PlantwisePlus develops agro-input dealer training scheme with Bangladesh government
Pest outbreaks in Bangladesh are causing a rapid increase in the sale of pesticides. Farmers are turning to chemical products such as fungicides, herbicides and insecticides to manage pests, which they often buy from their local agro-input dealer. However, these chemicals can harm the environment and human health. In Bangladesh, pesticide risks are significant due…
How PlantwisePlus and partners are supporting Assam’s agricultural future
From July to December last year, Assam Agricultural University (AAU) in Jorhat hosted a series of initiatives under the CABI-led PlantwisePlus programme to strengthen plant health services and enhance crop productivity. Co-organized by CABI, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), and AAU, the events demonstrated how Integrated Pest Management (IPM) trainings, plant clinics, plant health…
What do agro-dealers in Nepal prefer when it comes to sustainability standards?
Agro-dealers in Nepal can play a pivotal role in reducing the risks associated with pesticide use, such as harm to human health and the environment. They are a key source of pest management advice for smallholder farmers. However, many lack access to accurate information about risk reduction and safer plant protection products. How can we implement better…
Crop Sprayer app helps young spray service providers build sustainable businesses
In Makueni County, Kenya, young spray service providers are transforming how smallholder farmers manage pests. The Crop Sprayer app, developed by CABI PlantwisePlus, is helping agripreneurs reduce pesticide risks through accurate dosage calculations, protecting farmer budgets, human health and the environment.
CABI Academy plant health management courses are helping to improve extension support
CABI Academy is a global learning hub for people who want to boost their expertise in agriculture under the CABI-led global programme, PlantwisePlus. Since 2020, it has been home to a range of interactive, self-paced online courses, including Crop Pest Diagnosis (CPD) and Crop Pest Management (CPM). Designed to strengthen learners’ skills in crop pest diagnosis and management, these two courses build valuable knowledge covering a wide range of pests, from plant…
Most read blogs of 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, we’ve tallied the numbers to reveal the top 10 most read blogs on the PlantwisePlus Blog this year, plus a few firm favourites! Our most read blogs feature voices from those benefiting from our work, as well as crop pest guides, digital tools, and invasive species management, highlighting the…
PlantwisePlus generating long-term impact and economic returns – here’s how
PlantwisePlus is changing lives. Today, Anthony Ssenyonga, 29, is an agro-input dealer, plant doctor, and entrepreneur in Uganda, but his story began very differently. Before his rise to digital agricultural champion, Anthony was a small-scale vegetable farmer, helping local households and schools to grow produce more cost-effectively. PlantwisePlus has played a transformative role in his…
PlantwisePlus marks five years of impact at FAO’s Science and Innovation Forum
On 13 October 2025, PlantwisePlus and its core donors co-hosted a networking reception at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome to celebrate five years of the programme. Following the FAO’s Science and Innovation Forum, diplomats from countries across the global North and South, FAO colleagues, and agricultural researchers…
Meet Shahadul Islam: the rice farmer using digital tools to improve yield and quality
Meet Shahadul Islam, a farmer from Jhenaidah District, Bangladesh. Shahadul is now a local role model for sustainable rice production, having adopted the PlantwisePlus digital tools and transformed his farming practices. For nearly a decade, Shahadul cultivated rice on his one-acre land. He regularly faced pest and disease challenges such as rice blast and brown…
Burundi strengthens food security and adds PlantwisePlus pest management training to 40 agricultural schools
Burundi has been busy stepping up its efforts to train more PlantwisePlus plant doctors to meet the country’s need to strengthen its food security and help more farmers grow more and lose less to crop pests and diseases.