Science Fair at the Triple COPs emphasizes the scientific basis of the major chemical conventions
Contributed by Melanie Bateman, CABI Switzerland Dozens of events, hundreds of partners, and thousands of conversations: the Science Fair at the Triple COPs (Conferences of Parties of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions) underlined the scientific basis for the three major international conventions dealing with chemicals and hazardous waste at a global level.
Update: Plant Health News (03 Jun 15)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the use of maize to protect Colombian coffee from the effects of climate change, floods affecting rice in Kabuye, Rwanda and the role of urban farms in the fight for food security in Kenya. Click on the link to read more of…
Wheat production in Pakistan – Producción de trigo en México
Pakistan According to Reuters (source provided by ProMED-mail), farmers from districts southeast of Islamabad in Punjab province have seen their crops affected by unusual weather this year. First affected by hailstorm and now by heavy rain and cold weather, wheat fields of the region have been damaged severely. Some farmers have lost up to 70 %…
Tomorrow: Join CABI at European Development Days 2015
We are delighted to announce that we will be attending European Development Days, organized by the European Commission and being held from 3-4th June, 2015 in Brussels. We will be hosting a side event on ‘Smallholder farmers, powering global development’ as well as running an information booth about CABI’s work and the activities of our…
Factsheet of the month: June 2015 – Conservation of natural enemies
Friday May 22nd was 2015’s International Day for Biological Diversity. This year’s theme was ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’ which reflected the importance of biodiversity in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Biodiversity is key in agriculture and it both promotes and is promoted by sustainable methods. Farmers rely on a range of different species for the success of their…
Working together for Plantwise in South and West Asia
Representatives for agricultural development from South and West Asia came together for a two-day conference in Bhurban, Pakistan in April to discuss country plans for Plantwise activities. Decision-makers from countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and UK, met to share ideas and knowledge of their plant health systems.
Italian news coverage for Plantwise exhibit at Expo Milano 2015
Check out some Italian news coverage about the interactive Plantwise exhibit at Expo Milano 2015! The Plantwise programme is featured at the Swiss pavilion showing visitors how international development programmes, through the support of the Swiss Confederation and public funding are providing solutions for farmers to manage plant health challenges through timely, science-based knowledge. The…
Drones approved for spraying crops in the US
Crop-spraying drones have now been granted the stamp of approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States. The particular drone which was approved, pictured above in California, is equipped to carry tanks of fertilizers and pesticides, and intended to reach difficult areas to access by ground-based spraying equipment and manned planes. This…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (27 May 15)
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 rosemary leaf spot caused by Nigrospora oryzae in Iran, one new species and six new records of Thripinae from bamboo in Malaysia and a new record of Mycodiplosis…
National newspaper features launch of E-plant clinic pilot in India
Contributed by Vinod Pandit, CABI Country Coordinator for India For more on ICT pilots in the country, take a look at this video featuring the Plantwise Factsheets Library app and a blog on CABI’s experience launching E-plant clinics in India.