An international agricultural research organisation has launched an online course that will enable agricultural professionals diagnose and manage plant pests.
According to information on Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) website, PestSmart eLearning is a practical e-learning course focusing on the skills required for field-based diagnosis of pests and diseases.
Members subscribe for up to 15 hours of content over 5 modules on the app that has about 7 hours of gameplay to support learning. The five modules are broken into courses each lasting 30 minutes of online learning.
CABI Communications Manager Wayne Coles says the benefit of PestSmart eLearning courses is that they can be taken at the learner’s own speed.
“In other words, they can choose whether they rush through it in a few days or do it in smaller increments over a number of weeks,” says Wayne.
PestSmart eLearning contains an eLearning course, a diagnostic field guide and a diagnostic simulator app available on android Google Play store. The 3D diagnostic simulator provides field-based realities of crops with diseases and allows leaners to identify zoomed symptoms of plant diseases. They are scored depending on the quality of their diagnosis.
Wayne says knowledge acquired in the courses gives farmers and agronomists the skills needed to identify new and emerging threats to their crops, reducing risks to the food supply chain and improving productivity.
Wayne says the course targets agriculture and biology students in tertiary institutions, agronomists and agricultural advisory officers.
“At the moment, we are not offering the course to individuals but only to institutions such as universities for their students. We also register government departments and private sector companies to train their staff,” said Wayne.
He explains the course is equipped with handy reference tools that teach the skills of diagnosis for major pathogens and pest groups, and enables learners to go out directly into the field and apply their learning.
This, he says leads to better management practices, reduced pesticide usage, easy market access and also connects farmers during the learning encounters.
CABI’s Chief Commercial Officer, Carol McNamara said the launch prioritised on developing countries where farmers do not have access to improved technology in their fight against pets and diseases.
“We’re delighted to launch PestSmart. So often we hear about commercial innovation trickling down into developing countries. Here, we’ve taken a highly successful international development programme and adapted it for the commercial sector,” said McNamara.
PestSmart’s eLearning element is designed to be completed on a desktop PC but is viewable on Android and Apple mobile devices.
Wayne says the e-learning platform, launched mid this month has signed contracts with agriculture departments in universities in Northern Africa and is being used by agricultural students this term. He says the course is now available to Kenyan learning institutions and agriculture organisations at a discounted price.
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“The course is available to Kenyans, and because Kenya is one of CABI’s member countries through our Plantwise clinics, Kenyan institutions and organisations can receive a 50 per cent discount,” says Wayne.
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