INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
May 12 marks the International Day of Plant Health, a United Nations effort to raise awareness about how essential healthy plants are to
life on Earth.According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), approximately 40 percent of global crops are lost
yearly due to plant pests and diseases
This not just threatens food security, however also damages communities and obstructs environment resilience.The days theme this year is
The value of plant health in One Health
It highlights the requirement to see plant health as part of a wider, interconnected system.The One Health approach, supported by the World
Health Organization and FAO, emphasizes the close links in between the health of individuals, animals, plants and the environment.Protecting
crops from bugs and pathogens is not just a farming concern –-- it reduces pesticide use, supports biodiversity and prevents the spread of
zoonotic illness that might come from disrupted habitats.Making strong strides in wise plant protection, China in 2015 released the Huiyan
system, jointly developed by the Aerospace Information Research Institute under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and other institutions.This
artificial intelligence (AI)-powered system combines in-situ sensing, low-altitude drone tracking and wide-area remote sensing to track over
20 major crop and forest bugs
It allows early caution throughout scales, supporting both national and worldwide biosecurity.Meanwhile, Beijings smart vegetable protection
platform integrates AI tools to specifically discover and react to pest threats.Spearheaded by the citys Bureau of Agriculture and Rural
Affairs, the system has actually significantly improved control performance while lowering chemical usage, benefiting both yield and the
environment.Green control innovations are likewise taking root at the farm level
Professor Huang Lilis group at Northwest A&F University developed an integrated technique for managing apple canker and kiwifruit bacterial
Their winter season disease, summer season prevention method integrates forecasting, immunity increasing and targeted intervention.Already
applied widely in crucial production areas, the method has actually earned scientific awards and the trust of fruit growers.Plant health is
not an abstract concern –-- it is essential to our food systems, environments and the society.As difficulties like environment change and
biodiversity loss heighten, purchasing innovative, sustainable plant defense is more urgent than ever.(Cover designed by CGTNs Jia Jieqiong)
