Control of Mites in Honey Bees
An Improved Method for Ripening Mangoes
Eating Green Leaves
Cranberry Hibiscus
Rice Genome Mapped
Drying Green Leaves in the Sun
Articles
Eating Green Leaves
David Kennedy
A few years ago (August, 1999), David Kennedy from Leaf for Life shared some experiences with drying leaves in Latin America.
Control of Mites in Honey Bees
Dawn Berkelaar, Kristin Davis & Darrel Cox
Varroa mites (two strains of Varroa destructor), which parasitize the Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) over much of the world, can seriously weaken and even kill honey bee colonies. Some possibilities for control are discussed.
Cranberry Hibiscus
Dawn Berkelaar
Cranberry hibiscus is one of the most striking and colorful plants in the “edible landscape” section at ECHO.
Drying Green Leaves in the Sun
Dawn Berkelaar
A booklet by Leaf for Life called “Drying Green Leaves in the Sun” has some helpful hints about drying leaves and what to do with the leaf powder.
Rice Genome Mapped
In late January of this year [2001], two private companies announced that they have mapped the entire genome (i.e. all of the genes) of the rice variety ‘NIPPON barre.’
An Improved Method for Ripening Mangoes
Darrell Cox
“Mangoes are generally harvested when fully matured, but green. The conventional method of ripening in hay has disadvantages like long ripening time, excessive handling, and a high degree of spoilage due to stem-end rot. The spoilage during the ripening period is reported to be as high as 25-30%. In order to improve upon the ripening method, a simple technique has been worked out. It consists of dipping the fully matured, but green mangoes in hot water at 126ºF (52ºC) for 5 minutes, draining and keeping at room temperature until adhering surface water evaporates.
Insecticide-treated Nets for Malaria Control: a Directory of Suppliers of Insecticides and Mosquito Nets for sub-Saharan Africa
In EDN issue 68, we published an article on treating bednets with insecticide for the prevention of malaria. This is a technique which is currently being widely promoted throughout the developing world. It seems very effective when compared to other low-cost methods of malaria prevention. Since publishing that issue, we received a request for sources of the insecticides used in the process. We found a useful web site which gives sources for purchasing nets and appropriate insecticides in sub-Saharan Africa. If you have access to the World Wide Web, you can read this document at (http://www.synapse.net/~path/ direct.html). If you do not have access to the web and live or work in sub-Saharan Africa, you may write to ECHO for a printed copy of the list.
Grants from the International Foundation for Science
The International Foundation for Science (IFS) is an NGO that provides support to scientists in developing countries to do research on the management, use and conservation of biological resources. IFS awards research grants in amounts up to US$12,000. Research periods usually last one to three years, and awards may be renewed up to two times. The awards are intended for purchase of research equipment, supplies and literature. Awards are not intended for salary, travel or education. The selection process is rigorous, and the criteria are very specific (see below). Since 1974, IFS has provided support to over 2,900 scientists in 99 developing countries.
Citrus Refractometers
A friend of ECHO recently wrote to us on behalf of a farmer in Chile who raises naval oranges. Apparently oranges are attheir sweetest when they are still green. When the farmer thinks they have reached the pinnacle of sweetness, he moves them to a greenhouse, where they turn orange. We were asked whether there is a device he can use to test the oranges for sweetness. Danny Blank, ECHO’s farm manager, had this response.