EU ban on mango imports highlights importance of phytosanitary certification
A ban on imports of mangoes from India to the EU is likely to cause dramatic losses to Indian growers and has produced an outcry amongst growers in India and retailers in the UK. The ban on importing mangoes from India came into effect today 1 May and will continue until 31 December 2015 –…
Food Waste in the Supply Chain
A one-day conference held at the Dutch Embassy in London last week focussed on a topic which is emerging in response to the need to increase food production by at least 50% to feed a population of 9 billion in 2050. The topic is food waste reduction and encompasses food waste across the whole of…
Forests on the move
Studies on ‘natural’ and ‘forced’ migration of forests threatened by climate change. A multi-European project trying to anticipate the effects of climate change on forests is taking shape. In parts of Europe, established forest trees are showing signs of vulnerability – such as drought stress – as their ‘climate niche’ changes. An ambitious long-term project…
And now for the world’s most important plant viruses
Other than possibly the newly discovered leaping beetles of New Caledonia with a mysterious plant diet, few if any plant pests or diseases make it onto any one of the Time Top of Everything of 2011 lists. But pests and diseases are busy making their way into their own ‘Top 10’. CABI scientists put together…
From abstract to full text
Most people searching an abstracts database want to be able to click straight through to the full text of a relevant or interesting abstract. Full text availability is one of the real added value features of CAB Abstracts and the Global Health database, but where and how to find the full text can still be…
Music enhances plant growth and keeps pests at bay
A recent AoB blog caught my eye (ear?). Do plants respond to music? The blog refers to an experiment in which plants were assembled in Cadogan Hall, London for a 3-hour recital performed by the UK’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra to investigate the effects of music on plant growth. Knowing that CAB Abstracts is a good…
Recent developments in the world of biofuels
Opinions on the use of crops for biofuel and bioenergy continue to be polarized – are they a ‘good thing’ or not? When are they a ‘good thing’? Who benefits? How do you measure the impacts and their interactions at a local, national and international level on food security, land resources, water, greenhouse gas emissions,…
Developing crops for mild drought tolerance
Whilst we continue to have no rain in southern England (I’m sure this won’t last too long…), drought tolerance must be on the mind of many farmers. World reports on climate change and food security have identified water scarcity as a critical factor for agriculture this century. Breeding for drought tolerance is a major research…
A breakthrough for Golden Rice
More than 10 years after the release of Golden Rice – rice genetically modified to contain high levels of provitamin A – trials are about to begin in Bangladesh and the Philippines to assess whether eating Golden Rice really does increase vitamin A levels in the body. Vitamin A deficiency is a cause of blindness…
HIV transmission and maize consumption in subSaharan Africa
A BBC World Service news item alerted me this morning to a landmark study hypothesizing a link between consumption of fumonisin-contaminated maize and HIV transmission. The report suggested that HIV rates in subSaharan Africa could be significantly reduced by altering foodconsumption patterns and reducing maize contamination. Mycotoxins are responsible for many afflictions but this seemed…