CABI research on desert locusts helps safeguard the food crops of millions
In 2019-2020, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), around 20 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda faced acute food insecurity due to swarms of desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria). In Kenya, the outbreak represented the worst locust crisis in 70 years; by its peak, the country was tackling over…
CABI and MARA scientists explore collaboration to find effective natural enemies for devastating Fall armyworm
Scientists representing the MARA China-CABI Joint Laboratory for Biosafety and MARA China-CABI European Laboratory have convened to discuss the very latest research efforts in a bid to find sustainable and effective natural enemies to fight the devastating Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda).
CABI trains provincial agriculture departments on biocontrol agents of fall armyworm and parthenium in Pakistan
Under its Action on Invasives (AoI) programme CABI in Pakistan organized two training sessions for rearing biocontrol agents to manage fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) and parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus) in December, 2020.
Two-way SMS platform offers farmers timely management advice for fall armyworm in Kenya
This article was originally published on the PRISE website During the 2019 short rains season in Kenya, PRISE partnered with Precision Agriculture for Development (PAD) to provide maize farmers with timely pest management information on Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). By building on PAD’s existing messaging service, which is run in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the two-way…
CABI ‘chips in’ with expertise on potato pests
Potatoes are one of the most versatile and widely consumed vegetables on the planet – being third in line for the ‘top vegetable crown’ after rice and wheat in terms of human consumption. In fact, ‘chips aside’, more than a billion people worldwide eat potato, and global total crop production exceeds 300 million metric tons.…
Pilot project using drones to control desert locust launches in Kenya
A partnership between CABI and Astral-Aerial is piloting the use of drones for the control of desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria). Funded by UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Frontier Technologies Hub, the approach targets roosting populations of small swarms that are not feasible to spray by other means such as aircraft, or…
A plague during a pandemic: how to increase resilience against the desert locust outbreak
On 12 October, as part of a virtual side event for the World Food Prize’s annual Borlaug Dialogue, CABI hosted a panel session on A plague during a pandemic: how to increase resilience against the desert locust outbreak. The webinar aimed to communicate the urgent need for a comprehensive and coordinated response to this year’s…
Tackling the scale insect problem in Kenya
Scale insects are a group of very small insects that often don’t look like an average plant pest, but they are a growing problem in countries like Kenya. The pests attack important crops and plants that are integral to the country’s economy such as coffee, citrus and mango and in some cases have been known…
Invasive weeds in America’s Western states: restoring balance using biological control
In many of America’s Western states, invasive weeds such as houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale), Russian knapweed (Rhaponticum repens), yellow and Dalmatian toadflax (Linaria vulgaris and Linaria dalmatica), oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), and hoary cress (Lepidium draba) are serious problems. However, research shows that biological control, as part of an integrated weed management strategy, offers the potential for a cost effective and efficient way of reducing invasive plant species to levels below acceptable damage thresholds.
CABI refurbishes MoFA laboratory for biological control of invasive species in Ghana
Through its global Action on Invasives (AoI) programme, CABI has refurbished a laboratory housed by the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate of Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA-PPRSD). The lab supports research efforts aimed at discovering and promoting locally practicable biological control solutions for managing invasive species in Ghana. The refurbishment consisted of…