PlantwisePlus Blog

Finding accurate, locally contextualised information at the right time is essential for tackling crop pests. Digital agriculture tools are helping farmers and those who advise them by putting expert knowledge directly in their hands.

1. Early pest diagnosis

When an unknown crop problem arises, farmers need to quickly access trustworthy advice on what it is and how to address it safely. Digital tools can provide on-the-spot information. Some digital tools now let users upload photographs of symptoms and receive accurate identification within seconds.

Shahadul Islam, a rice farmer from Bangladesh, has benefited from using digital tools. With the support of an agricultural officer, Shahadul started using the PlantwisePlus Factsheets App. It helped him identify crop problems quickly in the field and adopt integrated solutions, such as balanced fertilizer application, timely irrigation, proper field sanitation, and careful seed selection. As a result, Shahadul reduced unnecessary inputs, helping him cut his farming costs.

2. Precision dosage calculations

Using the correct amount of plant protection product prevents farmers from wasting money by using more product than they need. It can also harm human health and the environment.

However, calculating the right product amount for different sprayer sizes is a challenge for many farmers and spray service advisors. As Wilfred Kyalo, a 28-year-old agripreneur in Kenya, explains, “Sometimes I underused the chemical, and farmers complained of pest resurgence. Other times, I overused, and the excess went to waste.”

The Crop Sprayer app helps with tricky dosage calculations. When Wilfred started using it during mango-spraying season, the impact was immediate. “With one click, the app calculates the exact pesticide and water amounts I need for each farm and each sprayer size,” he says. “For me, that meant no more wastage, no more back-and-forth for extra water.”

His productivity increased dramatically.  In his first month using the app, he completed over 30 farm jobs, more than he had ever managed in such a short time.  “The Crop Sprayer App has made my work easier, faster, and more professional. I now make informed decisions, use fewer chemicals, and earn more.”

3. Capacity building

Agricultural extension is much more than pest identification and advice. Business, communication, and market knowledge all matter. Online learning platforms are helping farmer advisors learn about a wide range of agriculture-related subjects.

CABI Academy offers flexible online courses covering a range of agricultural skills, including pest diagnosis and management, gender-responsive extension, and agribusiness.

Ignitious Chilembo, a Senior Agricultural Research Officer at the Zambia Agricultural Research Institute, completed the Reducing Pesticide Risk course to refresh his understanding of the topic.

“This course helped me understand that while pesticides can save a crop quickly, misusing them costs a lot more money in the long run,” he explains. The course equipped him to advise farmers to try non-chemical methods first, helping save money and reduce pesticide risk.

These courses are helping extension workers build farmers’ capabilities across a broad spectrum of agricultural topics, enabling them to control pests and run profitable farms.

4. Bridging the gender gap

Women farmers often face barriers to accessing traditional extension services. Travel, time constraints, and social barriers can make attending in-person plant clinics difficult.

AI-enabled advisory tools can make agricultural information more accessible for women farmers. These tools provide a broad range of information, such as pest diagnosis, weather-based alerts, and IPM recommendations. Moreover, advice can be available via voice interfaces and in local languages. Tools are also designed for low-bandwidth platforms, aligning with the realities of rural farmers with unreliable connectivity, limited data, and outdated devices.

Malvika Chaudhary, Global Team Leader for digital tool promotion at CABI, explains: “Women farmers typically produce 20-30% lower yields than men, largely due to limited access to agricultural advice. AI-powered tools are helping bridge the gender digital divide by providing women with timely, hyperlocal guidance and reducing their dependence on extension officers for information on agriculture.”

5. Accessing more sustainable pest control options

Digital tools are helping farmers adopt more sustainable farming practices by providing information on IPM and pesticide alternatives, such as biological controls.

Biological control products originate in nature and, as such, cause less environmental disruption than conventional pesticides. But finding the right product for a specific pest problem can be difficult for farmers and advisors.

The CABI BioProtection Portal is a global database of biocontrol products, searchable by pest, crop, and location. Users can identify products registered and available in their country for their specific pest problem.

When chilli black thrips devastated crops across southern India in 2021, conventional pesticides often failed. Farmers faced mounting costs and crop losses as repeated chemical applications proved ineffective against the pest.

The CABI Bioprotection Portal became a key tool in the response, helping farmers and advisors identify locally available biocontrol products effective against thrips.

An awareness campaign across Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu reached over 6,000 farmers with information on how the CABI BioProtection Portal and other PlantwisePlus digital tools can help tackle pest outbreaks. Farmers learned not only which biological products to use, but also how to integrate them within an IPM strategy.

By making biological options visible and accessible, the campaign helped farmers shift toward integrated pest management, reducing chemical use while protecting yields and the environment.

Finding reliable digital agriculture tools

 The Crop App Index website helps users find crop health-related digital tools that support their decision-making.  

CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme is developing and promoting digital advisory tools to increase farmers’ access to the information they need to adopt safe and effective agricultural practices. Find out more about the PlantwisePlus digital tools.

PlantwisePlus gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Directorate-General for International Cooperation, Netherlands (DGIS); European Commission Directorate General for International Partnerships (INTPA); UK International Development from the UK government; and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).