The Taro caterpillar (Spodoptera litura), is a pest of many crops across Asia and Oceania. This species is generally well-controlled by natural enemies. Therefore, outbreaks in India’s Madhya Pradesh over the past two years are particularly notable. Taro caterpillar as a crop pest Spodoptera litura is a pest with a wide host range, found in… The post Taro caterpillar outbreak in central India appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

Climate change is likely to have a severe impact on East Africa’s bean industry. Beans are a vital crop, with over 200 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa depending on them as their most important pulse. The global challenges of climate change have significant impacts on agriculture, food and nutrition security, and livelihoods. Farmers face environmental… The post <strong>East Africa’s bean industry adapts to climate change</strong> appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are the outline to achieving a better and more sustainable future for all. The 17 goals aim to address challenges relating to poverty, inequality, climate change, the environment, and peace and justice. A number of these global goals are central to CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme. Today 836 million people live in… The post PlantwisePlus and the Sustainable Development Goals appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

The PRISE project has carried out a successful radio and SMS campaign targeting maize, tomato and bean smallholder farmers in Malawi. In collaboration with Farm Radio Trust (FRT) the campaign was developed in late 2020 to disseminate the PRISE pest alert forecasts to rural farmers in Mchinji and Balaka districts and promote the uptake of… The post Successful PRISE-FRT radio campaign promotes IPM to farmers in Malawi appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

Saturday 16th October marks World Food Day – a day designed to raise awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure healthy diets for all. Around 805 million people go hungry every day. With 80% of food consumed in developing regions grown by small-scale farmers, finding a sustainable… The post Increasing the demand for and supply of safer food appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

Women play a significant role in agricultural production. Although women have limited say in decision-making on family farms, they make up nearly half of the global agricultural workforce. However, female farmers face a number of barriers, which must be addressed if we are to achieve a number of Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 5: Gender… The post Women in rural agriculture: a CABI interview appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

This week saw the digital launch of CABI’s new global programme – PlantwisePlus. The online event featured presentations from both CABI representatives as well as partner organisations, including FAO and the governments of Kenya and the Netherlands. The event was an opportunity to highlight the impact CABI’s Plantwise and Action on Invasives programmes have had… The post Watch the PlantwisePlus Launch Video appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

A new study has unlocked the hidden ways in which important cash crops such as cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) tackle localised pest invasion and damage using natural defence mechanisms. Insights such as these are key for the future protection of our global agricultural production in the light of increasing pest outbreaks and crop damage. Scientists have… The post How Insect Saliva is Helping Crops Protect Against Pest Damage appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

Ground-level ozone is one of the most widespread pollutants in the world. Although ozone in the upper atmosphere provides essential protection from the sun’s harmful rays, at ground-level it has a number of harmful effects. Ground-level ozone pollution contributes to climate change, impairs human health and damages vegetation.  Additional levels are produced when pollutants from human activities, such as industry… The post Webinar: Ozone pollution’s threat to tropical agriculture appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more

Dr Monica Kansiime is one of the Global Team Leaders for CABI’s new global PlantwisePlus Programme. Building on the success over the last ten years of CABI Plantwise, the new programme aims to enable smallholder farmers to increase incomes and grow safer, higher quality food through climate-resilient approaches to crop production.  Identifying the challenges Dr Kansiime’s role… The post PlantwisePlus: Helping farmers grow safer, higher quality food appeared first on PlantwisePlus Blog ..read more