Integrated management of fall armyworm in rice-based ecosystems
Rice is a food security crop in the Philippines. It is the second most important commodity after sugar cane. However, an invasion of the fall armyworm in Asia is damaging food crops, including rice, and threatening the food, nutrition and income security of millions of farming households. To sustainably manage this ferocious pest, an integrated pest management strategy is required. CABI is providing its expertise to help the country develop ‘preparedness’ strategies to mitigate the impacts of fall armyworm on rice production.
Wheat Blast: Earth observation and climate forecasts for risk management
Wheat Blast (Magnaporthe oryzae Triticum or ‘MOT’) is a plant disease of global concern, threatening crop production and biosecurity. Known to favour humid, warmer climates, the disease is a severe problem in Bangladesh and South America. However, the consequences of climate change pose the risk of the disease infecting other wheat-growing areas. Coupled with its ability to spread rapidly through the air and seeds, Wheat Blast’s devastating effects and limited control options are leading to heavy yield losses and it is now a threat to global food security. This project brings together a project consortium, formed of experts in Earth observation, remote sensing, pest and disease modelling, datasets and information dissemination to produce Wheat Blast risk maps and actionable advice as part of a framework. The framework will be used by key stakeholders as part of a targeted management approach to the disease.
EU-China joint action to increase the development and adoption of IPM tools
The persistent threat of invasive agricultural pests and their chronic re-emergence underlines the importance of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools and their implementation. Pest management typically relies largely on chemical pesticides, increasing the risks to humans and wildlife. Despite European Union and Chinese policies promoting the use of IPM, widespread adoption by farmers is limited. This project will utilize existing knowledge and techniques to adapt and optimize future IPM tools and practices. The project will further develop high-potential IPM tools and design cost-effective, environmentally safe IPM packages for economically important crops. Together with partners, CABI will lead the development of a web-based IPM tool performance demonstrator. CABI will also make valuable contributions to the development and efficacy of IPM tools against fall armyworm and develop a biocontrol agent for common ragweed.
Enabling FAIR data sharing and responsible data use
The generation, collection, storage, use and sharing of data can be time-consuming and expensive. Often, effort is duplicated, or the potential value of data is lost because the data cannot be found, accessed, used, or reused. Not all the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s data-rich work has met its potential because data has not been shared or assets have not been used in new contexts. The foundation is committed to unlocking the full value of data in agriculture and food systems through open and interoperable data ecosystems. In this project, CABI will address constraints in realizing the value of data in the foundation’s investments by increasing the capacity and capability of Program Officers, grantees and national systems to initiate and manage change processes towards FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable) and responsible data management.