The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and online tools to combat agricultural losses caused by pests and diseases is recently gaining popularity in Kenya signaling a major boost to the country’s food security.
These digital tools communicate directly with farmers through WhatsApp and provide agronomic advice for their plots.
Among the digital tools farmers are using is the Virtual Agronomist, a tool that uses artificial intelligence to provide fertiliser application advice using chat prompts.
Sammy Selim, a farmer in Kericho, told The Guardian that he started using Virtual Agronomist on his 0.4-hectare (1-acre) farm in 2022, with the help of another farmer who had a smartphone at the time.
Following its recommendations, his farm produced 7.3 tonnes of coffee, his highest yield ever.
Before adopting Virtual Agronomist, Selim would simply apply fertiliser using what he described as “general farmer’s knowledge”, putting different types at different times of the year without knowing the soil health.
The farm’s productivity was low. In one season, he managed to produce only 2.3 tonnes of coffee.
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At other times, he’d take samples of his soil for testing at labs far from Sorwot, but the results would take months to come back, and sometimes they wouldn’t arrive at all.
Through the Virtual agronomist app, farmers can also talk to the chatbot as they would a human agronomist and can ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of their agronomic management.
The app also supports the farmer throughout the season and can prompt and remind them of vital agronomic stages, for example, creating a tailored nutrient plan, checking crop emergence, scouting for weeds, pests, and diseases, and harvesting.
Another game-changer tool that is transforming Kenya’s agricultural sector is PlantVillage, an AI-powered app for diagnosing pests and diseases.
Through some instructions to the farmer, the app identifies the pests causing destruction before offering advice on how to control them.
Musau Mutisya, from Kwa Mwaura village in Machakos county, said he used to rely on his own knowledge to identify pests and diseases, but he wasn’t always accurate.
“We were doing guesswork in the past,” he said. “You’ll end up using more money treating what you don’t know.” He says.
Agritech Analytics, a Kenyan startup, is also helping farmers boost yield through an AI-powered device.
The device collects and analyses data to give farmers the ability to more effectively use crop inputs, including fertilizer, pesticides, tillage, and irrigation water through precision agriculture.
In addition, The device sends alerts or reports to farmers via mobile phones with over 97% accuracy, enabling early pest detection to prevent crop damage and harvest loss.
