The West African locust looks nothing like what Westerners might consider a vegetable plant to be. It is a tree. A true Jack-and-the-beanstalk kind of crop, it is indeed related to beans, albeit ...
Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) is a deciduous and thorny legume tree that is aggressive and fast-growing. The tree’s bark is grayish-brown and furrowed with long, scaly ridges. Honey locusts ...
The Conversation: Mistletoes, locust bean trees and birds work together in Nigeria’s forest ecology
Mistletoes parasitising African locust bean trees in Amurum Forest Reserve. Abidemi Raji Mistletoes are found in a wide range of forest ecosystems. As parasites, they are a fascinating group of plants ...
Mistletoes, locust bean trees and birds work together in Nigeria’s forest ecology
The most serious desert locust outbreak in 70 years could leave nearly 5 million people in East Africa facing starvation, according to the International Rescue Committee (IRC). It comes as many of the countries in the region are already struggling to manage food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A farmers’ association in Kenya’s northern Laikipia area said it was planning aerial spraying of pesticides to combat the worst locust plague since 1954. The FAO estimated one swarm in Kenya to be 40 km wide by 60 km long (25 by 40 miles).
Kenya is battling locust plagues, spurred on by unusual weather patterns, caused by climate change, which have created ideal breeding conditions. Start-up 'The Bug Picture' is helping local communities profit from the pests. The Bug Picture is paying local communities to harvest the insects and mill them, turning them into protein-rich animal feed and organic fertilizer. The insects are ...