Tizilombo ndi matenda zimawononga 20 mpaka 40% ya mbewu padziko lonse lapansi. Alimi a m’maiko otukuka kumene nthaŵi zambiri sadziŵa chimene chikuwononga minda yawo. Kuchepa kwa zokolola komanso kutaya ndalama nthawi zambiri kumayambitsa njala.
Kuthandiza alimi ang'onoang'ono kuzindikira ndi kuyang'anira tizirombo ndi matenda kukhoza kuonjezera zokolola ndi ndalama, koma chifukwa cha kusiyana ndi kuopsa kwa chiwopsezo cha tizilombo ndi matenda, iyi ndi ntchito yaikulu.
Pofuna kuthana ndi vutoli, asayansi akugwiritsa ntchito matekinoloje a digito, posachedwapa akuwonjezera matenda a mbatata ndi mbatata ku pulogalamu yowunikira ya PlantVillage Nuru.
Nuru (kutanthauza "kuwala" m'Chiswahili) ndi pulogalamu yaulere yapa foni yam'manja yomwe imapereka matenda amtundu wanthawi yeniyeni kapena matenda ozindikira tizilombo m'munda, ngakhale m'malo opanda ma network amafoni. Linapangidwa ndi asayansi ochokera ku yunivesite Pennsylvania ndi malo angapo a CGIAR ndipo ndi gawo la PlantVillage - nsanja yothandizira alimi yomwe imaphatikiza nzeru zopangira komanso ukadaulo wa satana.
Nuru idakhazikitsidwa ku Africa mu 2018 ndikutha kuzindikira matenda awiri a chinangwa (CMD ndi CBSD). Pambuyo pake idakulitsidwa mogwirizana ndi Food and Agriculture Organisation ya United Nations (FAO).
Asayansi ochokera International Potato Center (CIP) ndi State of Pennsylvania adagwirizana kuti apange Artificial Intelligence (AI) kuti Nuru azindikire matenda a yam virus komanso choipitsa chakuchedwa kwa mbatata. Sweet Potato Virus Diagnostic yawonjezedwa ku mtundu wa Google Play wa pulogalamuyi kuyambira Marichi 2022, pomwe Late Blight Diagnostic idawonjezedwa kumapeto kwa 2021.
Mbatata ndi mbatata zikukhala chakudya chofunikira kwambiri ku Africa, komwe amalimidwa ndi alimi ang'onoang'ono omwe nthawi zambiri amawonongeka chifukwa cha matenda.
"Popatsa alimi mwayi wozindikira matenda oopsa kwambiri omwe akukhudza mbewu zofunika kwambiri ku Africa, ukadaulo uwu umathandizira kuti pakhale chakudya chokwanira komanso moyo wabwino," akutero Jan Kreize, Mtsogoleri wa CIP's Crop Production and Systems Science Division.
Mitundu pafupifupi 30 ya ma virus imatha kuwononga mbewu za mbatata. Amafalitsidwa ndi whiteflies, nsabwe za m'masamba komanso zobzala. Kuipitsa mochedwa, matenda omwe amafala msanga chifukwa cha mphepo, akhoza kuwononga 60% kapena kuposerapo kwa mbeu ya mbatata pakangopita milungu ingapo ya mvula ngati isiya kulandira chithandizo.
Zokolola Zida
AI yomwe imathandizira kuzindikira kwa Nuru idapangidwa pogwiritsa ntchito zithunzi masauzande ambiri za zomera zomwe zili ndi matenda komanso zathanzi ndikuwongolera pakuwunika kobwerezabwereza.
Mu mbatata, matenda a virus nthawi zambiri amakhala opanda zizindikiro, ndipo zizindikiro zowoneka zimasiyana mosiyanasiyana. Kuti alole Nuru kuti azindikire matenda obwera chifukwa cha ma virus muzomera zomwe zili ndi zizindikiro zochepa kapena zopanda, ofufuzawo adagwiritsa ntchito zoyezetsa matenda kuti azindikire mbewu zomwe zili ndi matenda asymptomatic ndikuyembekeza kuphunzitsa Nuru's AI kuti azindikire zizindikiro zomwe ngakhale akatswiri sangazindikire.
Nuru akapeza matenda, amalumikiza alimi ku chidziwitso ndi malangizo a kasamalidwe pa tsamba la PlantVillage.
Popeza mafoni a m'manja akadali osowa m'madera akumidzi, mtsogoleri wa gulu lirilonse la alimi a 20-100 amapatsidwa mwayi wogwiritsa ntchito pulogalamuyi. Mu 2021, CIP idagawa mafoni 240 kwa opanga mbewu komanso atsogoleri amagulu aku Kenya ndi Tanzania.
“Nuru yathandiza kwambiri alimi,” akutero Kreiser. "Akuphunzira zambiri za choipitsa mochedwa, momwe angapewere komanso momwe angathanirane ndi matendawa, ndipo akusintha kalimidwe ka mbatata."