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…
Meet the plant doctor bringing CABI Academy to India’s agricultural advisors
In India’s Tirupati District, Andhra Pradesh, plant health training with CABI Academy is playing a vital role in strengthening agricultural practices and supporting extension professionals. Meet M. Bhaskaraiah, the Assistant Director of Agriculture and District Training Coordinator for the Department of Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh. He works with agricultural advisors, strengthening capacity through hands-on knowledge…
The ‘plant’ doctor will see you now
This blog was originally published on Good Food Movement Until five years ago, M. Muthulakshmi, a farmer from Thoppupatti village in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, relied heavily on chemicals, including banned antibiotics like streptomycin, for her paddy crop. It was her go-to solution to treat bacterial blight, a deadly disease that affects crop yield. But, this…
Piloting a CABI crop health advisory chatbot
Last year, CABI’s Digital Development team, in coordination with colleagues in Kenya and India, embarked on a journey to pilot an agri-advisory chatbot. This initiative was informed by prior stakeholder engagement activities under the Generative AI for Agriculture Advisory (GAIA) project, where key insights were gathered to ensure generative AI tools meet the needs of…
Chilli black thrips outbreak: supporting Indian farmers to protect crops sustainably
Outbreaks of Thrips parvispinus, commonly known as chilli black thrips or Southeast Asian thrips, are causing challenges for smallholder farmers in India. These tiny, dark-coloured invasive pests are responsible for considerable economic losses, particularly for growers who rely on chilli crops as a primary source of income. Chilli black thrips are notorious for their aggressive…
How PlantwisePlus and Grameen Foundation are driving change for women farmers in India
In India, women farmers play a crucial role in agriculture, contributing significantly to activities like seed production, sowing, weeding, transplanting, threshing, and harvesting. Despite making up a substantial portion of the agricultural workforce, their access to advisory services is limited. Many agricultural services do not cater to their specific needs, resulting in a gap between…
Human-centred design workshop in India helps shape PlantwisePlus digital tools
Smallholder farmers rely on extension services and other agricultural service providers for effective advisory information. To serve the broad needs of farmers, advisors need access to decision-support information. Digital tools can offer many advantages to advisors, such as providing easy access to relevant information and improving decision-making.
India Update: Pest Risk Analysis workshop
A Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) allows National Plant Protection Organisations (NPPOs) to assess risks posed by pests or pathways of quarantine concern and identify options to manage those risks. In early Jun, CABI, in collaboration with the National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM), conducted a five-day regional workshop on PRA using CABI decision-support tools.…
Agricultural digitalization: Opportunities and challenges discussed at workshop in India
Authors: Dr R. Rajkumar, Principal scientist, (MSSRF) and Akanksha Nagpal, Manju Thakur (CABI) Digital tools have the potential to improve agricultural productivity, sustainability, and adaptability. Alongside longtime partners, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), CABI recently participated in a workshop hosted by the Resilience Project. The workshop, entitled “Digitalization of Agriculture: Current Challenges, Responses and Opportunities…
Empowering women farmers with digital tools in India
In India, 59 per cent of women work in agriculture. This workforce is vital to the country’s rural economy, with women performing many of the big farming jobs, such as planting, weeding, tending, and harvesting crops.