Cross-species communication, where signals are sent by one species and perceived by others, is one of the most intriguing types of communication that functionally links different species to form complex ecological networks.
March 27, 2024
Assessing effects of climate change on agricultural systems and the potential for ecological intensification to increase food security in developing countries is essential to guide management, policy-making and future research.
March 27, 2024
Push-pull technology (PPT) employs mixed cropping for sustainable intensification: an intercrop repels or suppresses pests of the focal crop (push), while a trap crop attracts pests out of the field (pull), where they may be targeted for control.
March 27, 2024
Plant volatiles comprise thousands of molecules from multiple metabolic pathways, distinguished by sufficient vapor pressure to evaporate into the headspace under normal environmental conditions.
February 26, 2024
Global food security faces increasing threats from climate change, leading to diseases, pests, drought, water salinity, and rising temperatures.
February 9, 2024
Agreprenourship is highly evident in production technologies such as the PPT technology that has been promoted by the UPSCALE project in the region.
February 9, 2024
Soil degradation is a major underlying cause of poverty and malnutrition in smallholder agrarian communities across the globe. Legume diversification, through polyculture or intercropping, is a strategy that increases yields and income while improving family nutrition. However, the potential for these legume-cereal intercrops to restore soil functions in smallholder fields remains uncertain, with many studies failing to detect increases in soil organic matter.
February 9, 2024
The adoption of sustainable agriculture practices has become critical in the face of rising global difficulties related to achieving food security, combating malnutrition, and mitigating environmental degradation. Within this context, the ‘One Health’ (OH) paradigm emerges as a comprehensive approach encompassing human, plant, animal, and environmental health for planetary well-being. Recognizing the complex interdependencies inherent in global health concerns, this approach emphasizes the importance of integrated and synergistic interventions. This is especially true in agriculture, where an overreliance on synthetic inputs to meet the rising demands of an expanding human population has resulted in serious environmental degradation and devastating loss of biodiversity and their valuable ecosystem services. In response, the development and implementation of agroecological farming systems have gained prominence.
Agricultural production system
February 9, 2024
Push-pull technology provides farmers in East Africa with an eco-friendly strategy that increases crop yield and household income in smallholder cereal systems by controlling pests and improving soil health. Though promising for a sustainably intensified production, push-pull has been used at a limited scale, primarily in maize and sorghum-based production systems.
Agricultural production system • Push-Pull in practice
December 14, 2023
PPT originated in East Africa and is being continuously improved through cycles of interdisciplinary and participatory experimentation. Despite well-documented benefits to farmers and the environment, more institutional support from agricultural extension systems (AES) is needed for PPT to realise significant impact on poverty reduction, food security, and sustainability.