A citizen science project for weed identification and knowledge in the Western Indian Ocean
Weeds are responsible for at least 20% harvest losses in food and cash crops worldwide. Efficient control of weeds requires identification, effective control methods and dissemination of information to increase awareness and sharing of data among scientists, teachers, agronomists, field workers and farmers.
A collaborative project untitled WIKWIO has been initiated in the Western Indian Ocean region to provide a participatory platform and a range of computer-driven tools.
The following applications will be developed and be made freely available on-line:
- A participatory portal from which species information can be consulted and observations can be uploaded;
- A computer-aided plant identification application.
The project covers 320 weeds of 14 food or cash crops in the area.
Sources
Le Bourgeois T, Grard P, Balasubramanian D, Ramesh BR, Gaungoo A, Andrianaivo AP, Randriamampianina JA, Yahaya I, Marnotte P (2014) IT;C and citizen science for a better management of weeds in the Western Indian Ocean Region. Abstract of the 4th International Symposium on Environmental Weeds and Invasive Plants, Montpellier (FR), 2014-06-19-23.
Weed Identification and Knowledge in the Western Ocean (WIKWIO) http://www.wikwio.org/