Trans-boundary pests and diseases such as these are serious threats to food security. They jeopardize the livelihoods of millions, and therefore national economies and political security too.
Management of pests and diseases is heavily dependent on early detection so that eradication can be attempted and, if this is not possible, management practices can be established. Where a pest or disease is causing trouble now is only half the story. We need to understand the factors that have created the situation today, so that we can predict what might happen tomorrow – where pests and diseases might spread to, and which minor pests of today might become major problems in the future. Awareness of Ug99, for example, is now high, but who knows what other pests may be quietly multiplying in its shadow elsewhere in the world?
But just as there are few systems in place to gather data on pest losses, so systems for effective detection, identification and monitoring are not in place, and in some cases information about new threats are ignored by the authorities.
With the right knowledge we could identify pests and diseases earlier, slow down their spread and provide the correct treatments before yields are significantly affected. For every 1 per cent reduction in crop losses, we could potentially feed up to 25 million more people. At the beginning of 2010 CABI announced the launch of its Plantwise initiative, a major programme to create a global plant health vigilance and information resource, aimed at benefiting scientists, policymakers, and farmers.
Plantwise is based on the creation of a ‘knowledge bank’ delivering a single point of access for all plant pest and disease information. The plan is to bring together all the best information about plant pests and diseases, aggregate it, structure it, update it, and make it searchable so that scientists can recognize complex patterns of information across multiple sites. CABI itself has a number of pieces of the jigsaw already in place, in the form of its existing data and publishing capability, including the world-leading CAB Abstracts and authoritative Crop Protection Compendium (CPC), together with a unique network of plant health clinics. The plant health clinics advise farmers in developing countries on pests and diseases in the way a health centre does for humans. They are run by local technical people, trained by CABI, who visit rural markets every week. Farmers drop by with samples of diseased plants, to get the problem identified and to learn what to do about it.
CABI is actively expanding the number of clinics to 400 in 40 countries. As well as providing immediate benefits to local farmers, the clinics provide an early warning system, helping to monitor plant pests and diseases
and indicate where more systematic surveillance programmes are required. We receive regular new disease reports from the clinics – there was one identified in Oregano only last month. With the global increase in clinic sampling points we expect much greater reporting of emerging problems which can then be digitized and laid on a map. Over time, we will be able to track the distribution and incidence of each pest or disease whilst plant scientists, armed with current and reliable reports, can get a grip on what really is going on and recommend timely mitigation strategies.
Through Plantwise, CABI will also be able to present linked references to articles about specific pests, the crops they affect, the damage they cause, and suggested treatment. We want users to be able to search by crop, by pest, or by country. The knowledge bank will also contain images for identification of pests, description of their relationship with the plant host, and contact details of local services. We’re actively examining how we can distribute the information via multiple platforms, including via mobiles.
So what does CABI need to make its vision a reality? First, we need shared content. We have a lot of data already, including outputs from CABI research projects around the world. But for this to save scientists time we need more reliable content, integrated and accessible from one point. We have already had a positive response and offers of content from partners including EPPO, IRRI and FERA in the UK. We hope that many more institutions will join them.
Inevitably, also, we need funds - both to establish the Knowledge Bank and to extend the plant clinics network. The Plantwise initiative could help feed more people, give us early warning of plant pests and disease, improve food security, and lift people out of poverty. We are actively looking for partners and donors in this exciting project. If you would like to join us, please contact us.
About CABI CABI (Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International) is a not-for-profit science-based development and information organisation with nine centres worldwide. Our mission and direction are influenced by more than 40 member countries that help guide the activities undertaken. These include scientific publishing, development projects and research, and microbial services. Our staff research and find solutions to agricultural and environmental problems. We use science, information and communication tools to help solve issues of global concern. We particularly focus on improving food security and safeguarding the environment. We do this by helping farmers grow more and lose less, combating invasive species, finding natural alternatives to pesticides and improving access to agricultural and environmental scientific knowledge. For more information go to
www.cabi.org
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