The future of fall armyworm research
As COVID-19 forces more and more people indoors, the challenges facing scientific research do not diminish. If anything, the sudden requirement to maintain a sensible distance between colleagues serves only to highlight the lack of resources currently available to facilitate remote working and collaboration in research circles.
Women and Parthenium management in Pakistan
Last year, CABI in Pakistan in collaboration with University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) conducted a series of seminars in rural areas of Pakistan. The aim was to highlight the damages being caused by Parthenium weed to humans, livestock and biodiversity. As part of this, teams ensured inclusiveness of rural women as major stakeholders due to…
Preparando al productor para luchar contra el cogollero
El gusano cogollero (Spodoptera fugiperda) y otros gusanos masticadores son llamados “Langostas” por los productores en Somotillo y municipios aledaños, quizás devido a que la defoliación severa que causan les recuerda el daño causado por la langosta del desierto (Schistocerca gregaria). El cogollero es la plaga de mayor importancia para la producción de maíz en Nicaragua, sobre todo en el ciclo de primera, especialmente en localidades dentro del ‘corredor seco’ como Somotillo.
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…
Learning about the commercial aspects of biological control to combat pests and new invasive threats in Pakistan
Biological control is a key element of an integrated pest management strategy. Not only is it environmentally safe but it is also important for sustainable crop production. Among various biocontrol methods, increasing the presence of natural enemies is an effective substitute when they are not sufficiently abundant or effective.
New policy brief highlights the unintended consequences of projects that promote invasive alien woody plants
A new policy brief has been published providing recommendations to support decision making about funding for projects that aim to introduce new, or promote established alien woody plant species.
Red and grey squirrel genomes could hold the key to the survival of reds in Britain and Ireland
New hope for the preservation of red squirrels in Britain and Ireland is on the horizon, after the completion of the red and grey squirrel reference genomes by scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute and their collaborators. The genomes may hold clues to why grey squirrels are immune to squirrel pox, a disease that is…
New TR4 Portal on the Invasive Species Compendium
At the end of 2019, a new species portal was added to CABI’s Invasive Species Compendium (ISC) to bring together information and data related to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense tropical race 4, more commonly known as TR4. This portal, which is Open Access and available to all, brings together data on the current distribution, the…
Weed biological control: Challenges and opportunities
Michael Day and Arne Witt have just published ‘Weed biological control: Challenges and opportunities’ in the first edition of a new journal, Journal of Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society. Their paper traces the history of weed biological control and points to the many successes.