Update: New Pest & Disease Records (12 February 2020)
We’ve selected three of the latest new geographic, host and species records for plant pests and diseases from CAB Abstracts. Records this month include reports on the global distribution of the leaf beetle Brontispa longissima and begomoviruses in Thailand.
Coffee crops worst-hit by volcanic ash after eruption in the Philippines
On January 12, Taal Volcano, located on the island of Luzon began spewing plumes of steam and ash. By 3.30 the following morning lava erupted from the volcano’s main crater. Local communities were evacuated as ash began to blanket the land, covering up to a 16-mile radius, with winds blowing ash even reaching the country’s capital, Manila, 31 miles away.
Clinica de plantas con la participación de jóvenes estudiantes del tecnológico de tarata
En Bolivia, ubicado en el Departamento de Cochabamba, Municipio de Tarata, se encuentra el Instituto Tecnológico Agropecuario Industrial Tarata, ITAIT. Fundado en 1983, dependiente del Ministerio de Educación, provee formación superior no universitaria y su misión es formar profesionales altamente calificados, comprometidos y responsables que respondan a las demandas del mercado laboral local y nacional.…
Strong partnerships between agro-dealers and plant doctors promote responsible pesticide use in Ethiopia
A study conducted in 2016 revealed a significant increase in use of chemical pesticides in Ethiopia over the last decade, showing that the attitudes, knowledge and practices of farmers and farm workers regarding safe use of pesticides are poor. Similarly, another study from 2015 shows that farmers apply pesticides in violation of the manufacturers’ recommendations;…
Bacterial canker resistance identified in wild tomatoes
The discovery of tolerance in wild plants will be helpful to tomato growers Tomato farms across the world are routinely devastated by canker, a rain-borne bacterial disease that can cause wilt, stem canker and lesions on the fruits, causing them to become unsuitable for consumption and – in combination with the wilting leaves causing sun…
Reducing extreme poverty in Rwanda thanks to CABI-led Plantwise plant clinics
New research into the positive impacts the CABI-led Plantwise programme is having has revealed that its plant clinics have helped reduce incidences of extreme poverty in Rwanda by helping farmers fight crop-devastating pests and diseases.
Farmers in India use biointensive methods to manage fall armyworm
In mid-2018, presence of the highly invasive fall armyworm (S.frugiperda) was confirmed in Karnataka State, India. Since then, Plantwise and partners have been on the ground working to create awareness among farmers and contributing to the development of safe and effective management of the pest. Under a project funded by the CABI Development Fund (CDF),…
Test your plant health knowledge
>> Latest quiz just added Plantwise plant doctors are at the heart of our plant clinic network providing advice and information to farmers, logging their data for the Plantwise Knowledge Bank, and always adapting to new outbreaks and technologies. Think you’ve got what it takes to be a plant doctor? Take our online plant health…
PRISE project supporting Plant Doctor training in Malawi
In early December 2019, the Pest Risk Information Service (PRISE) project ran a series of workshops across Malawi to engage with Plantwise Plant Doctors on new pest risk forecast bulletins as well as to provide pest identification training to all Plantwise extension workers.
Reducing post-harvest losses without the use of chemical treatments
From recent FAO studies, it has been found that over half of the world’s fruit and vegetables are lost due to post-harvest storage losses as a result of pests, diseases and incorrect storage conditions. In a climate where food consumption is at its highest, with many regions of the world suffering from a lack of…