Spotlight: The team behind the PlantwisePlus Digital Tools

PlantwisePlus Digital Tools: The PlantwisePlus programme is working to increase access to digital decision support tools and information. These can support farmers and extension workers to make more informed decisions in crop health management. The delivery of these advisory tools across the programme’s member countries is improving the capacity of public and private stakeholders to…
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Free CABI Academy eLearning courses for extension providers available in Rwanda 

CABI Academy
CABI’s new digital learning platform, the CABI Academy, is now available for free for users in Rwanda.   The digital courses are designed for agricultural extension and advisory service providers. They provide important practical advice and resources to participants to grow their knowledge and provide the best possible advice to farmers.
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Anonymisation: Protecting User Rights and Security

With the ever-increasing shift of focus to data-driven practices, the legal obligations around sharing data are a common barrier. Data protection is an important aspect of data security, with the rights of the users within a dataset needing to be maintained and protected. By following the appropriate data protection principles, the risk of harm to…
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PlantwisePlus Toolkit: Applying Digital Development Principles to real life

Digital toolkit
Claire Curry is the Global Team Leader for Specific Objective 1 of CABI’s PlantwisePlus programme, focusing on knowledge delivery to agricultural service providers through digital tools. Claire is a member of the Digital Development team and a ‘Digital Ninja’ at CABI.
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How Nutrient Management Digital Tools are Helping to Combat Climate Change

Fertilizers, whether organic or mineral provide essential macro and micronutrients to crops which results in more productive growth and yields. While proper fertilization is crucial for productivity, there are also negative impacts to the misuse of such products, notably the excessive application of fertilizers on farm plots which can result in the leaching of nutrients…
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Machine Learning within the Agriculture Aid Sector

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used all around us in our personal and professional lives. With constant improvements to technologies and the data science driving these developments, we are now seeing a world where it is common to see AI in some form in everyday life. One such area of AI which is being utilised…
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Being Data-Driven: A New Approach to Decision Making

With many areas of our day-to-day lives becoming digital, from how we communicate to the exposure of previously trapped knowledge across geographic and social boundaries, it is not a surprise that the agricultural sector is also shifting to digital platforms. As such, the adoption of good digital practices at a global scale is important for…
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Digital sustainability: Plantwise tools supporting smallholder farmers

Plant doctor in Malawi using a tablet to share information with a farmer
Digitalisation is a globally occurring process of converting information and systems into a digital form. This shift in the way we use technology to support our lives is due to the improved technologies which allow us to be more strategic, time and cost efficient, reach more people easily and improve commercial properties. Much of the…
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Introducing the “AI Plant Doctor” at the AI Innovation Hub, Vietnam

Young Asian scientists wearing aprons and bucket hats using digital tablet while checking quality of fresh ripe strawberries at spacious modern greenhouse
The application of a Plant Doctor using artificial intelligence – known as the AI Plant Doctor – by BOM Software in collaboration with CABI was introduced to delegates at the exhibition of the launching ceremony of the AI Innovation Hub Incubation Center on October 3rd in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The event was organized…
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Plantwise innovations highlighted in UN Climate Change report

A farmer and a plant doctor discuss crop health problems in the field
CABI’s work in supporting agricultural decision-making for smallholder farmers using innovative digital tools has been featured in a new report by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United Nations body coordinating climate action around the world.
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