Sarah Arnold
@sejarnold.bsky.social
Entomologist, likes pollination, insect behaviour, IPM, horticulture and agriculture, sustainability, nature and especially wild bees.
Works at Niab (UK). Views my own. she/her
Neurodivergent, quirky, sometimes wrong but usually teachable.
Works at Niab (UK). Views my own. she/her
Neurodivergent, quirky, sometimes wrong but usually teachable.
That resonates with me too. One reason I am not in HE any more is because I ran out of ability to give what students needed. I wanted to do right by them but systematically it felt like we had fewer resources to meet more complex needs every year.
November 29, 2025 at 6:40 PM
That resonates with me too. One reason I am not in HE any more is because I ran out of ability to give what students needed. I wanted to do right by them but systematically it felt like we had fewer resources to meet more complex needs every year.
I have free DeepL, and it's pretty good online. But I haven't found any definitive information saying the pro version works offline for speech, and at least one site suggesting it doesn't. If someone can say, "Yes, I paid, and used it for speech without internet," I'm all in but I've not found that.
November 27, 2025 at 1:06 AM
I have free DeepL, and it's pretty good online. But I haven't found any definitive information saying the pro version works offline for speech, and at least one site suggesting it doesn't. If someone can say, "Yes, I paid, and used it for speech without internet," I'm all in but I've not found that.
Happy to pay for such a service, but I've tried about 10 apps in the last 2 weeks that all were claimed to do this, and in every case, either voice doesn't work offline, or that language pairing isn't supported for offline use.
November 27, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Happy to pay for such a service, but I've tried about 10 apps in the last 2 weeks that all were claimed to do this, and in every case, either voice doesn't work offline, or that language pairing isn't supported for offline use.
Thanks to Takebayashi and Michelin fruit farms for letting me visit, and @innovateuk.bsky.social Business Connect for enabling this fact-finding trip to Brazil to learn about different elements of a diversified climate-smart agricultural system.
November 26, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Thanks to Takebayashi and Michelin fruit farms for letting me visit, and @innovateuk.bsky.social Business Connect for enabling this fact-finding trip to Brazil to learn about different elements of a diversified climate-smart agricultural system.
Argh, sorry, forgot alt-text for second image. A ripe strawberry on which a small fruit fly sits, with distinctive dark spots on the tips of its wings.
November 26, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Argh, sorry, forgot alt-text for second image. A ripe strawberry on which a small fruit fly sits, with distinctive dark spots on the tips of its wings.
Reposted by Sarah Arnold
Ditto with final talk #AAB_IPPM by @sejarnold.bsky.social NIAB surveying parasitoid wasp diversity on aphids from strawberry crops in Kent. 4 main species found plus hyperparasitoids. eDNA barcoding showed more. Little relationship to local vegetation. Sadly missed rest or risk missing train.
November 12, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Ditto with final talk #AAB_IPPM by @sejarnold.bsky.social NIAB surveying parasitoid wasp diversity on aphids from strawberry crops in Kent. 4 main species found plus hyperparasitoids. eDNA barcoding showed more. Little relationship to local vegetation. Sadly missed rest or risk missing train.
Keeping with willow-carrot aphid, Mst Atikunnaher has been screening different carrot cultivars for resistance, but the most exciting findings came from companion cropping with garlic-chives, which may offer protection to carrot crops. #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Keeping with willow-carrot aphid, Mst Atikunnaher has been screening different carrot cultivars for resistance, but the most exciting findings came from companion cropping with garlic-chives, which may offer protection to carrot crops. #AAB_IPPM
Jude Bennison (ADAS) updates us on aphids of organic celery - mostly willow-carrot. Commercial Aphidius will parasitise but be patient (14 days). Can boost numbers with banker plants! Netting hit-and-miss - damaged netting can do more harm than good. #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Jude Bennison (ADAS) updates us on aphids of organic celery - mostly willow-carrot. Commercial Aphidius will parasitise but be patient (14 days). Can boost numbers with banker plants! Netting hit-and-miss - damaged netting can do more harm than good. #AAB_IPPM
Amma Simon presents some work about aphids and fusarium on wheat; R. padi goes on leaves/stems, S. avenae on heads, which also can get Fusarium. Therefore, S.a. avoids Fusarium-infected wheat but R.p. does not, and can benefit from infection! #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Amma Simon presents some work about aphids and fusarium on wheat; R. padi goes on leaves/stems, S. avenae on heads, which also can get Fusarium. Therefore, S.a. avoids Fusarium-infected wheat but R.p. does not, and can benefit from infection! #AAB_IPPM
Ilma Qonaah has been examining wheat resistance to the aphid-vectored BYDV. She compared 2 apparently resistant strains, finding one had low transmission of virus (resists fast), whereas the other had high transmission but the virus didn't replicate (resists more slowly). #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Ilma Qonaah has been examining wheat resistance to the aphid-vectored BYDV. She compared 2 apparently resistant strains, finding one had low transmission of virus (resists fast), whereas the other had high transmission but the virus didn't replicate (resists more slowly). #AAB_IPPM
Tom Ashfield and a multidisciplinary team have been looking at using multispectral imaging to detect slugs in fields. By targeting on the areas with high slug density, the amount of product (molluscicide/nematodes) can be reduced, with economic and environmental benefits. #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
Tom Ashfield and a multidisciplinary team have been looking at using multispectral imaging to detect slugs in fields. By targeting on the areas with high slug density, the amount of product (molluscicide/nematodes) can be reduced, with economic and environmental benefits. #AAB_IPPM
Cliven Njekete has been looking at multi-target biocontrol plants - plants which use volatiles, root exudates, physical properties, banker plant properties, trap plant properties, etc. to help control multiple pests via one or more modalities. Tagetes spp. promising candidates. #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Cliven Njekete has been looking at multi-target biocontrol plants - plants which use volatiles, root exudates, physical properties, banker plant properties, trap plant properties, etc. to help control multiple pests via one or more modalities. Tagetes spp. promising candidates. #AAB_IPPM
Sereene Ghariani presents work on RNAi for management of cabbage stem flea beetle - another possibility to deal with this very damaging pest. Once the tech is trialled a bit more, can it be adapted relatively easily to other beetle pests of crops? #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Sereene Ghariani presents work on RNAi for management of cabbage stem flea beetle - another possibility to deal with this very damaging pest. Once the tech is trialled a bit more, can it be adapted relatively easily to other beetle pests of crops? #AAB_IPPM
Amrithapriya Bindu (JIC) has been looking at Sinapis alba, as a potential source of resistance traits relevant to oilseed rape in the ongoing battle with cabbage stem flea beetle. S. alba cultivars are very variable in their palatability to CSFB adults! #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Amrithapriya Bindu (JIC) has been looking at Sinapis alba, as a potential source of resistance traits relevant to oilseed rape in the ongoing battle with cabbage stem flea beetle. S. alba cultivars are very variable in their palatability to CSFB adults! #AAB_IPPM
Andrew Gladman (ADAS) talks about alyssum companion planting for control of thrips - both drawing the thrips away from the crop and also boosting populations of biocontrols like Orius. Exciting potential, should be interesting to see the system getting optimised. #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Andrew Gladman (ADAS) talks about alyssum companion planting for control of thrips - both drawing the thrips away from the crop and also boosting populations of biocontrols like Orius. Exciting potential, should be interesting to see the system getting optimised. #AAB_IPPM
On to Avice Hall, explaining how monitoring environmental conditions can reduce the number of powdery mildew sprays needed for strawberry dramatically (yes please!) and the role of silicon nutrient in cutting both powdery mildew and two-spotted spider-mite. Might need to try that myself! #AAB_IPPM
November 12, 2025 at 10:44 AM
On to Avice Hall, explaining how monitoring environmental conditions can reduce the number of powdery mildew sprays needed for strawberry dramatically (yes please!) and the role of silicon nutrient in cutting both powdery mildew and two-spotted spider-mite. Might need to try that myself! #AAB_IPPM
Paul Wilson starts us off with insights into productivity and sustainability in UK agriculture, and his "10 drivers of farm success" - a lot is about willingness to seek new information and look at the business case for interventions on a crop (margins v. yields). #AAB_IPPM #SustainableAgriculture
November 12, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Paul Wilson starts us off with insights into productivity and sustainability in UK agriculture, and his "10 drivers of farm success" - a lot is about willingness to seek new information and look at the business case for interventions on a crop (margins v. yields). #AAB_IPPM #SustainableAgriculture
Jonathan Jones works us through case studies of precision breeding for disease-resistant crops, enabling pesticide reduction. Highlights challenges of determining PBA-compatibility where receptor genes come from/are based on diploid crop ancestors or near relative species. #AAB_IPPM
November 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Jonathan Jones works us through case studies of precision breeding for disease-resistant crops, enabling pesticide reduction. Highlights challenges of determining PBA-compatibility where receptor genes come from/are based on diploid crop ancestors or near relative species. #AAB_IPPM
Jim Dunwell brings us up to date with ACRE (Advisory Committee for Releases into the Environment) oversight and procedures relevant to the Precision Breeding Act - new legislation/processes to allow precision-bred crops, including with pest/pathogen resistance, to be grown in England. #AAB_IPPM
November 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Jim Dunwell brings us up to date with ACRE (Advisory Committee for Releases into the Environment) oversight and procedures relevant to the Precision Breeding Act - new legislation/processes to allow precision-bred crops, including with pest/pathogen resistance, to be grown in England. #AAB_IPPM
Allah Bakhsh showed us some results of dsRNA bioassays on colorado beetle - exciting prospects for control. Then Rosemary Collier discussed IPM in fresh produce, and what needs doing as more plant protection products disappear from growers' toolkit. #AAB_IPPM
November 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Allah Bakhsh showed us some results of dsRNA bioassays on colorado beetle - exciting prospects for control. Then Rosemary Collier discussed IPM in fresh produce, and what needs doing as more plant protection products disappear from growers' toolkit. #AAB_IPPM
Meghan England @teagasc.bsky.social has been surveying Irish farmers about their use of biocontrol/biostimulants. Many farmers have tried them somewhat, and many are positive about trying, but lack of knowledge identified as a barrier. Farmer testimonials increase uptake! #AAB_IPPM
November 11, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Meghan England @teagasc.bsky.social has been surveying Irish farmers about their use of biocontrol/biostimulants. Many farmers have tried them somewhat, and many are positive about trying, but lack of knowledge identified as a barrier. Farmer testimonials increase uptake! #AAB_IPPM