CABI to investigate using parasitic fly as a classical biological control agent against Japanese beetle
It may look pretty but the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) is one pesky pest – which feeds on the foliage and fruits of hundreds of fruit tree species – that in the USA alone costs a staggering $450 million a year to control. But CABI scientists from its centre in…
Biocontrol agent released to control noxious parthenium weed in Pakistan
A “major step forward in the fight against noxious parthenium weed” in Pakistan has been taken with the release of a biological control agent at the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) in Islamabad. The move is seen as a significant measure to help combat the risks parthenium poses to human…
CABI’s expertise in biological control resources highlighted in journal’s special issue
CABI scientists have joined an international team of researchers from around the world who have shared their expertise in a special issue of BioControl that focuses on the importance of biological genetic resources. The expertise particularly drew upon CABI’s strengths in advocating access and benefit sharing (ABS) policy and ABS…
Sign-up for SciDev.Net debate exploring pesticide risks in Kenya
SciDev.Net is inviting those interested in mitigating pesticide risks in fresh fruits and vegetables in Kenya to sign-up for a webinar to debate the associated issues this Friday 23 June 2023 at 2pm East African time. Dr Dorah Kilalo, a lecturer in the Plant Science and Crop Protection Department at…
Project advocates village-based biological control of fall armyworm in Zambia
CABI working with the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) and the University of Zambia (UNZA) is embarking on a project, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), to advocate village-based biological control of the devastating fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) in rural Zambia. The project will help improve…
New study reveals willingness of papaya farmers in Kenya to reduce pesticide use
A new study published in the CABI Agriculture and Bioscience journal has revealed a willingness of smallholder papaya farmers in Kenya to reduce their chemical pesticide use to fight the papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus). Researchers from CABI surveyed 383 farming households in four counties in Kenya alongside key informant interviews…