SAN AGUSTIN, PILI, CAMARINES SUR – Real time reporting of pest and disease occurrences in rice, corn, and vegetables is now easy with the use of the KoboCollect application.
Pest surveillance and monitoring, which are among the myriad activities of the Department of Agriculture, are now made easy and paperless through the open source platform Kobo Collect.
Rosita Imperial, chief of the Regulatory division said that this technology is part of the DA’s digitalization process. “With the use of this Kobo app madali na ang diagnosis, prevention and control of pest and diseases sa crops. During their training on the use of this app, happy an mga Agricultural Extension Workers (AEWs) ta paperless na and real time ang reporting” she added.
The said monitoring system was started and developed by Bjorn Borris Delos Santos, Jay Ar Baldoza with the help of Regulatory Surveillance unit and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Unit staff in 2020. It was initially introduced to rice AEWs during the Training in Digitalization of Plant Pest Surveillance Protocol and Crop Health Assessment in Albay and Camarines Sur in 2023. The training for AEWs in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Catanduanes, Masbate and Sorsogon were completed in 2024. The developed form in KoboToolbox is intended for the use of AEWs in Bicol for faster data input on validating, capturing and sending reports of plant pest incidence in all crops such as rice, corn and high value crops such as vegetables.
Baldoza said that the app is downloadable and can be used offline after user account is created by the administrator of the system. It only requires internet connectivity when sending the reports to the database. The app also requires capturing of photos which serve as proof that aid in the identification of the reported pest and diseases and also helps to see the real picture of the infestation. It also captures GPS coordinates. “The main highlight of this developed system is the sending of report in real time which can lead to faster control and provision of intervention, better data management and pest forecasting in the future,” added Baldoza.
To facilitate reporting of pest and disease occurrence in their crops, the farmers should consult the rice Technicians or AEW assigned in their areas. The AEW will input the necessary details in the Kobo app such as the rice variety, date of planting, stage of crop development, area planted, pest or disease observed, percentage of area affected, degree of infestation, and photos or videos of the pest or infested plant.
The data collected from the Kobo app is being used by the Regional Crops Protection Center in prioritizing the recipients of the biological control agents being produced at the center. According to Giovanni Valenciano, chief of the RCPC, biocontrol agents such as Metarhizium, Beauveria bassiana are effective in controlling early infestations of planthoppers, leafhoppers and rice black bug. Meanwhile, chemical pesticides are also being provided by RCPC for heavy infestations.
With the digitalization of crops pest and disease surveillance and monitoring particularly in rice, DA Bicol Regional Executive Director Rodel P. Tornilla urges Bicolano farmers to promptly report any incidence of pest and disease infestation in their farms, with the aid of the LGUs’ AEWS or technicians who were trained on using the Kobo Collect application. (Lovella P. Guarin – RAFIS 5)