Ithimba labacwaningi elithuthukisa izixazululo ezisekelwe kubuhlakani bokwenziwa zokuxilonga nokulawula izinsongo empilweni yezitshalo lithole uxhaso lokwandisa ubuchwepheshe ukuze lisize abalimi abancane abengeziwe emhlabeni jikelele.
I-CGIAR, inhlangano yamazwe ngamazwe yocwaningo lwezolimo, iklomelise lo msebenzi ngoxhaso lwemali engu-$250,000 ngaphansi kohlelo lwayo lwe-Inspire Challenge, oluyingxenye ye-CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture. Lolu hlelo luklanyelwe ukuthola nokugqugquzela izixazululo ezintsha zolimo lwedijithali ekuthuthukiseni umnotho.
Ngo-2017, iphrojekthi - eholwa ngu UDavid Hughes, uprofesa ohlangene we entomology kanye nebhayoloji, iPenn State, kanye noJames Legg, isazi sezifo zezitshalo e-International Institute of Tropical Agriculture ezinze eNigeria - bathole uxhaso lokuhlola lwe-Inspire Challenge luka-$100,000 oluvela ku-CGIAR. Izibonelelo ezikhuphukayo zalolu hlelo ziklonyeliswa kumaphrojekthi okulinga e-Inspire Challenge adlule abonise imiphumela evelele, ukusebenza okuqinisekisiwe, amandla okuba nomthelela kanye nethuba lokuheha imali yokutshalwa kwezimali.
Ngokubambisana nohlelo lwe- Roots, Tubers and Banana lwe-CGIAR, u-Hughes nozakwabo bathuthukise umsizi wobuhlakani bokwenziwa osebenza ngomakhalekhukhwini ojwayelekile futhi okwazi ukuxilonga izifo zomdumbula ngokunembile ungaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi, ngaphandle kokuxhumeka kwe-inthanethi. Uhlelo lokusebenza lubizwa UNuru, okusho ukuthi “ukukhanya” ngesiSwahili.
Abacwaningi bathole ukuthi iNuru, ngokwesilinganiso, inembe ngokuphindwe kabili kunabeluleki bezitshalo zabantu eyahlolwa ngabo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uhlelo lokusebenza luxhunywe ku-inthanethi ye-Penn State IPlantVillage iplatifomu, evumela abalimi ukuthi bathole iseluleko kochwepheshe bezikhungo zikahulumeni, amanyuvesi nezinhlangano zocwaningo, ngokungaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi nangezilimi zasendaweni — okwamanje ngesiSwahili, isiFulentshi, isiTwi, isiHindi nesiNgisi.
Ngenkathi iphrojekthi igxile ekutholeni izifo ze-cassava, abacwaningi baphinde bakha amamodeli asebenza kwezinye izitshalo, ngokusho kukaHughes.
"Lesi sigaba esilandelayo sokuxhaswa ngezimali sisivumela ukuthi sibheke ezinye izilimo eziyizigaxa, ezifana namazambane ase-Irish, ubhatata namayam, nobhanana, konke okubalulekile kubalimi base-Afrika," esho. "Sizophinde futhi sithuthukise ithuluzi lethu esimweni 'sokulima okuhlakaniphile kwesimo sezulu' ngokusebenzisa ukubonwa kwesathelayithi mayelana nokucindezeleka kwamanzi ngokusebenzisa inkundla yeNhlangano Yezizwe Ezihlangene Yokudla Nezolimo ebizwa ngokuthi i-WaPOR."
I-Nuru yenziwe yatholakala mahhala ukuze ilandwe kumadivayisi e-Android nge-Google Play ehlobo lika-2018. U-Hughes waphawula ukuthi uhlelo lokusebenza lulandwe abasebenzisi kuwo wonke amazwekazi futhi lusetshenziswa kakhulu e-Afrika naseNingizimu-mpumalanga Asia. Ukwengeza, iNhlangano Yezizwe isebenzisa leli thuluzi emazweni angu-70 nezilimi ezingu-21 ukusiza abalimi ukulawula i-fall armyworm ehlaselayo, ebangele ukulahlekelwa kwezitshalo okukhulu e-Afrika nakwezinye izindawo.
IPlantVillage “Nuru,” uhlelo lokusebenza lwe-smartphone olukwazi ukuxilonga ngokunembile izifo ze-cassava ungaxhunyiwe ku-inthanethi ngaphandle koxhumano lwe-inthanethi, luyakhula ukuze luhlonze izifo zamazambane, ama-yam nobhanana, kanye nokulimala kwezitshalo ezivela ku-fall armyworm ehlaselayo. Isithombe: Ngokuhlonishwa kwe-PlantVillage, Penn State