The whimsical world of weeds: what’s in a name?
Invasive plants are everywhere – not just in our domestic gardens but on a grander scale on the grasslands of Kenya and Ethiopia as well as the Great Plains in the United States and Canada, including the world-famous Rocky Mountains.
Establishing parthenium leaf beetle (Zygogramma bicolorata) at new sites in Pakistan
Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus) is an aggressive herbaceous plant native to north-east Mexico and is endemic in America, with no economic importance reported. This invasive weed has spread to over 50 countries, including Pakistan. Parthenium is prolific, yielding thousands of small white flowers each forming five seeds and on reaching maturity results in a huge number of…
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…
Endophyte may protect tomatoes from Tuta absoluta pest attack
Successful colonization of tomato seedlings with Beauveria bassiana fungus could reduce crop losses Trials in Brazil suggest seedling inoculation with the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana could be a viable commercial option for marketing pre-colonized tomato plants ‘resistant’ to the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta.
New paper calls for scientific diplomacy in plant health
Co-authored by leading plant health community representatives a newly-published paper calls for an international research collaboration in the fight against plant pests and diseases. The paper, published in Nature Plants, brought together 28 institutions, including CABI, and analyses new perspectives and challenges on global phytosanitary research coordination; particularly as human trade and movement continues to…
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…
Controlling Himalayan balsam, one of the UK’s most invasive weeds
It’s spring – the growing season. We take a look at Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), one of the UK’s most invasive and problematic weed species, and the work CABI is doing to combat its spread. Why is Himalayan balsam such a big problem?
Is parthenium’s stem boring weevil safe for release in Pakistan? An update on host range testing
Native to tropical America, Parthenium hysterophorus, commonly known as parthenium, has invaded and become a major weed in over 50 countries. Parthenium has covered thousands of hectares of productive and range land in Pakistan. It is an annual herb which effects agriculture, damages biodiversity, affects human and animal health and adversely impacts economic development.
Dogs can sniff out huanglongbing months before symptoms appear
Study finds that using dogs to survey for citrus greening disease is more accurate and efficient than current methods. Huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, is a bacterial disease of citrus plants cause by Candidatus Liberibacter spp. It is thought to have been primarily an insect endophyte, but made the jump to its alternative host – citrus plants…
European ash trees resist devastating insect pest
Ash trees may be more prepared to face invasive threats than previously realised. The European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) is a common site in towns, forests and parkland across the United Kingdom. Since the 1990s, ash trees across Europe have been devastated by ash dieback, a disease caused by the fungal pathogen (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus), which has…