PLANT CLINICS : A HELPFUL APPROACH TO ADDRESSING PESTS

By HAPPY MULOLANI

OVER the years, many approaches in the agriculture sector have been developed in a bid to enhance the public extension system. For instance, in 2013, an initiative called Plant Clinics was launched by the Centre for Agriculture Biosciences International (CABI) in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture.

Plant Clinics is an approach meant to service smallholder farmers. These Clinics are basically run by Plant Doctors. Plant doctors undergo a structured training to qualify to practice. This helps these Plant doctors to not only grasp the different modules they undertake to determine their suitability but also positions them in such a way that they are able to assist farmers in their value chains. 

Plant Doctors are expected to assess the problems that farmers encounter in their agriculture enterprises, then advise and offer recommendations on environmental friendly pesticides. This approach aims to equip farmers with appropriate information on various agronomic practices.

For this approach to work efficiently, various partners have come on board to support this cause since 2013 when the initiative was launched.

At a recent National Stakeholders forum at Sun Southern in Lusaka, Director in the Department of Agriculture, Moses Mwale explained that presently Plant Clinics are operating in 42 districts countrywide.  These plant clinics have been supported by various partners such as SNV, World Vision Zambia, Lamasha, Kasisi, Conservation Farming Unit, Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART), Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI), among others. Since the inception of these plant clinics, plant doctors have ensured significant contribution towards crop production and food security is enhanced.

“The aim  of this initiative was to help farmers, especially small-scale to minimize on the use of pesticides, in particular use least toxic pesticides, and use more of other components of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM),” said Mr Mwale.

At the outset, there were only 13 clinics and now the initiative stands at 153 clinics. These clinics are currently run by 389 Plant doctors dotted in 42 districts countrywide.

Mr Mwale emphasized that the success of the Plant clinics is through strategic partnerships with other actors already existing to provide support, network and nurture a “national ecosystem bringing together farmers, academia, policy makers, regulatory agencies and established companies.”

And CABI Representative for Southern Africa Centre, Noah Phiri says there has been great collaboration among partners to better support plant clinics provide service to farmers.

National Data Manager, Mathews Matimelo notes that some plant doctors who have erred in their duties, have to be re-trained.

“Of the trained Plant doctors, only a negligible error of 0.0017 was committed,” revealed Mr Matimelo.

Clearly, it is that refresher training of plant doctors which helps to reduce the minimal errors committed in the field to smallholder farmers.

Mr Matimelo explains that these plant doctors are playing a key role in ensuring that recommendations are based on low risk pesticides, besides other methods such as cultural and physical control of weeds.

While, CropLife Chief Executive Officer, Perry Ngoma notes that farmers need to be continually encouraged to use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to manage pests in a responsible way.

Mr Ngoma observes that plant doctors are cardinal in assisting farmers to manage damage to their plants to economical levels. They need to recommend pesticides and other avenues of addressing pests in farmers’ fields.

Zambia Environmental Agency (ZEMA) Principal Inspector, Christopher Kanema points out the institution’s critical role in addressing the toxicity of the environment and also offering recommendations to avert toxicity of the environment, hence the necessity to work with key stakeholders.

And one of the Plant Doctors in Mumbwa district, George Silungwe, says Plant Clinics aims to help farmers improve their yields and income while reducing use of toxic pesticides.

“In response, in 2019/2020, the Ministry of Agriculture increased the number of farmers, 17 plant doctors who are helping in pest management and this has reduced incidences of pests in farmers’ management of their fields,” explained Mr Silungwe.

Mr Silungwe says World Vision helped to train 17 plant doctors in Mumbwa, which has led to an increase in farmers crop yields.

“The major setback is as yields increase, the suitability of the market is what is key for them to register positive strides to increase farmers’ income,” said Mr Silungwe.

This approach seems to be working in transfer of agronomic practices, given that they are interacting through plant clinics

“They are also training lead farmers under farmer field schools, who play a key role in technology transfer to other smallholder farmers in the area,” disclosed Mr Silungwe.

An elated Silungwe, highlighted that the number of clinics has increased from three clinics to 17 clinics, which is a milestone. This idea has helped to increase the area of coverage in the farming community.

“It is encouraging that more farmers have become aware of pests that used to ravage their crops. They are also able to act by applying recommendations offered by Plant doctors,” said Mr Silungwe.

A farmer in Mumbwa, Bornlet Kampengekele, has been cultivating vegetables and tomatoes for 21 years, commended the Ministry of Agriculture and partners for supporting appropriate interventions in his farming enterprises. In particular, he is a vegetable and tomatoe farmer. He recounts how his rape and tomatoes used to be hit with diseases. Sadly, he did not have tangible solutions to address the challenges.

“In the past, I would get some recommendations from agro dealers which was not good. But ever since, I came to know about Plant doctors during the agriculture show, it has assisted me in my production of rape and tomatoes as well as other farmers in Mumbwa,” explained Mr Kampengekele.

Clearly, Plant clinics have been a useful approach of addressing pests and ensuring that farmers are empowered with appropriate information. What is required is to strengthen collaboration with various partners in order to increase the presence of Plant clinics to as many countrywide to enhance improved crop production and productivity.