Overcoming the challenges and complexities of posting preprints
On 29 April, CABI co-hosted an event about preprints with ASAPbio. This open-access webinar considered trends in agriculture and plant science and reviewed aspects of posting preprints, including their benefits, how they fit more broadly into science communication and how they help us tackle collective challenges around climate change and food security. To learn more…
Bundling agricultural services under the Seeing is Believing project in India
The Seeing is Believing (SIB) project started in Tamil Nadu (a southern state in India) in May 2019 in partnership with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and The M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), writes Akanksha Nagpal and Arun Jadhav.
World’s indigenous peoples to bear brunt of climate change, warns UN paper
Indigenous peoples around the world – the guardians of traditional knowledge systems and underutilized, forgotten crops that may yet prove critical for global food security – are likely to be hit hardest by climate change, says a United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) 2021 brief co-authored by scientists representing the Association of International Research and…
A range of incentives could help open up free access to FAIR data in agriculture
Access to data on soil health, agronomy and fertilizer based upon FAIR could be a ‘game changer’ in helping to create greater food security within Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia who are already battling with the impacts of climate change, crop pests and diseases, writes Ruthie Musker, Project Officer – Data Policy & Practice at…
Tackling pests to boost Uganda’s blossoming trade in floriculture
Breaking down the barriers to international trade has never been more important. Flowers are a profitable form of income for many low- and middle-income countries. However, small-scale growers in places like Uganda face hurdles accessing the kind of information and technologies needed to improve the standard of produce to supply lucrative global markets like the…
Global rescue plan needed for fruit and vegetable diversity
UN Food Systems Summit 2021 brief charts a path forward to conserve precious genetic resources for future food crop options. The many fruit and vegetable species in food production systems contributing essential nutrients to human diets are under threat from land use, climate change, and other factors, reports a United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS)…
How to find your dream research with Boolean Searching
A new record uploads to CABI databases every 60 seconds, so if you’re trying to learn how cats communicate by searching ‘meow’, it’s unlikely that you’ll find the niche record you need to revolutionize your research. But with Boolean searching, you tell databases exactly what you’re looking for, so that within seconds you’re sat reading…
Preprints – Accelerating plant sciences and agriculture
In recent years, the use of preprints (pre-peer reviewed versions of scholarly papers) has accelerated. Many researchers now share their work with the scientific community before or in parallel to publication with a journal. In agriculture and plant sciences, preprints are becoming a more popular means for disseminating research findings and results. John Inglis, the…
Punjab wheat growers hope to boost productivity with combine harvester and wheat straw chopper
CABI is working with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help small-scale wheat farmers in the Hafizabad and Sheikhupura districts of Punjab, Pakistan, boost their productivity by demonstrating the benefits of modern machinery – the New Holland TC-56 combine harvester and wheat straw chopper.
Maize growers of Punjab helped to manage aflatoxins through biological control technology
Maize crop in Pakistan presents a remarkable success story from the last few years. For instance, the country’s maize production increased from 705 tonnes in 1971 to 7,000 tonnes in 2020 – growing at an average annual rate of 5.15%.