Publications by authors named "Rachel Mkandawire"
Article Synopsis
- - Insect pests pose a significant threat to smallholder farming in sub-Saharan Africa, where synthetic pesticides are often hard to access due to health and environmental concerns.
- - A meta-analysis of 99 studies showed that biocontrol methods reduced pest abundance by 63% and crop damage by over 50%, while increasing crop yield by over 60%, and also increased the abundance of natural pest enemies.
- - The findings suggest biocontrol is an effective and sustainable alternative to synthetic pesticides and should be integrated into agricultural policies across SSA to support smallholder farmers.
The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita poses a worldwide threat to agriculture, with an increasing demand for alternative control options since most common nematicides are being withdrawn due to environmental concerns. The biocontrol potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) against plant-parasitic nematodes has been demonstrated, but the modes of action remain to be unraveled. In this study, M.
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