ICT: enhancing plant production at field level
Mike Robson, Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO
27th October 2010
FAO’s strategic objective A: Sustainable Crop
Production Intensification
ICT in plant production offers considerable potential to support sustainable intensification
farmers have a major need for technical knowledge – new technologies for production intensification are “knowledge-intensive”...
this knowledge is not always “hi-tech”
extensionists (and others) need local knowledge to help farmers overcome production constraints, avoid unnecessary use of resources, etc
Introduction
technical knowledge transfer
provision of technical knowledge to farmers in the form of agricultural extension has a long history, but:
extension has experienced a long period of funding decline...
new paradigms are emerging in extension, going beyond technology transfer to considering the broader context (eg farm incomes and livelihoods) [Swanson et al, WB, 2010]
farmers now have access to many more sources of information than previously (input supply dealers, privatised extension services, farmers’ or commodity associations, etc), via mobile phone or other ICTs
challenges remain of how to:
ensure that knowledge meets real (actual + latent) demand? identify where techniques are adopted, or adapted, locally? encourage further sharing to achieve impact at scale?
“one-way” knowledge transfer is unlikely to have much benefit, unless re-inforced in
local communities and institutions
local knowledge-gathering related to sustainable intensification
Is the field problem observable -> need for expertise in identification, sampling, data management, analysis (what data)
Motivation, involvement (why is it needed)
Infrastructure (how will it be collected/shared)
Resources (who collects)
Use (who benefits and how)
four examples from plant protection1. Locust surveillance (Mauritania to India)
2. Monitoring multiplication sites for cassava disease (Central Africa)
3. Roving crop pest surveys (India)
4. Large scale pest reporting (Uganda/Tanzania)
problem: how to survey rapidly changingDesert Locust upsurges in remote areas, toplan locust control campaigns?
1. e-Locust2:
KNOWLEDGE AT WORK:
Nomads, travelers and farmers see signs of locust
activity
KNOWLEDGE AT WORK:
Survey teams record field observations and
communicate locust activity
KNOWLEDGE AT WORK:
Based on LocustWatch, action is taken to address the
situation
KNOWLEDGE AT WORK:
FAO analyses information from all countries and other sources to assess current
situation and publish forecasts
KNOWLEDGE AT WORK:
National Locus Centres enter field data in information system for assessment
INFORMATION FLOW
INFORMATION FLOW
PUBLICATIONS:
In various formats and media
GLOBAL INFORMATION NETWORK:
Face-to-face interactions and Information/communication
technologies to help connect people and share information
SUPPORTING INFORMATION FLOW AND THE DESERT LOCUST KNOWLEDGE NETWORK
INFORMATION FLOW
INFORMATION FLOW
INFORMATION FLOW
INFORMATION FLOW
KNOWLEDGE AT WORK:
Partner organizations (universities and private sector) work with FAO to continually improve analytical
tools
INFORMATION FLOW
2. Cassava multiplication (C. Africa)
problem: how to monitor CBSD infection in cassava multiplication sites, and reduce risk of distributing infected material
effective communication to a national programme task force using Digital Pen Technology
problem: how to get State IPM officials to gather good quality geo-referenced pest datafor key crops (cotton rice, groundnut, pulses)? [PDA]
3. Roving pest surveillance (India)
4. Pilot large scale pest reporting
Field worker
Sub-county extension (DVO,
DAO, NAADS Coordinators)
District Production Office
(DVO, DAO, NAADS)
System monitor
warning
s
verified
Research(NARO,
universities)
Field workers insurrounding areas
confirmed data
Donors (Project funding)
problem: how to gather early indications of pest problems, capturing mobile voice calls more systematically? [SMS Gateway]
SMS Gateway
lessons learnt local knowledge gathering initiatives
should be subjected to rigorous testing, for instance of:
who will benefit from local knowledge gathering
what is to be collected where will the benefit come from how will collection be organised (and who will
collect it)
lessons learnt (2)1. generally, the ICTs work (!) - but sometimes they don’t
survive field testing... ...“even ruggedised laptops don’t like sand” ...“the screen was too small for the survey form”, etc
2. some technologies which do work can be unexpectedly unfamiliar and/or inappropriate (SMS/text in an oral culture)
3. approaches are unpopular if they are purely “extractive” – i.e. aim to aggregate data for national or regional purposes without bringing any local user benefit
4. there is a wide range of interested parties (eg agricultural research, the private sector, phone providers...)
5. many projects remain technology-driven, and donor-driven
concluding thoughts the potential for ICT to support sustainable crop production
intensification is real, for both technical empowerment and local knowledge gathering
the key is problem definition...and local ownership
to move beyond projects and pilots there needs to be a workable business model, including private sector involvement
we have learnt a number of important lessons, and want to share and build on these to improve ICT support for sustainable intensification
THANK YOU