The overarching aim of the VIRAL project is to promote uptake of digital skills by students and teachers of Plant Pathology study programmes in partner HEIs for enhanced disease detection and management. The agricultural sector is the backbone of the East African economy, contributing approximately 33%, 37% and 28% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, respectively (Figure 1). The agriculture sector employs more than 40%, 72% and 65% of the total population in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, respectively. Unfortunately, as of 2022, East Africa is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, which aims to end hunger and ensure equal and inclusive access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round (01_FAO, 2023). The main challenge they face is the fact that agriculture in Africa still suffers stresses at different levels imposed by climate change and shortage of resources. Both smallholder farmers and agricultural enterprises continue to face challenges of frequent crop losses or severely reduced or negligible yield due to crop diseases caused by plant pathogens. Furthermore, climate change effects have worsened the situation, and projections show that by 2050, unpredictable weather patterns could cause major food shortages. Healthy plants are vital to human and animal health – plants provide over 80% of the food consumed by humans and are the primary source of nutrition for livestock (Rizzo et al., 2021). Among the biotic constraints to food supply, catastrophic plant diseases on the farm cause the greatest deficit, starting in the early upstream sectors of the food supply chain (Strange and Scot 2005, Boyce 2010, Kettles and Luna 2019, Bouvet et al., 2021). Increasing food production, along with reducing loss due to pests, pathogens and food waste will be needed to meet food demands (02_FAO, 2017). Yield losses due to crop pests and diseases on food crops are significant, ranging from 20–50% mean loss in many crops (Ristaino et al., 2021), and up to 80–100% in the worst cases (Sibanda, 2015). Plant pathogens causing diseases in plants are difficult to control because their populations are variable in time, space, and genetic architecture (i.e., genotypes). While Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is endowed with diverse food crop resources, about 95% of food security in the region is accounted for by only a few crop commodities, including banana, cassava, sweetpotato, irish potato, maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, and millets. The impact of diseases on such key commodities easily translates into a serious food crisis. There are many examples that collectively demonstrate how plant diseases can create a sense of hopelessness within and among populations by threatening food supplies, especially when the affected plants constitute the most essential food commodities.

Figure 1. The “East African HEI network” will be established by the six partner universities from Kenya (Nairobi), Tanzania (Morogoro, Dar es Salaam) and Uganda (Kampala, Busitema). The network will create new Regional Digital Plant Pathology Study Modules to promote digitization and modernization of Plant Pathology education.

Various efforts have been made toward managing and controlling such disease emergencies, from integrated pest management (IPM) to disease resistance breeding schemes. However, a critical mass of human resources knowledgeable in plant disease management via diagnostics and management remains too low. Importantly, effective management relies on accurate identification in a timely fashion. For example, the initial misidentification of the BXW disease and its causative agents in early 2000, and the subsequent application of inappropriate control methods promoted faster and wilder spread of the disease in bananas (Tushemeirewe et al., 2004, Kubiriba et al., 2014). Although the agricultural extension staff in many countries in eastern Africa are knowledgeable in general husbandry and farm inputs, they lack sufficient knowledge of plant diseases and plant pathology in general. Evidently, training in the area of plant pathology in partner HEIs is very limited.

General objectives. Employment of the state-of-the-art digital technologies and methods in disease detection can allow real-time monitoring and mitigation of disease epidemics. The socio-economic impact of such interventions would be significant and would prevent crop yield losses causing downfall of economic growth and autonomy of farmers and agri sector as a whole. To this end, VIRAL will facilitate the comprehensive digital transformation in plant pathology from education methods to research technologies. Encouraging the implementation of digital education strategies will also allow inclusiveness to an unprecedented level towards participants with fewer opportunities, disabilities, or even geographical barriers. The project will thereby inherently promote respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, human rights, and indiscrimination. To support the cross-regional cooperation, the partner HEIs will establish an “East African HEI network” (Figure 1) that will create the new “Regional Digital Plant Pathology Study Modules” (RDPPSMs). These goals are in line with the Global Gateway Strategy that is European Union’s approach to boosting smart, clean, and secure links in digital, energy, transport, and strengthening health, education, and research systems across the world. The VIRAL project is investing in the educational infrastructure to create a pool of experts in plant pathology. This investment aligns with the strategy’s aim to foster health and research, as plant health is critical to food security and agricultural resilience.