Buzzing activity around pollinator health

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By Anu Veijalainen, CABI. Reblogged from CABI Hand-picked blog. Yesterday I cherished the start of spring in England by attending an event devoted to pollinators and pollination at the University of Reading. Most presentations at this meeting organised by the Royal Entomological Society were understandably about bees, but we also heard a few talks highlighting the…
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Ecological Engineering Approach for Rice Pest Management-Need to Popularise its Advantages

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           Example of Ecological engineering in Vietnam (Photo credit: Dr HV Chien) The rice ecosystems are inhabited by more than 100 species of insects. Twenty of them can cause potential economic losses. With the change in the climatic factors and modern cultural practices adopted for production a drastic change has been…
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The unfortunate plight of the pollinators- Who are the culprits?

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Why are pollinators declining? New research suggests neonicotinoids are to blame. When we talk of the crop production we hardly remember to acknowledge the services of these tiny pollinators and also don’t bother to safeguard them when we invest a lot in plant protection. These pollinators play an elemental role in an important process of…
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Update: Plant Health News (04 Dec 13)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including a new banana disease identified in Africa, ways to deal with oil seed rape pests after the neonicotinoid restrictions and the role of agricultural cooperatives and storage in rural Ethiopia. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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Could Spider Venom Be Used As A Novel Insecticide For Major Crop Pests?

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A new protein discovered in the venom of Australian tarantulas can also kill insect pests that consume the venom orally. The protein known as orally active insecticidal peptide-1 (OAIP-1) was found to be highly toxic to insects that consumed it, with a similar efficacy to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid. In particular, the protein was found…
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Update: Plant Health News (05 Jun 13)

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Here’s a taste of some of the latest stories about plant health, including cassava’s huge potential as a 21st century crop in Africa, the discovery of nematode resistant wheat and Brazil to launch biofungicide against witch’s broom. Click on the link to read more of the latest plant health news!
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European Union Vote To Restrict Neonicotinoid Insecticide Use

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After a European Commission vote yesterday (Monday 29th April 2013), Europe will enforce the world’s first continent-wide ban on neonicotinoid insecticides after concerns about their non-target impact on bee pollinators. The vote by the 27 European Union member states on whether to suspend the use of neonicotinoid insecticides was supported by 15 nations. The UK…
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A Sting In The Tale- EFSA Assesses The Risks of Neonicotinoids To Bees

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Bees represent a proportion of the insects that contribute to the pollination of crops, and the potential impact of observed declines in bees on crop yields, as well as their importance as pollinators of wild flowers, has resulted in significant attention and controversy in determining the causes of bee declines. No single factor has been…
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