Mango production in Bangladesh
According to the Daily Star, mango production in Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj districts in Bangladesh might be hampered by unfavourable weather this year. The farmers are worried as large numbers of fruits, up to 70%, fell from the trees before ripening. Following the attack by leaf hoppers earlier in March, mango trees in that area are…
Update: Plant Health News (20 May 15)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including a model for sustainable onion production in India, a new training guide produced by FAO and ILO to protect children form the harmful effects of pesticides and a Chinese agricultural technology company providing support to improve food production in Tanzania. Click on the…
Mobile phone app for Agricultural video animations
Scientific Animations without Borders (SAWBO) has released a mobile app for viewing their videos on agrilcuture, health and women’s empowerment. SAWBO has developed more than 30 different 2D and 3D animations with voice-overs in over 50 different (majority African) languages. They have now released a mobile app that is available for any compatible Android device. Download the app in…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (15 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 Lonchaeidae associated with the genus Annona in Mexico, the first report of choanephora rot of okra in Korea and a review of Chinese species of the leafhopper genus Scaphoidella with description…
Plantwise opens at Milan Expo 2015
A new exhibit by Plantwise launches at Milan Expo 2015 for this year’s theme ‘Feeding the planet: Energy for life.’ Take a look at the story from the beginning as word of the exhibit builds on social media up to launch day on site in Milan. Can’t make it to Expo this year? Play along…
Integrated Crop Management Masters students with CABI Switzerland sharing visions for a sustainable agriculture
Contributed by Melanie Bateman, CABI Switzerland In March of this year, 11 students from 10 different countries journeyed to CABI’s Centre in Switzerland and embarked on a Masters of Advanced Studies in Integrated Crop Management (ICM). ICM is a sustainable approach to farming which promotes practices that are economically-viable and that integrate the needs of…
Update: Plant Health News (06 May 15)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including the encouragement of citizen cooperation in the fight against fruit flies in Chile, exciting new projects to improve agriculture in Ecuador and an update from IITA on the spread of papaya mealybug in Tanzania. Click on the link to read more of…
Which is the most important plant-pathogenic oomycete?
In its latest issue, Molecular Plant Pathology has published a list of the top 10 oomycete pathogens based on scientific and economic importance, as voted for by 62 scientists. This is the latest of the journal’s “Top 10” articles which have previously covered plant pathogenic fungi, bacteria and viruses. Oomycetes, also known as water molds, are…
Factsheet of the month: May 2015 – Tolerant bean varieties against stem maggots
The saying “prevention is better than cure” is no more true than when applied to agriculture. Taking precautionary measures against common pests can increase farmer income by investing a small amount of money into minimising crop losses, ensuring a high yield. Preventative measures can include correct land preparation, physical barriers, field hygiene and cultivation of tolerant…
Update: New Pest & Disease Records (29 Apr 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 new records of insect pests associated with cashew in Guinea-Bissau, the first report of Meloidogyne incognita from Radermachera sinica in China and the first report of Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae…