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Blog

Oct 03
3

The push-pull strategy controls stemborers and striga increasing corn yields

By | Agriculture, Blog

Stemborers and Striga weeds cause significant losses to maize production throughout Africa. Maize yield losses due to stemborers can vary from 20-40%. Striga weeds infest 40% of the arable land in sub-Saharan Africa, causing an annual crop loss of US$ 7 to 13 billion. Around the Lake Victoria basin, infestation by Striga weed causes 30 to 100% loss in maize yield. Weeding for Striga control is both time-consuming and labor-intensive. The use of insecticides for stemborer control is not only expensive and harmful to the environment but is also ineffective.

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Sep 01
6
small vegetables

Are “Plastic” Plants Our Future? Understanding and studying phenotypic plasticity

By | Blog, ECRi, Plant Science, Post

Phenotypic plasticity in plants occurs at all biological scales in every organism. Phenotypic plasticity is defined as the physical and/or metabolic responses of organisms to their environment. Some plastic responses may be strategies that enhance fitness in specific environments. In contrast, other forms of plasticity may be symptoms of stress or pathology, all of which may develop at different time scales. A recent review highlights the characterization, costs, cues, and future perspectives of phenotypic plasticity.

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Jul 25
7

Treatment of COVID-19 pandemic with indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants: A Folklore

By | Blog, ECRi, Post

Two years ago, in 2020, the entire world was engulfed in the COVID19 pandemic, which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus SARSCoV2. As everyone knows by now, the most common symptoms of this disease are fever, dry cough, fatigue, and headache, and can turn into a progressive and severe pneumonia. However, evidence suggests that COVID-19 patients may also develop a variety of neurological complications. Thousands of people died each day because there was no known treatment. The search for treatments and vaccines for this novel coronavirus disease was on.

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Jun 17
9

Grease manages fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) larvae on maize crop

By | Agriculture, Blog, ECRi, Post

Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is a devastating insect, which is known for its polyphagous nature. That is, its ability to feed on various kinds of food sources.  This insect can migrate up to 100 km in a single night and therefore, it becomes a devastating pest in many countries that demands proper management. Recent research has develped a new and innovative technique of managing the larvae on maize plants.

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