best possible advice to farmers.
Plant clinics in Pakistan: a complete package for advisory services for the country’s smallholder farmers
The crops of smallholder farmers in Pakistan face numerous risks and health problems. Often, a lack of knowledge on the farmers’ part on how to diagnose crop pests and diseases results in losses of between 30-40% of their key crops. This not only affects productivity and, therefore, food security but also livelihoods.