PlantwisePlus

PlantwisePlus is a global programme led by CABI that empowers smallholder farmers to increase their incomes and improve food security and safety while reducing biodiversity loss through sustainable crop production practices.

Background

Smallholder farmers rely on extension services and other agricultural service providers to provide practical advisory information. Advisors need access to decision-support information to serve these farmers' broad needs. Digital advisory services and tools have increased significantly in the past few years. However, many of these services and products struggle to reach all advisors, including women.

PlantwisePlus equips agricultural service providers with gender-equitable resources and decision-support tools and ensures that essential information and learning materials are easily accessible for plant health monitoring and management.

PlantwisePlus Digital Tools

Farmers’ crops are increasingly at the mercy of climate change, pests and diseases. Smallholders need access to advisory services to support them in managing these and other plant health issues.

The PlantwisePlus digital advisory tools provide farmers with access to the information they need to adopt safe and effective agricultural practices. These digital tools also help build the capacity of public and private stakeholders so they can better support smallholder farmers in diagnosing and treating health problems using sustainable solutions.

CABI Academy

CABI Academy (https://academy.cabi.org/ ) is a digital learning web platform that brings together CABI’s expertise in plant health, extension, agricultural research, and education to create a suite of online interactive training courses that build capacity and strengthen the advice available to farmers. The courses are designed to support teachers, trainers, students, researchers, and practitioners in agricultural education institutions and in the workplace. They provide interactive exercises and resources to help participants learn about diagnosing and managing pests & diseases. The materials work equally well for self-study, providing all the required information and context.

The five courses, Crop Pest Diagnosis (CPD), Crop Pest Management (CPM), Introduction to Bioprotection Products (IBP), Introduction to Water Management course, and Sustainable Soil Management Practices, together provide a comprehensive methodology for diagnosing and proactively controlling pests and diseases as well as biological control solutions for managing them. They also provide a good understanding of soil management and water management in a changing climate context.

CABI Bioprotection Portal

The CABI BioProtection Portal is the largest free global resource of country-registered biocontrol and biopesticide products with information on how to use them. We aim to help growers and agricultural advisors select sustainable crop pest control products, by identifying, sourcing and correctly applying biological products.

The portal is available in the local language and English, online and offline, and on smartphones, tablets and desktop.

PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank

A free-to-use website providing global and country-specific resources on crop health and pest management. Available in 100+ languages. The PlantwisePlus Knowledge Bank is a free website that shares global and country-specific advice on crop health and pest management. It links all actors in the plant health system to the information they need to take timely action against crop pests and diseases.

Open-access content is available in over 100 languages and includes Pest Management Decision Guides, Factsheets, and Photo Guides, plus tools to help users identify pests and manage their crops.

The Plantwise Factsheets app

The PlantwisePlus Factsheets is a free Android and iOS app with up-to-date information that supports the diagnosis and safe management of crop pests in the form of Plantwise Factsheets for Farmers and Pest Management Decision Guides. It contains information and images specific to 35 countries and is available in local languages. The app gives farmer advisors access to the most up-to-date, relevant plant health information with the safest advice on pest and disease management on mobile devices. Users can download country-specific factsheet packs with an internet connection for offline use, such as when in the field.

Crop Sprayer app

The Crop Sprayer is a free Android-based app that helps farmers and farmer advisors make the calculations required to ensure the correct amount of pesticides is used when treating crops. The app calculates the amount of pesticide concentrate to use, the total amount of Plant protection product/pesticide required, the number of tanks required to spray an area, and the adjustment of calculations for a different-size sprayer. Once downloaded, the app works offline, so farmers and advisors can access the information in the field.

The Pest Diagnostic Simulator (PDS)

Pest Diagnostic Simulator is a web-based game that allows you to test your plant pest and disease investigation and diagnosis skills through multiple scenarios. The game supports and reinforces investigation and diagnosis skills through engaging gameplay and real-time feedback.

The game teaches fundamental concepts and provides users with opportunities to apply new skills, knowledge, and ideas in a practical and controlled setting that mirrors real-world scenarios