How to establish and operate

a plant health clinic 10

Module 1: How to become a Plant Doctor

Miheto
Rwanda
What are plant health clinics?

Santa Rosa
Colombia

A place where everyone can receive

advice on plant health problems
when Usually weekly, same time, same place

Tiraque
Bolivia
Locations Nicaragua Congo
Cooperative office Market places
Market place Schools

Bangladesh Government office

Schools
Village centre
Madrasa
NGO office
Agric. supply shop
Bolivia
Agric. supply shop, markets
 Quilali
Nicaragua

where Cooperatives, markets, schools,

shops, village centre – public places!
Market Place

Waterloo
Sierra Leone
Plant doctors

Extension agents
Pathologists
Agronomists
Entomologists
NGO staff
Elected officials
Farmers
Students
Organisations

NGOs
Universities
Technology institutes
Extension services
Farmer organisations
Religious groups
Local government
Ministry of Agriculture
Local commitment is essential:
people and time to run clinics
How do clinics operate?

People bring samples

Samples describe and
explain problems

Soroti
Uganda
Indonesia: bring the right sample
 • The farmer brings her
problems to the clinic

Tiraque
Bolivia

• The plant doctor

responds quickly and
rapidly to a demand

• The farmer receives written

and verbal recommendations,
immediately

• The farmer returns for

further advice or information
Samples can be sent for
laboratory diagnosis
Los Negros
Bolivia
Photographs suggest possible causes and help
describe symptoms when samples are not available
Photographs highlight new diseases
Colourful signs attract people
Publicity

Newspapers Books
Radio T shirts
DVD/TV Internet
Permanent sign gives permanent publicity
SUMMARY
Clinics operate weekly in a place
where they are freely accessible to
users. This can be a market or
office, or other suitable location.
Linking diagnostic laboratories

Global Plant Clinic

National Network

Local laboratory
 When help is needed to identify the
cause, samples are sent to a laboratory
How are results documented? A written prescription.
If the plant doctor knows what is wrong,
a prescription is written immediately
 Clinic record sheet
• Identify major crops and diseases and their distribution

• Identify new and emerging diseases (link to quarantine authorities)

• Document work of the clinics

• Understand farmers’ problems, perceptions and knowledge

• Identify themes for public plant health campaigns

• Identify weaknesses of plant doctors and target further training

• Identify needs for further research

• Identify needs to link with other institutions, stockists etc

• Provide supporting evidence for advocacy

 The record sheet
The code is for
future reference

Remember to
complete all the
information

Use short words,

few words

Accurately record
symptoms

Make a clear
recommendation
Information from the clinic sheet is scanned
and stored in a simple spreadsheet. Do this
regularly!

3
Uganda: 711 queries ► 3 clinics, 10 months
Banana 111 Eggplant 8 Potato 2
Cassava 97 Pawpaw 8 Yams 2
Maize 83 Sesame 7 Anona (Kitaferi) 1
Groundnut 55 Avocado 6 Cocoa 1
Tomato 54 Passion fruit 6 Elephant grass 1
Coffee 47 Onions 5 Finger millet 1
Orange 32 Eucalyptus 4 Green pepper 1
Sorghum 32 Millet 4 Kulekula nuts 1
Rice 30 Cereals 4 Lemon 1
Cabbage 20 Citrus 4 Pineapple 1
Sweet potato 17 Jackfruit 3 Pumpkin 1
Beans 13 Soybean 3 Red pepper 1
Green gram 13 Bitter berries 2 Sugarcane 1
Watermelon 12 Cotton 2 Vanilla 1
Cowpeas 10 Mango 2 No info 1
Problems recorded by plant doctors Uganda
Fusarium wilt 3
◄ • Are problems with
BANANA Banana weevil 8
similar symptoms
Banana (bacterial) wilt 93 ◄ clearly distinguished?
Mites 5
Fungus 6 ◄
Cassava Brown Streak Virus 6
CASSAVA
Mealybug 7
Root rot 18 ◄
• Clarify vague diagnoses
Cassava mosaic 43
Tristeza 3
Leaf spot 3 ◄
Fungus 5 ◄
CITRUS
Fruit fly 6
Leaf miner 14
Scab 14
COFFEE Coffee wilt 41
Plant Health Clinics gather demand

• Systematically
• All crops
• All types of problems

FUNGUS ● PHYTOPLASMA ● VIRUS

Clinics help governments as well as farmers

Monitor spread of problems.

Detect new pest and diseases.
Constant dialogue with farmers.
Improve records of pests and
diseases.
 Plant health clinics are …
• Popular and available to
everyone
• The public uses the clinics
according to their needs
• Involves research bodies,
municipalities, ministeries
and NGOs
• Clinics receive demand for
many crops and respond
there and then
• They maintain a register of
demand
• Early warning of new
problems