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 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.
Spotlight turned on crop pest biocontrol in Latin America
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.
Busy in biocontrol: spotlight on weed researcher Jennifer Andreas
Meet Jennifer Andreas, who has collaborated with CABI on a number of biological control projects since 2000, in this profile originally published by the North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA).
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…
CABI supports first Dutch field trials with exotic insect to combat Japanese knotweed
For the first time in the Netherlands, an exotic insect species is released into the wild to combat a harmful plant species. The Japanese knotweed psyllid should offer relief against the rampant Asian knotweed. Suzanne Lommen of the Institute of Biology Leiden is coordinating the field trials as part of a consortium which includes CABI,…
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…
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.
FAW Infestation: CABI, MoFA, others explore safe & sustainable management control
As part of efforts to sustainably manage the Fall Armyworm (FAW) in Ghana, the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s (MoFA) Plant Protection Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) in collaboration with the University of Ghana Soil and Irrigation Research Centre (SIREC) at Kpong have begun exploring biological control options for safe and sustainable management of Fall Armyworm (FAW) in the country.
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…