Page 9 - Vol.37-No.1 issue

CROP PROTECTION

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HELPING AFRICAN

FARMERS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST LOCUSTS

A free tool that will help farmers and alerts 2-3 months in advance of when do this, one that has the local commu-
pastoralists across Africa to predict locusts are highly likely to attack farms nities being central in the fight against
and control locust behavior has been and livestock in their areas. locusts,” said John Oroko, CEO of Kuzi’s
launched. Kuzi—the Swahili name for the Without preventative measures, a creator.
wattled starling, a bird renowned for eat- swarm of 80 million locusts can consume “A new wave of locust upsurge now
ing locusts—is an AI-powered tool that food equivalent to that eaten by 35,000 threatens millions across Eastern and
generates a real-time heatmap of locusts people a day, devastating food stocks for Southern Africa, exacerbating food in-
across Africa, shows all potential migra- vulnerable communities. Putting in place security for already vulnerable com-
tion routes, and gives a real-time locust early detection and control measures, munities, amidst the challenges of the
breeding index. which are critical in desert locust man- COVID-19 pandemic. We have a respon-
agement, will offer farmers and pastoral- sibility to develop and deploy locally
ists a vital tool in the fight against world bred solutions that address these chal-
hunger and food insecurity. lenges faced by our vulnerable rural
Alerts are currently available for Ethi- communities,” adds Oroko.
opia, Somalia, Kenya, and Uganda, in the The free tool is currently available to
regional languages of Kiswahili, Somali users in Somali, Ethiopia, Kenya, and
and Amharic, spoken by over 200 million Uganda with plans to roll out to cover the
people across Eastern Africa. rest of Africa.
Using satellite data, soil sensor data,
ground meteorological observation, “The first international anti-locust con-
and machine learning, Kuzi can predict ference was held in Rome in 1931 and
the breeding, occurrence and migration yet Africa continues to experience locust
routes of desert locusts across the horn invasions almost 100 years later, with the
of African and Eastern African countries, worst locust invasion in 70 years occur-
and uses deep learning to identify the ring in 2020, threatening food supplies
formation of locust swarms. Kuzi then for millions of people across Eastern
sends farmers and pastoralists free SMS Africa. There has to be a better way to

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AGDIA LAUNCHES DIAGNOSTIC SUITE FOR

TOBRFV WITH HIGH-SPECIFICITY ELISA ASSAY

Agdia, has announced full commer- Agdia’s ELISA for ToBRFV exhibits su- mosaic and chlorosis on the leaves and
cialization of their new ELISA Reagent perior sensitivity and specificity to the discoloration and deformation of the
Set for the detection of Tomato brown target pathogen compared to all other fruit. These symptoms decrease yield
rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV). This ELI- ELISA offerings available on the market. and render fruit unmarketable.
SA is the first in a suite of three ToBRFV Very low cross-reactivity was observed
diagnostic assays to be launched by in a limited number of high titer Tobacco
Agdia in the first half of 2021. The stan- mosaic virus (TMV) and Tomato mosaic
dard reagent set format is available to virus (ToMV) samples (Nearly all TMV
order immediately, with pre-coated Pa- or ToMV-infected samples were found to
thoscreen® kits available in the coming have no cross-reactivity). Furthermore,
weeks. A field-deployable, rapid iso- no cross-reactivity was observed with
thermal molecular test to detect ToBRFV high titer samples from other Tobamovi-
is also expected to be commercialized ruses, including Cucumber green mot-
in January of 2021, followed by an Immu- tle mosaic virus (CGMMV), Kyuri green
noStrip® lateral flow device in Q1 or Q2 mottle mosaic virus (KGMMV), Pepper
of 2021. mild mottle virus (PMMoV), Tobac-
Agdia’s ToBRFV ELISA has been tested co mild green mosaic virus (TMGMV) Tomato and pepper seeds, transplants
against tomato and pepper seeds and and Zucchini Green Mottle Mosaic Vi- and fruits from certain countries are sub-
is fully compatible with the PBS-based rus (ZGMMV). ject to a USDA-APHIS Federal Import Or-
seed extraction method commonly used Tomato brown rugose fruit virus is a der in the United States. Tomato brown
for tomato and pepper seed in ISF’s In- resistance-breaking Tobamovirus that rugose fruit virus has also been classi-
ternational Rules for Seed Health Test- causes severe economic losses in fied as a quarantine pathogen by EPPO
ing by ISHI-Veg. This test has also been solanaceous crops, including Sola- (European and Mediterranean Plant Pro-
validated against foliar tissue samples of num lycopersicum (tomato) and Capsi- tection Organization).
representative varieties of tomato, pep- cum spp. (pepper). It causes symptoms
per and eggplant. typical of Tobamoviruses that include
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