About the project
The Plant Protection Website and Mobile App greatly simplifies finding expert-verified instructions on protecting plants from pests, diseases and weeds. The app provides information on different types of plant protection products used in the country, including biologics, their correct and safe use against pests, diseases, and weeds on cultivated crops.
Description
A particularly useful feature of the app is that the instructions can be found through trade names and active ingredients of plant protection products, names of crops, names of pests, diseases and weeds. Users of the app can also find information on spraying rules, types of sprayers and their calibration, how to prepare working mixtures and safety precautions when spraying chemicals.
Technology description
The electronic guideline on plant protection is available as a web-platform and Android mobile app in three languages - Tajik, Kyrgyz and Russian. If an Internet connection is always required to access the web platform, then by downloading the mobile app to smartphones, users can use it without an Internet connection. The electronic guideline has search function by keywords, needed information can also be found using the built-in pointers.
Users’ description
The Plant Protection Website and Mobile Apps are intended for agricultural professionals and consultants, organizations involved in the sale of plant protection products and interested farmers, first of all, from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. But the apps have the potential for wide outreach across Central Asian countries as they are available in the Russian language as well.
Business model description
The apps are free to download and use on personal devices through Google Play Store or the app's website. Also, the web-platform is open to users without limitations. Although, two types of in-app advertising are implemented in the app, that is Google Ads and its own module for displaying ads about seeds, crop protection products, fertilizers etc. from specific advertisers. The costs are 10$/monthly or 50$/yearly.
Challenges
The electronic plant protection handbook for Tajikistan is based on the "Plant Protection Handbook" which was elaborated in 2010. Since then, many new plant protection products have appeared on the market in Tajikistan, and many of the already used products have been banned from sale in other countries because of their danger to plants, the environment and humans. Therefore, there is an urgent need to update the content of the handbook, followed by updating its electronic version.
Impact
Improving access of farmers to expert-verified instructions, this tool can prevent excessive and unnecessary use of chemicals. This helps farmers to reduce plant protection costs, while at the same time reducing the impact of their agricultural activities on the environment. The mobile apps have, so far, more than 10 000 downloads. There are more than 3 000 monthly visitors to the web-portal.
