Izinambuzane nezifo zibhubhisa u-20 kuya ku-40% wesivuno emhlabeni jikelele. Abalimi emazweni asathuthuka ngokuvamile abaqiniseki ngokuthi yini ehlupha amasimu abo. Ukwehla kwezivuno zezitshalo kanye nokulahlekelwa umholo ngokuvamile kubangela indlala.
Ukusiza abalimi abancane ukuthi babone futhi balawule izinambuzane nezifo zezitshalo kungathuthukisa isivuno kanye nemali engenayo, kodwa uma kubhekwa ukwehlukahlukana nokuqina kwezinsongo zezinambuzane nezifo, kuyinselele enkulu.
Ukusiza ukunqoba le nkinga, ososayensi basebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bedijithali, muva nje bengeza izifo zamazambane kanye nobhatata ohlelweni lokusebenza lokuxilonga i-PlantVillage Nuru.
I-Nuru (okusho ukuthi "ukukhanya" ngesiSwahili) iwuhlelo lokusebenza lwe-smartphone lwamahhala oluhlinzeka ngokuxilonga ngesikhathi sangempela izifo zezitshalo noma izinambuzane ensimini, ngisho nasezindaweni ezingaphandle kwamanethiwekhi eselula. Yasungulwa ngososayensi baseNyuvesi ePennsylvania kanye nezikhungo eziningana ze-CGIAR futhi iyingxenye IPlantVillage – inkundla yokusekela umlimi ehlanganisa ubuhlakani bokwenziwa kanye nobuchwepheshe besathelayithi.
INuru yethulwa e-Afrika ngo-2018 inamandla okuxilonga izifo ezimbili ze-cassava (CMD kanye ne-CBSD). Ngemuva kwalokho yandiswa ngokubambisana neNhlangano Yezokudla Nezolimo yeNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangene (I-FAO).
Ososayensi abavela International Potato Centre (i-CIP) kanye ne-Penn State basebenzisane ukuthuthukisa ubuhlakani bokufakelwa (AI) ukuze uNuru ahlonze izifo zegciwane likabhatata kanye nokulimaza kwamazambane sekwephuzile. Ukuxilongwa kwegciwane le-Sweetpotato kwengezwe enguqulweni yohlelo lokusebenza olutholakala ku-Google Play kusukela ngoMashi 2022, kuyilapho ukuxilongwa kwe-blight sekwephuzile kwengezwe ekupheleni kuka-2021.
Amazambane nobhatata sekuya ngokuba yizitshalo zokudla ezibalulekile e-Afrika, lapho etshalwa khona abalimi abancane abalahlekelwa yizilimo ngenxa yezifo.
“Ngokunika abalimi ukufinyelela ekuxilongeni ngokushesha kwezifo ezimbi kakhulu ezithinta izitshalo ezibaluleke kakhulu zase-Afrika, lokhu okusha kunomthelela ekuvikelekeni kokudla kanye nokuphila,” kusho u-Jan Kreise, iNhloko yeCIP yeCrop Science and Systems Science.
Cishe izinhlobo ezingama-30 zamagciwane zingangena ezitshalweni zikabhatata. Zisakazwa yizimpukane ezimhlophe, ama-aphid kanye nezinto zokutshala. Isifo esibangelwa umoya esisabalele, isifo esisakazeka ngokushesha, singabhubhisa amaphesenti angama-60 esitshalo samazambane noma ngaphezulu emasontweni ambalwa amanzi uma singalashwa.
Amathuluzi Okukhulisa Isivuno
I-AI enika amandla amandla kaNuru okuxilonga yathuthukiswa kusetshenziswa amashumi ezinkulungwane ezithombe zezitshalo ezigulayo nezinempilo futhi yacwengwa ngokuhlolwa kwenkambu okuphindaphindiwe.
Kubhatata, izifo ezibangelwa amagciwane ngokuvamile azibonakali, futhi izimpawu eziphawulekayo ziyahlukahluka kuye ngezinhlobonhlobo. Ukuvumela uNuru ukuthi ahlonze izifo ezibangelwa amagciwane ezitshalweni ezinezimpawu ezimbalwa noma ezingenazo nhlobo, abacwaningi basebenzise izivivinyo zokuxilonga ukuze babone izitshalo ezinegciwane le-asymptomatic ngethemba lokufundisa i-AI kaNuru ukuthola izimpawu ezingase ziphuthelwe ngisho nochwepheshe.
Uma iNuru ixilonga isifo, ixhuma abalimi ngolwazi kanye neziqondiso zokuphatha kusizindalwazi sePlantVillage.
Njengoba ama-smartphones aseyivelakancane ezindaweni zasemaphandleni, umholi weqembu ngalinye lomlimi labantu abangu-20-100 unikezwa ithuba lokusebenzisa uhlelo lokusebenza. Ngo-2021, i-CIP yasabalalisa ama-smartphones angu-240 kubakhiqizi bembewu nabaholi bamaqembu abalimi eKenya naseTanzania.
“UNuru ube usizo olukhulu kubalimi,” kusho uKreiser. “Bafunda kabanzi ngesifo esilimazayo sekwephuzile, ukuthi singasivikela kanjani nokuthi singasilawula kanjani lesi sifo, futhi bathuthukisa ukukhiqizwa kwamazambane.”