SmartPest-Ghana: Exploring LLM-driven mobile solutions for climate-smart pest management in maize farming

Localised and scalable digital solutions

Project Partners: Mutus-tech, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), the University of Ghana and the University of Sheffield 

Agriculture is vital to Ghana’s economy, with maize as a key staple crop. However, smallholder maize farmers face significant challenges due to climate variability, pest outbreaks, especially Fall Armyworm (FAW), and limited access to timely, localised agronomic advice. These issues disrupt planting cycles, reduce yields, and threaten food security and farmer livelihoods. Post-harvest losses, exacerbated by poor logistics and infrastructure, further compound the problem. There is a pressing need for affordable, scalable digital solutions that provide real-time, regionally relevant pest and crop management insights, even in offline environments, to support resilient maize production across Ghana. While global digital agriculture solutions are advancing, many are not suited for the Ghanaian context due to specific limitations: Limited rural connectivity necessitates offline-first mobile technologies; Lack of region-specific data (e.g., pest images, crop growth stages, weather patterns) hinders the development of effective AI models; Low digital literacy among smallholder farmers limits the uptake of digital solutions. Thus, developing a cost-effective pest management solution tailored to Ghana’s needs is essential, providing climate-smart, actionable advice even in low-connectivity or offline settings. 

Supporting climate-smart pest management in Ghana’s maize production

In an initial project, they developed an early-stage solution to this problem by integrating visual intelligence with ChatGPT technology into a mobile solution (Pezego) to identify insect pests in crops. Here, they will assess the feasibility of adapting and deploying their existing mobile pest management tool, Pezego, to support climate-smart pest management in Ghana’s maize production. Their primary deliverable will be an enhanced version of the Pezego smart application, tailored to the specific needs of Ghanaian smallholder maize farmers. This app will provide real-time pest detection, highlight current infestation thresholds, estimate economic thresholds, and offer actionable, localised pest management advice. The anticipated impact of deploying Pezego in Ghana includes:  

1. Delivering timely, region-specific information on pest infestations so that farmers can implement appropriate control measures promptly, reducing crop losses. 
2. Effective pest control leads to healthier crops and higher yields, directly boosting farmers’ incomes and contributing to food security. 
3. Providing precise pest thresholds and management advice helps farmers avoid unnecessary pesticide applications, promoting environmentally sustainable practices. 
4. Access to localised agronomic advice empowers farmers to make informed decisions, enhancing their resilience to climate variability and market fluctuations.  

Pezego aims to transform pest management practices among Ghanaian maize farmers, fostering sustainable agriculture and improving livelihoods. 

For more information

For more information on this project, contact us, or view all projects funded under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Partnership programme.

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