ICRISAT: An app that allows farmers to identify pests and diseases using their mobile phones and provides remedial measures is the latest addition to using modern digital tools to benefit smallholder farmers.

 Figure: Farmers are beginning to adopt digital technologies. Photo: ICRISAT

A key feature of the mobile app ‘Plantix’ is automated disease diagnosis. Farmers can upload a photo of their infected crop and the app will provide a diagnosis. Besides giving a diagnosis and steps to mitigate the disease, the app also provides information on preventing the disease in the next cropping season. Farmers are also presented biological treatment options for pest and disease control. Given the rampant overuse of chemical pesticides in India the app will also help disseminate best practice methods to reduce pesticides. The app also features a library of diseases which farmers can refer in case there is no connectivity

Currently, the database has over 60,000 photographs and covers 30 crops in India, 60 crops worldwide and has prescriptions for over 200 crop diseases. Every time a farmer uploads a photograph for diagnosis it will be time marked and georeferenced. Hence, the database also facilitates pest and disease outbreak monitoring and can send early warning messages for specific locations.

Working together with the developers of the app – Progressive Environmental & Agricultural Technologies (PEAT) – ICRISAT aims to build a database of pest and disease images and content for its six mandate crops.

The app can be downloaded on any Android-based mobile device. For farmers without a smart phone an extension worker or farm facilitator or progressive farmer equipped with a tablet or smart phone can be the mediator. To overcome connectivity issues, photographs can be taken and later uploaded when internet connectivity is available.

See http://www.icrisat.org/mobile-app-for-pest-and-disease-management-of-crops/