PlantVillage, a department of researchers at Penn State University has developed a phone app that artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect common diseases in cassava and maize.
Dubbed ‘Nuru’ the app is helping farmers to recognize the early onset of viruses. According to Herry Kasunga, GIS specialist based in Tanzania, the symptoms of these diseases are often difficult for farmers to distinguish, which means they regularly go untreated.
The mobile application helps them examine the health of their crops and updates the farmers about shifting weather patterns months in advance. If not detected on time, these viral diseases can spread across an entire yield. Cassava and maize crops are often plagued by different kinds of bacteria and viruses, affecting East Africa’s smallholder farmers for decades. Reports show that more than a third of sub-Saharan Africa’s potential cassava harvest is lost to pests and diseases and could result in annual economic losses of more than US $1.25 billion.
Fall armyworm
In Africa, an estimated 70 million people are dependent on cassava as a primary food source. The fall armyworm poses a major risk to the maize crop. It has been detected in nearly all countries in East Africa and left uncontrolled. The fall armyworm can reduce maize yields by 10-20%. As the most important food staple in the region and widely traded agricultural commodity, the impacts could be devastating. More than 300 million people on the continent depend on maize as a source of food and livelihood.
The artificial intelligence of Nuru is set to protect East Africa’s most valuable crops. So far, the app is being used by over 16,000 farmers in Kenya and 65 farmers in Tanzania.
