CABI scientist helps provide a comprehensive review of research on Tuta absoluta in Africa

The South American tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta, is a devastating invasive pest of tomato crops in several areas around the world, including Africa where the problem is greatest.  Given the wealth of research conducted on T. absoluta, a recent publication involving one of CABI’s scientists, Dr Marc Kenis, has compiled a comprehensive review of the…
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The twelve pests of Christmas (trees)

For many, December means celebrating Christmas and a central part of that is a Christmas tree. Evergreen trees have been used in celebration for centuries. The ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews used evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands to symbolize eternal life. Pagans worshiped trees, and Romans used evergreen wreaths during the festival of Saturnalia. The…
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Fall armyworm radio campaign for next growing season launches in Zambia

CABI in partnership with Ministry of Agriculture in Zambia through the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS) has launched a national radio campaign focusing on the identification, prevention and management of fall armyworm. The campaign aims to help smallholder farmers in Zambia minimise fall armyworm losses and learn how to safely use chemicals.
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Invasives Most Read 2018

2018 has been a bumper year for the CABI Invasives blog, with 4 times more posts than 2017 and over twice the number of views (over 20,000!). With so many articles published this year, we have compiled a list of the top 20 most read to round off 2018.
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Addressing the root of the problem — why plant health and evidenced-based interventions matter to global development

by Duncan Barker (Research and Evidence Division, DFID) and Dr Roger Day (CABI). Reblogged from the DFID Research blog. Global agriculture faces a myriad of threats, of which one of the greatest is invasive species. With no native organisms to control them, invasive species such as plant pests and diseases spread out of control, damaging crops and…
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Action on Invasives short course on classical weed biological control

Invasive species pose a serious threat to food security, biodiversity, water resources, human and animal health, and economic development. It is widely acknowledged that integrated control is the most effective strategy in managing invasive plants where it involves the use of herbicides, manual or mechanical control, and biological control agents in an integrated way. Last…
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Not Just Maize: Africa’s Fall Armyworm Crisis Threatens Sorghum, Other Crops, Too

By Sara Hendery. Reblogged from Entomology Today. Scientists from the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Niger say that 99 percent of the media and research coverage on the fall armyworm focuses on the invasive pest’s deadly threat to maize.
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Parthenium awareness campaign reaches urban population in Islamabad

In Pakistan, the highly invasive weed Parthenium hysterophorus is not only a problem for rural areas, in fact it is of equal concern for urban residents as well. Known locally as ‘Gajar Booti’, Parthenium is a major pest of both cropped and non-cropped areas of Pakistan, causing severe economic, environmental, and health-related problems.
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In the fight against Parthenium, make sure to “know your enemy”

Latest book in the CABI Invasive Series: Parthenium Weed Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) is considered one of the worst weeds in the world. It has invaded and is widespread in about 48 countries in Africa, Asia and the South Pacific, and has the potential to spread to new countries in Africa, Asia and parts of…
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World heritage site saved from invasive ant species

After years of effort, the invasive African big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala) has successfully been eradicated from Lord Howe Island, an island off the coast of Australia, helping to protect this World Heritage site and its unique diversity of plants and animals.
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