Devilweed: the ‘green invasion’ that’s destroying biodiversity and livelihoods

Chromolaena odorata devilweed
In a new video from BBC Earth, CABI’s Dr Arne Witt tells us about the devastating impact of Chromolaena odorata, commonly known as ‘Devilweed’. As part of the BBC’s Our Green Planet initiative, the video raises awareness about the impact of invasive species on biodiversity and livelihoods.
Read Further

Potential of parasitoid to control invasive fruit fly highlighted in study

cherry fruit trees
Drosophila suzukii, commonly known as Spotted Wing Drosophila, is an invasive fruit fly native to Eastern Asia that was accidentally introduced to the Americas and Europe in the late 2000s. It has since spread rapidly causing damage to over 150 wild and cultivated fruits like cherries, blueberries, strawberries, and even the fruits of ornamental plants.
Read Further

Could Telenomus remus go global?

colourful maize varieties
The parasitoid wasp Telenomus remus has been mass released as a biological control agent against fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in the Americas (where the pest is native) for a number of years. However, fall armyworm is now highly invasive, found across Africa, Asia, and Australia. Can the lessons learnt from its wide use in the…
Read Further

Satellite data offers alternative in predicting impact of biological control for hay-fever causing ragweed

Ophraella communa (Ragweed Leaf Beetle); adult. Rock Creek Park,
New research – published in the journal Ecological Modelling – reveals an alternative method of predicting population trends through temperature of the leaf beetle Ophraella communa, a potential biological control agent of the hay-fever causing ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia in Europe.
Read Further

Women and girls in science: An interview with Hariet Hinz

Female scientists. Hariet Hinz
Female scientists have the potential to play an important role in the future of agriculture, however, a significant gender gap persists, particularly in agriculture and science.   Gender and youth is a key area for CABI. Constituting to Sustainable Development Goal 5, CABI’s goal is to create opportunities for women and young people in agriculture.   In…
Read Further

Scientists exchange expertise on biocontrol agents for the management of devastating fall armyworm

FAW-Malvika
Since 2018, CABI has been actively supporting research on fall armyworm (FAW) management in India and Bangladesh while working closely with their national research institutes – the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insect Resources (NBAIR) and the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI).
Read Further

Scaling up biocontrol of fall armyworm: CABI scientists share expertise in ASEAN technical workshop

FAW-and-biocontrol
CABI scientists have shared their expertise on the use of safer-to-use and more sustainable biocontrols of the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) as part of an ASEAN Technical Workshop Series on how to tackle the devastating crop pest.
Read Further

CABI research on desert locusts helps safeguard the food crops of millions

juvenile locust swarm
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…
Read Further

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.
Read Further

Spotlight turned on crop pest biocontrol in Latin America

Spodoptera_frugiperda1
The spotlight has been turned on the use of biocontrol for crop pest management, as part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programmes in Latin America, during a key note address to the II Congress of Applied Biological Control in Ecuador given by CABI’s Dr Yelitza Colmenarez.
Read Further