Tuta absoluta returns to Nigeria.

The Gombe State Agricultural Development Project (ADP) says that the tomato pest, Tuta Absoluta, has seriously affected tomato harvests in three of the state’s 11 local government areas. Mr Abba Dreba, the Pest Control Officer of the ADP, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Wednesday that the affected local governments were Akko, Kwami and Yamltu-Deba. “The tomato pest started ravaging tomato farms since last year but the ADP was not aware of this until this year; this is because tomato farmers in the affected local government areas were ignorant of the pest. more

Basque university develops tomato ripening measurement device.

Basque university develops tomato ripening measurement device. The research by the UPV/EHU's Department of Analytical Chemistry has used a portable Raman spectrometer, an instrument widely used in other fields such as analyzing works of art, to monitor tomatoes. This is useful because tomatoes ripen in various phases in which the color of the fruit undergoes changes By using this mobile measuring device that analyses the molecular composition of the fruit, the producer can monitor tomatoes in situ and find out when they have reached their point of optimum ripeness. see

How to use a soil blocking machine to grow crops.

An Italian company,Marconi grows crops,herbs and salad of high quality and density using a soil blocking machine. The introduction of a soil blocking machine enabled Marconi to achieve an improved market position and higher than ever returns. The FL'EX PP22 Soil Blocking Machine produces consistent and stronger soil blocks much more quickly. This automation solution enabled Marconi to realise a higher quality soil block immediately. see

The benefits of lemon grass.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon) is a tall perennial plant from the Poaceae grass family, which thrives in tropical and subtropical regions, such as in India, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, China and Guatemala. This plant grows in dense clumps and has bright green, sharp-edged leaves, similar to grass. Lemongrass is a popular flavoring in Asian cooking — added to curries and soups, or paired with beef, fish, poultry and seafood. Fresh lemongrass is also used to make lemongrass tea. Lemon grass is used to make a refreshing foot bath. Add two drops to a bowl of warm water, and soak your feet for 10 minutes. If your feet are aching, add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salts. Lemon grass can be used as message oil,this is done by mixing with almond oil. Lemon grass can be used to kill fleas and lice on dog's coat. This done by spraying diluted lemongrass oil all over his coat. You can also soak his collar in it, add it to his final rinse after shampooing, or spray it on his bedding.13 Do not use lemongrass oil on your cat, however, as it can be very toxic to felines, and even cause liver damage to them over a period of time. more

East meets West in Indonesian fusion food.

From a restaurant serving burgers and pizzas made with local noodles to a social media star giving street food a touch of haute cuisine, a new wave of innovative chefs are putting a modern twist on Indonesia's traditional fare. New eateries have sprung up rapidly in recent years in the capital Jakarta offering a wide array of foreign foods to cater to a growing consumer class which has emerged after a long economic boom. But rather than focus entirely on cuisine from overseas, some chefs decided to fuse the new influences with age-old Indonesian foods.more

Growing edible fungus is a thriving industry in NE China.

Edible fungus is an ingredient in most Chinese delicacy,thus the growing of edible fungus is thriving fast. The fungus has long been a popular ingredient in many Chinese dishes and also used in Chinese medicine thus growing edible fungus has become an important industry in some regions of the country. Greenhouses are springing up in the country where the edible fungus is grown see

Feline diabetes incidence increases when dry food is the diet.

A new study has shown that feline diabetes incidence increases when dry food is the diet. The study shows the risk of cats fed with dry food developing diabetes ,even cats with normal weight fed with dry foods have a risk of developing diabetes. The study which was conducted by an online survey,had various questions such as age,breed, diet,exercise,neuter/spay status,body weight,medication,exercise and behavior.The result of the survey further provided a platform for classifying the cats based on diet,with cats fed dry food in a section,cats with wet food in another and those fed a combination of the 2 diets types. The research showed that obesity was a precursor for feline diabetes but also that cats with normal weights fed with dry food were at risk of diabetes. The underlying cause is that dry food(kibble) is rich in carbohydrates and all these carbohydrates breakdown to sugars which triggers diabetes. Cats should be fed on low carbohydrate diet and even treats with high carbohydrate level should be avoided.