FIVE National University of Science and Technology (Nust) students have invented a mobile app to assist farmers to identify diseases affecting their crops.
The crop doctor solutions app, a project led by Ntandoyenkosi Moyo, was exhibited at the just-ended Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo.
Their innovation came tops in the agriculture section of the Presidential Innovation Fair and Awards category.
Nust spokesperson Thabani Mpofu said they exhibited a number of innovations at the annual trade showcase.
“One of the innovations that we have at the stand is the crop doctor solutions mobile app. This is a mobile application that assists farmers to identify diseases that are affecting their crops,” Mpofu said.
“The mobile application works by scanning the leaves of the crops and once you scan the leaves of the crops, the app which you have downloaded into your phone is able to then process the information and it will tell you exactly the type of the disease or diseases that are affecting your crop.”
Mpofu said they received positive feedback from farmers after the project went through a trial run.
“You can just check on your own, or for yourself and know what type of disease and be able to buy the necessary chemicals at the right time before the crops have been affected,” Mpofu said.
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“We want to work together with the Ministry of Agriculture in terms of officially commissioning this project and ensuring that farmers all over the country use this particular mobile application.”
Mpofu said students behind the project were studying computer science and engineering.
“So it's actually students pulling together different skills to come up with this particular project. Others are doing marketing, so, you know, it helps them to ensure that everything that needs to be done for the project is catered for,” he added.
