A new database of 19 insect genomes encompassing some of the most damaging pests worldwide has been made available in a bid to better target crop protection.It includes some of the most common pest threats faced by UK farmers including wireworm, cabbage stem flea beetle and pollen beetle, as well as other globally important species.
Quelea birds are currently ravaging sorghum and millet fields in two districts in Masvingo and Matabeleland North provinces in the country threatening food security and livelihoods for smallholder farmers in these areas, a chief government entomologist says.
The state government on Monday announced relief for the loss of yield to the tune of 33% or more for ready-for-harvest paddy crop affected by unseasonal heavy rainfall earlier this month has put several farmers in the district in a spot as only 50 of them, that too in Tiruverumbur block alone, qualify for the compensation of Rs 20,000 per hectare.
Smallholder farmers in Village M—a farming community south of the eastern border city of Mutare in Zimbabwe—have, for years, enjoyed bumper harvests of maize and other crops.
Fruit producers linked to regional associations and Fedefruta are attentive in their properties to these days' heat wave alert, as temperatures are expected to reach 38 degrees Celsius in the valleys of the central area, such as Maule, and that will exceed 40 degrees from Ñuble to the south, reaching 43 in Chillan.
Yong Peng Vegetable Gardeners Association president Cheng Tai Hoe has stated that farmers in the country are having a tough time meeting the demand for vegetables if the rainy spell continues until the end of this month.
Kiwifruit vines in the Bay of Plenty took a direct hit last week and the total cost won't be revealed until the floods drain away. Kiwifruit have been washed clean in the Papamoa surf, while their vines have been sitting in stagnant flood waters.
Following the detection of the citrus plant disease Huanglongbing (HLB) in a residential citrus tree in the Rancho Bernardo area, a newly established quarantine area has been declared of the city of San Diego.
Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced relief funds for farmers of Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam and Mayiladudhurai affected by crop loss due to incessant rainfall.
Hunter Valley winemakers say they never thought they'd start harvesting in February, but there is relief all round with pickers out in the vineyards.There were fears for this year's vintage after a severe flood event in the region last July and a massive January hail storm battered grapes right before harvest.
Between 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost to pests annually. Each year, plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion, and invasive insects around $70 billion, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Weeds are another significant biotic constraint on global food production.
In recent years, record-breaking heatwaves, droughts, and floods are becoming increasingly common across the globe. These extreme weather events impact supply chains, built infrastructure, people’s livelihoods - and food production.
San Joaquin Valley farms are tearing out older walnut trees and less desirable varieties. They are also looking to plant alternative crops as the price for the nut has plummeted well below the cost of production.
On the directions of the state government, the administration has constituted a joint committee of officials of the departments concerned to assess the damage to mustard crop due to frost and extreme cold recently.
Since the start of November, the Haap vegetable farm has been busy harvesting Brussels sprouts and kale. "Due to the drought, the yields of Brussels sprouts were lower. Overall, plants were significantly smaller, so that fewer florets per stalk have set," says Ronja Haap, managing director of the family business based in Kernen.
A report by the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS) has shown that the 2022 flood in Nigeria ravaged about N700 billion worth of investment in the agricultural sector.