Citizen Science and ICT for advancing the prevention and control of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt
In an effort to the help smallholder farmers fight banana disease, the ICT4BXW project has developed an ICT-based tool to enable early warning system that provides [near] real-time georeferenced data on the incidence of the banana disease, Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW), for further visualization and pattern analysis, which can guide options for effective policies and/or measures to combat further spread of the disease in the region.
The goal of this project is to use citizen science and ICT to develop efficient, (cost-)effective and scalable tools for advancing the prevention and control of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) in East and Central Africa. Citizen science implies that normal farmers, extension providers or other people contribute to collecting, analyzing or interpreting data used for scientific purposes. In the ICT4BXW project, farmer promotors and normal farmers provide data on BXW occurrence using smartphone apps and lately using normal basic phone. Using the digital information and communication technologies (ICT), the project engages and builds on the expertise of farmer promotors in Rwanda to provide advise on how to best control BXW in a cost-effective way, and collect data on disease occurrence and spread for an early warning system that enables the government of Rwanda to target efforts to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

Banana: An Indispensable Crop
Banana in Rwanda is a key crop in the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and occupying around a quarter of arable land.
Banana is an important part of peoples’ daily diet and providing income and food security to millions of smallholder households and it plays an important role in the social life of the populations in the African Great Lakes Region.
The Problem
BXW-A Threat to Banana Production
This staple crop (Banana) is threatened by Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW). BXW is a bacterial disease commonly spread from plantation to plantation by insects and infected cutting tools and has spread throughout the region resulting in production losses both at farm and national level. Read more about the disease in the region as discussed by McCampbell et al. here. Tracking the potential outspread of the disease in order to set up prevention policies has been challenging since it appeared in the region.

Lack of Effective Control
Lack of knowledge on sustainable control practices to counter the disease spread is a major problem in the fight against BXW. The project is reinforcing use of sustainable control practices through the use of ICT tools. An effective management approach has been available for a number of years, yet BXW continues to be the scourge of banana farmers across the country.

Lack of Surveillance System
A surveillance system is required for effective control and eventual elimination of the disease for improved livelihoods of the citizens.

Major Project Insights