Information technology as solution for an improvement of field application of fungal-based biopesticide
One of the main challenges facing the food system currently is to ensure there is enough of healthy and non-harmful food available to feed the increasing number of world’s human population. To support farmers with healthy and sustainable crop production, innovative approaches have been developed and put in a package called Integrated Pest Management(IPM). These packages target mostly improvement for effective pest control management, sowing and harvesting in the agro ecosystem. After insects pest invasion, the solutions to be adopted in the case of pest management need to be fast and effective; unfortunately, farmers usually relied on chemical with is known to be harmful both for farmers and consumer.
Fungi is reported as the most widespread bio pesticide of terrestrial ecosystem in the world has received a lot of attention for exploring its properties as an entomopathogen. Entomopathogenic fungi as a biological control agent in IPM have proved of been efficient for pest control both in laboratories and in the field studies. Despite the considerable increase in production and commercialization, its process of applications still requires a lot of improvement for an efficient and wide usage, therefore, can benefit from the support information technologies (IT)and mathematical models.
Since my childhood in Cameroon, I was always fascinated by movies showing how Information technology was able to contribute and improve human lives. This greatly increased my interest in mathematics and physics in secondary school. This made me register for mathematics and computer science field at the university where I got my master in computer science.
My interest in developing models and decision support system to improve the life of small holder farmer starts from my ongoing PhD works; It gave me the opportunity to use my background studies to find solutions to commons problems of pest management faced by stakeholders involved in food system production. I realized how to embed information technologies can be a great support for the daily practices in the agroecosystem.
As a young academics dreaming about a long research career, Unleash Innovation lab 2017, therefore, represents for me a good opportunity to interact with talents and experts across the globe, who share like me interest about solving some of the world’s pressing challenge. This event will give me for sure a lot of idea about the direction to give to my future work especially those in relation to sustainable development.
Ritter Guimapi
icipe — International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
ritteryvan@gmail.com ; yguimapi@icipe.org
