Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL)

Zambian cassava farmers lose $150 million to crop diseases every year. Read how the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) and PlantVillage are using AI technology to detect, monitor, and forecast pests and diseases to #EndHunger: https://ow.ly/HklJ50TL29H

Interacting with farmers to understand their problems is important, but the best approach is to gather this information and work towards solving those issues. With the same objective of addressing future threats, PlantVillage Nepal, under the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) funded by USAID , has been actively working towards sustainable solutions. With the ongoing climate challenges, agriculture faces significant future threats, and the only sustainable solution is to align farming practices with ecological principles. To achieve this, we conducted the "BioSmart Farmer" program, teaching farmers biological methods for pest management and addressing future agricultural challenges. The principles of BioSmart Farmer emphasize economic relevance, ease of implementation, social coordination, ecological friendliness, health, and sustainability. Farmers were provided with eco-friendly solutions such as biochar, parasitoids, Azolla, Jholmol, and AI tools. We thank Tilattoma Ward-11 for their support in organizing farmers and gathering materials for Jholmol preparation, with special thanks to World Food Forum Nepal Chapter members Diya Ghimire and Kashmila Rana for their invaluable volunteer assistance. The program was further enriched by the insights of our lead farmer, Mukti Narayan Chaudhary. Through the "Problem Tree" exercise, farmers expressed their concerns, which will guide us in planning future programs tailored to their specific needs. Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) PlantVillage Nepal PlantVillage Penn State University USAID

This year, I had the opportunity to serve as a virtual intern for the U.S. Department of State . During my internship, I wrote an article about PlantVillage and how artificial intelligence is being utilized in agriculture. This experience enhanced my ability to communicate effectively, adapt my writing style to different platforms, and contribute meaningfully to the industry's knowledge base and outreach efforts. https://lnkd.in/e7GgsPTK

Maize is the biggest crop grown in Africa and like it or love it, the reality is that smallholder farmers plant it extensively. The reason one might not like it is that it requires a lot of water, can take a lot of nutrients from the soil and lead farmers to the overuse of chemicals combating pests like Fall Armyworm (FAW) and the Striga parasitic plant which have lifestages that are hard to target with available chemicals. (FAW because the later and hungriest stage of the caterpillar is deep in the plant tissue and Striga because the damaging part that suck the life from the plant is underground. The flowers one sees are a two fingered salute). So, this picture is great. Shows the parasitoid* wasps that we as part of Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) have really focused on based on great work by ICIPE - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology and the previous USAID Innovation Lab at Virginia Tech *a parasite that kills its host as a developmental necessity cc Charles Godfray Read more here https://lnkd.in/eejzQkir You can see Justine Ognola, one of our PlantVillage+ Agents in Kenya who is making a good living selling them to neighbors in Kenya (along with hyrbid seeds, biochar fertilizer and storage solutions). The AI insights that were recently highlighted in UK and Kenyan newspapers https://lnkd.in/eQvdtQmU and ?https://lnkd.in/e9-HmZJV Shows how once planted we can then provide AI & human experts (e.g. Chris Funk et al) can support the farmer to get more from her field. Also, notice the intercropping with beans that add nitrogen to the soil We have solutions to food security and carbon capture at scale. Lets scale!! Onwards and upwards!

Climate information services can inform decisions on addressing risks, such as helping farmers decide when and what crops to plant. In Africa’s Sahel region, more than 80 percent of crops are rainfed rather than irrigated, making them highly sensitive to climate change-induced drought and increasingly erratic rain patterns. In 2023, USAID and NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration worked with the Sahel’s main regional meteorology center to extend forecasts from a few days to more than a month so farmers could make strategic decisions for the current and subsequent growing seasons, such as by switching to crops that are better suited for wetter or drier weather. Read here >>https://lnkd.in/dAwQfaNk

The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) is working with farmers and technology to fight Banana Bunchy Top Virus. “We conduct rigorous surveillance of the disease using PlantVillage smartphone apps that utilize artificial intelligence, empowering local youths to monitor banana farms.”? Read more about this technology and how the Innovation Lab is helping Tanzanian farmers: https://ow.ly/AhaJ50TpxJu

Last week, while we were attending the Africa Food System Forum in Rwanda, our team in Nepal represented Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) at the Nepal Food Forum event. At both events, we highlighted our innovations in: * Biological control agents (parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi) for managing Fall armyworm ?? * Climate change mitigation through carbon capture using biochar ?? * Soil-borne pathogen control with Trichoderma ?? * Botanical pesticides made from locally sourced plants with insecticidal properties ?? We are grateful for the chance to collaborate, share, and learn from professionals dedicated to sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. PlantVillage PlantVillage Nepal

I was super excited to attend the #FeedtheFutureAccelerator event on Capitol Hill with Rimnoma Serge OUEDRAOGO this morning. The basic idea is to invest in food baskets like Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania. All places where PlantVillage is active and our Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) works. You can learn more and see the recording here: https://lnkd.in/e4QFJNWs A major theme for Congress is how Food Security = National Security and it was therefore amazing that Jake Sullivan, U.S. National Security Advisor was there. Just as we see Secretary Blinken discuss soil science thanks to the great promotion by Special Envoy for Global Food Security Dr. Cary Fowler I had the chance to once again meet David M. Beasley who remains the clearest voice for me on food security. I greatly enjoyed interacting with him when I was at FAO, along with Ambassador Kip Tom. Food is the issue that brings Democrats and Republicans together and coordinated action is vital Both Senators Coons and Boozman were there and both re-enforced that vital message. Obviously always a please to see Samantha Power up close and I look forward to the day when I actually get to shake the hand of this fellow Dubliner and complement her on her excellent work. So many people speaking today made that point on her tireless and relentless efforts to increase food security. She made mention of the Ireland's significant investments via Irish Aid alongside USAID in the Accelerator countries like Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. I would also add Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation who are funding PlantVillage and others like CABI and LUANAR-Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and ICIPE - International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology to build a national crop health platform, powered by AI to be owned by Malawi but acting as a template for other countries https://madiphs.org/ It was a great pleasure to meet the Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States ???????? and Aoife Erraught Also great to meet AGNES KALIBATA after just seeing her in Rwanda a few weeks ago. My key takeaway is that of opportunity: what we do in the next 2-3 years will decide the next 2-3 decades is what Senator Coons said. For us at PlantVillage at Penn State University we are already in Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania, working with youth, women and government, bringing AI to the accelerator private sector change via PlantVillage+ Such events like the one today bring an enormous amount of hope to this Irish immigrant to ???? Onwards and upwards!

PlantVillage has been working closely with smallholder farmers in Nyandarua County Kenya to tackle Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCN) through innovative approaches. After two seasons of research, study and experiments, the application of biochar fertilizer and banana paper technology proved practical but also highly effective in controlling #nematodes and boosting Irish #potato yields. The fields in Nyandarua region are rich and ideal for this crop, and our recent interactive training sessions left farmers enthusiastic about these new methods. They were particularly excited after a practical workshop on making biochar, which they are eager to apply on their farms. This breakthrough research, driven by our dedicated PlantVillage research students and in collaboration with Moi University, made possible thanks to the generous support of USAID's Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) is set to transform farming practices in the region.? #irishpotato #sustainablefarming #PotatoNematodes

Farmers and Extension Officers across Zambia are embracing cutting-edge #AI technology to combat major pests and protect their crops. This government-led initiative, under Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Current and Emerging Threats to Crops (CETC IL) IL and supported by USAID/Zambia, is empowering smallholder farmers with AI tools, equipping the youth to diagnose pests and diseases right in their communities. Credit: NAIS ?? https://lnkd.in/dSbSCpvm #SmartFarming #AIInAgriculture #CropProtection #ZambiaFarming #TechForGood #Agritech #FarmersFirst #SustainableAgriculture #PestControl #FarmingInnovation