Scientists discover new crop-destroying Armyworm is now “spreading rapidly” in Africa
New research announced today by scientists at CABI confirms that a recently introduced crop-destroying armyworm caterpillar is now spreading rapidly across Mainland Africa and could spread to tropical Asia and the Mediterranean in the next few years, becoming a major threat to agricultural trade worldwide.
Myanmar Plantwise Welcomes CABI Board Member
Contributed by Dr Sivapragasam Annamalai, CABI Paulus Verschuren, a CABI Board member, recently visited Myanmar, accompanied by CABI staff, associates and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation. His motivation for the trip was “to get out and learn in the field what Plantwise means to farmers and other stakeholders”. The brief but busy…
Vietnam Pepper Association to run plant clinics
Contributed by CABI-SEA team In collaboration with the Vietnam Pepper Association (VPA), Plantwise Vietnam organized a meeting with the various stakeholders of the Vietnamese pepper industry on 16 December 2016. The meeting was held at the Institute of Agricultural Science for Southern Vietnam (IAS). In attendance were a total of 34 participants from the various…
CABI argues for stronger links between rural advisory services and research, private sector and ICTs
At a meeting of the world’s top agricultural scientists in China, CABI’s Executive Director for Global Operations, Dr Ulrich Kuhlmann, stressed the key role rural advisory services play in lifting agricultural communities out of poverty. As he pointed out, “Some of the most relevant and appropriate information isn’t high tech or innovative, but that doesn’t…
On International Tea Day, raise a cup to the growers
International Tea Day is observed annually on 15 December, and aims to raise awareness of the impact of the global tea trade on the farmers and agricultural labourers who produce tea. It has been celebrated since 2005 in tea producing countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, India and Tanzania…
Plant Doctor wins best Agricultural Extension Agent award in Ghana
Contributed by Solomon Duah, CABI Ghana Paul Gyedu, a plant doctor working with the Plantwise program in Ghana, has been awarded the Ashanti region Agricultural Extension Agent (AEA) of the Year Award. Paul works for the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and combines his work as an extension agent with plant clinic operations in the Bekwai…
International students graduate with Masters degree in crop management
A graduation ceremony took place on 17 November 2016, in Interlaken, Switzerland, to mark the successful completion of the 2016 Masters of Advanced Studies in Integrated Crop Management (MAS ICM) programme. The 12 agricultural professionals who participated in this year’s programme have gained valuable knowledge in sustainable crop management to apply back home and to…
Tune in to the Cassava show
Last week in the Nkhotakota region of Malawi a new radio show went on air. Not a news programme or a music show, but a show devoted to Cassava. Sounds pretty specific? Well, it’s even more focussed than that. The weekly 30 minute programme is actually focussed on managing one of Cassava’s most damaging diseases…
Plantwise: connecting smallholders to knowledge through ICT interventions
The emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the last decade has opened new avenues in knowledge management that could play important roles in meeting the prevailing challenges related to sharing, exchanging and disseminating knowledge and technologies. The types of ICT-enabled services are capable of improving the capacity and livelihoods of poor smallholders are…
Kenyan farmers keen to learn more about pest and disease management at agri trade fair
Plantwise Kenya held a demonstration plant clinic at the University of Eldoret Agribusiness Trade Fair, held on the university’s campus from 22-25 September. The fair, which has been an annual highlight in western Kenya for the past 11 years, saw around 30,000 visitors exploring over 200 exhibits.