By Steve Chauluka, Contributor
Authorities in Chitipa district have commended the introduction of the Malawi Digital Plant Health Services (MaDiPHS), a government-led project that provides a tool for targeted and efficient pest and disease management of selected crops in Malawi.
The project was introduced in the district during the District’s Executive Committee meeting on Friday by PlantVillage, an organisation which will be implementing the MaDiPHS in Chitipa.
Through the project, PlantVillage will be facilitating the integration of digital platforms to build a digital plant health service that will be utilised by Chitipa district and the nation at large, according to one of the organisation’s field officers Chrissy Awali.
“As an implementing partner in the MaDiPHS project we leverage on the use of artificial intelligence, satellite imaging and smartphones. In this project, farmers will be using our platforms including the PlantVillage mobile application to identify pests and diseases in their fields.
They will also be receiving extension services from both our extension officers online and on ground.”
“With the PlantVillage application, a farmer has the opportunity to receive agriculture advisories in real time. Using their phone, a farmer scan a plant suspected to have pests or disease and they will instantly receive advisories on the management of the pest or the disease. The farmer can also interact with online support staff who respond to issues of pests and diseases that farmers are sending from their fields,” Awali said.
The application according to Awali is user friendly as it supports both Chichewa and English languages adding that it can also be translated to any other local language of preference.
Chitipa District Council’s Director of Administration, Clement Gonthi, commended PlantVillage, noting that the MaDiPHS project is timely, as it will assist farmers in detecting pests and diseases and provide real-time advisories on managing them.
“It has been long since we embraced technology as a district and it is amazing that this technology can now be used in the monitoring of pests and diseases of our crops in the district.
I feel this is a very welcome development to the people of Chitipa, it is going to provide real-time data in as far as diseases for crops is concerned, The good thing is that once we observe these pests and diseases and their threats, action will be taken immediately and this is going to improve our agricultural production in the district,” Gonthi said
PlantVillage works with smallholder farmers across Asia, America and Africa to adapt to climate change, which has intensified crop pests and diseases.
Globally, crop losses due to pests, diseases, and weeds account for an estimated 42%, posing a significant challenge to food security.
The PlantVillage application is a digital AI-based assistant developed to diagnose crop diseases directly in the field, even without an internet connection. So far the priority crops are maize, cassava, banana, groundnuts and tomato. Nonetheless, advisory services are available for all crops.
In addition to Chitipa, MaDiPHS is also being implemented in several other districts, including Lilongwe, Dedza, Salima, Nkhotakota, Thyolo, and Nsanje.
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