Designing a Pest and Disease Outbreak Warning System for Farmers, Agronomists and Agricultural Input Distributors in East Africa

Abstract

Early warnings of the risks of pest and disease outbreaks are becoming more urgent, with substantial increases in threats to agriculture from invasive pests. With geospatial data improvements in quality and timeliness, models and analytical systems can be used to estimate potential areas at high risk of yield impacts. The development of decision support systems requires an understanding of what information is needed, when it is needed, and at what resolution and accuracy. Here, we report on a professional review conducted with 53 professional agronomists, retailers, distributors, and growers in East Africa working with the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture. The results showed that respondents reported fall armyworm, stemborers and aphids as being among the most common pests, and that crop diversification was a key strategy to reduce their impact. Chemical and cultural controls were the most common strategies for fall armyworm (FAW) control, and biological control was the least known and least used method. Of the cultural control methods, monitoring and scouting, early planting, and crop rotation with non-host crops were most used. Although pests reduced production, only 55% of respondents were familiar with early warning tools, showing the need for predictive systems that can improve farmer response.

Improving Edible Oilseed (Oil Palm) Health and Productivity: Integration of Sustainable Pest Management, Precision Farming, and Stakeholder Collaboration

“…Precision farming technologies enhance the efficacy of pest control measures by ensuring precise delivery of pesticides to target organisms while minimizing exposure to non-target organisms and beneficial insects [76]. By accurately mapping pest distribution patterns and monitoring pest dynamics over time, growers can implement timely and targeted pest management interventions to prevent outbreaks and minimize crop damage [101]. For instance, aerial drones equipped with multispectral cameras and GPS navigation systems enable growers to conduct aerial scouting missions to identify pest hot spots and assess pest damage levels across large agricultural areas.…”

A Pathway towards Climate Services for the Agricultural Sector

“…Early warnings allow farmers to implement targeted pest management strategies, thus reducing the impact on crops, concomitantly preventing plant/crop disease pest outbreaks [140] and minimizing the introduction of alien plant species [141]. Early forecasting of pest and disease dynamics may promote the efficacy of prevention based on monitoring and forecasting improvements, contributing, furthermore, to the limitation of chemical pesticides' applications and consequently to food security, the sustainable development of agriculture [142], and the limitation of environmental pollution which constitutes a master anthropogenic cause of CC [143]. Climate-smart pest management (coordination of crop production, extension, investigations, and policy towards more efficient and resilient food production systems) reduces crop losses, enhances ecosystem services, minimizes the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of food produced, and reinforces the resilience of agricultural systems facing the challenge of CC [144].…”