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Afro Agri Review Journal > Blog > 2024 > September
pest alert service
25
Sep

African smallholder farmers benefit from reduced crop losses and higher incomes from a novel pest alert service

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  • 5 min read

A newly published review of the CABI-led Pest Risk Information Service (PRISE) project shows that smallholder farmers in four African countries who received pest alerts created using earth observation data benefitted from reduced crop losses and higher incomes compared to farmers who did not. Crop pests are the major cause of loss of smallholder productivity resulting in negative […]

Cypress aphid
25
Sep

Cypress aphid: A new threat to Africa’s forests

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  • 13 min read

William M. Ciesla is Forest Protection Officer, FAO Forest Resources Development Branch. The gentle rolling hills of central Kenya present an attractive landscape. This is a region of small farms and pastures interspersed with patches of native forest, woodlots and wind-breaks. Typically, the woodlots and wind-breaks are plantations of Mexican cypress, Cupressus lusitanica Mill., a straight, fast-growing tree […]

armyworm
25
Sep

Agroecological solutions better than pesticides in fighting fall armyworm, experts say

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  • 7 min read

In 2016, an infestation of fall armyworms hit a vast swath of Africa, alarming farmers and governments. Eight years on, experts say that crop losses from the agricultural pest are less severe than initially feared. A key lesson learned is that an agroecological approach to pest control — and not the indiscriminate use of pesticides […]

desert locust
25
Sep

IGAD member states to develop effective strategies for sustainable pests management

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  • 4 min read

Control and management of desert locusts and other pests that threaten food security in eastern and northern Africa are the main agenda of an ongoing Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) meeting in Nairobi. Starting yesterday, agriculture ministers, heads of delegations, and representatives of IGAD member states have been meeting in Nairobi to lay out strategies […]

Pesticide policy
25
Sep

Pesticide policy failings in Africa a risk to health

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  • 6 min read

Stronger legislation is needed to curb the influx of illegal pesticide products in Africa, says chemicals risk expert Fredrick Otieno. [NAIROBI] Africa is using more pesticides, but there aren’t enough laws, rules, and policies to protect farmers from the harmful effects, Fredrick Otieno, chemicals risk manager and environmental planner at the Centre for Environmental Justice and Development in […]

insect pest
25
Sep

Science-driven and farmer-oriented insect pest management for cowpea agro-ecosystems in West Africa

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  • 2 min read

Principal investigator/Lead institution: Dr. Manuele Tamò, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Benin Collaborating institutions: Michigan State University, U.S. Institut de l’Environnement et de Recherches Agricoles (INERA), Burkina Faso Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN), Niger University of Maradi (UM), Niger Kwara State University (KWASU), Ilorin, Nigeria Works in: Burkina Faso, Niger,Nigeria Project overview […]

25
Sep

Carrot irrigation should be different

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  • 4 min read

To get a better understanding of the optimal irrigation that is required, we need to take a look at the carrot root system. Most vegetable crops have a relatively shallow root system compared with carrots. When I tell farmers that carrot roots can even exceed a depth of 2m, they are very sceptical. READ The main […]

25
Sep

Choosing the right filtration method for your irrigation system

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  • 4 min read

How do I choose the right system? The purpose of filtration is to protect the irrigation system from particles that can cause blockages. The best filter is one that retains the largest percentage of particles that have a clogging potential for the emitters. The choice of filtration is therefore guided by the choice of emitter. […]

25
Sep

Harvesting ‘grey water’ for drip irrigation

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  • 4 min read

Too much or too little water can have dramatic effects on the quality of vegetables and fruit. Oranges, for example, can become dehydrated, while still looking good externally. Such fruit may be dry and tasteless. Vegetables can develop root problems if they remain waterlogged for long periods. The idea is to keep the ground moist […]

25
Sep

Irrigation technology is making production cheaper

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  • 6 min read

Irrigation technology is expanding rapidly, as computer learning and remote monitoring become more advanced. The technology aims to improve yields, while lowering production costs and minimising the environmental impact of production. Some of the technologies are discussed below. Drip irrigationThis technology, developed in Israel around 1959, enables a precise amount of water and nutrients to […]