Cookies on CABI

Like most websites we use cookies. This is to ensure that we give you the best experience possible.

 

Continuing to use www.cabi.org  means you agree to our use of cookies. If you would like to, you can learn more about the cookies we use.

Close
Find out more
Search this site
Sign up for the CABI e-zine Newsletter
Improving lives by solving problems in agriculture and the environment

Plant clinics

Plant clinics

Plant clinics provide a meeting place for trained plant health advisors, known as plant doctors and the farmers they aim to serve. Plant clinics are not operated by Plantwise, but rather by local extension officers who we have been trained by Plantwise in the relevant techniques and skills to run a plant clinic. They provide diagnosis and advice on any problem and any crop, and when they need additional help, Plantwise connects them with new knowledge resources - like factsheets, photosheets and Green and Yellow Lists from the Plantwise Knowledge Bank - and new links to national research centres who can provide answers. Plant clinics are fora for sharing knowledge about farming within local communities- a gateway where policy makers can collect important data to inform research and decision-making, and where farmers can consult an objective advisor on how to protect and manage their crops. 

We have developed a strategy which shows how Plantwise aims to reach millions of farmers by strengthening national plant health systems from within.

How does a plant clinic work?

• A farmer has a problem with his or her crop
• The farmer brings a sample of their ‘sick’ crop to the plant clinic, which runs regularly at a local market
• A trained ‘plant doctor’ diagnoses the problem and recommends an affordable, locally available solution that the farmer can use to manage it. The plant doctor has access to information from the Plantwise knowledge bank to assist with diagnosis and pest management recommendations
• Data about the farmer’s visit is captured in the knowledge bank
• The farmer follows the plant doctor's advice; losses are reduced and productivity increases
• The farmer now has more food to sell and feed his or her family

Related projects

Simulation - taking plant health training to the next level

People in developing countries depend on what they can grow and sell so require a lot of plant health knowledge. The CABI-led Plantwise programme delivers plant health advice to farmers. Trained plant doctors diagnose the problems and advise on ways to manage them. Simulations are a new way to deliver training and information to plant doctors in a... >>