Update: Plant Health News (19 Jun 13)
Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including how how irrigation is unlocking the ag potential in Chile’s driest region, how climate change is affecting food supply in Ghana and an assessment of the first billion acres of biotech crops. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant…
To revitalise agricultural growth in India, top officials look to Plantwise
With over 1.2 billion people living in India, 70 percent of which are reliant on agriculture for food and income, steady development in this sector will be a key determinant of global food security in years to come. To revitalise agricultural growth for the Indian small holder farmer- sharply declining in recent years- leaders of…
News of Plantwise Zambia sparks national media coverage
Contributed by Josepth Mulema, CABI Africa [scribd id=142518071 key=key-rg25wqt46we9xn8h03j mode=scroll] Zambia Daily Mail article written by Benedict Tembo
Black Rot Disease Hits Uganda
Vegetable farmers in the Kayunga and Mukono districts of Uganda are reporting crop losses due to black rot disease. One farmer, Twaha Kahooza of Kyampisi village, Kayunga Sub-county, says he had planted four acres of cabbages and was expecting about Shs18m (about £4,500 or US$7,000) from the harvest, however he only managed to get Shs5m…
Plantwise talks Open Data at G8 event next week… Join us!
What food security challenge could be solved with open access to data? CABI’s CEO and Plantwise representatives will join DFID, host USDA, and delegates from G8 countries in Washington, D.C. next week, April 29-30, to discuss putting the open exchange of knowledge at the heart of food security and global nutrition. This is your chance to weigh in and participate. Watch the event on the…
Agroecology – benefiting farmers around the world
This week, the UK Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, David Heath, has announced his support for the use of agroecological farming methods which are seen as the foundation of sustainable agriculture. The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology (IAASTD) define agroecology as “the science and practice of applying ecological concepts and principles…
Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease Spreads To Uganda
Maize Lethal Necrosis disease, which was first reported in Kenya and Tanzania, has now spread to Uganda, raising concerns for food security in the country. The Ministry of Agriculture has warned that Maize Lethal Necrosis has been reported in districts in eastern Uganda, including Busia and Tororo. A spokesman for the Agriculture Research Organisation, Robert…
Plantwise Photo Of The Month- April
To read more about the work Plantwise is doing in Bolivia follow this link. To read Spanish factsheets specific to Bolivia on the Plantwise Knowledge Bank click here.
Rise of Agriculture in the past 300 years
This glimpse of agricultural expansion over recent centuries, courtesy of Bill Rankin, tells us a compelling story of the importance of farming in the modern world. However, the increaase in land dedicated to farming does not necessarily translate to the increase in food and income to sustain people- not while 40% of these crops is lost to pests before it can even be harvested. Is it time to grow more…
Plantwise launches in Ghana
Plantwise, a global initiative run by CABI, was launched in Accra, Ghana last week. The initiative involves establishing plant clinics, which farmers can attend to get advice on plant health from trained plant doctors. In addition to the knowledge they acquire through the training programmes, these plant doctors can make use of the Plantwise Knowledge…