Research shows the benefits of chat groups for human health can also be replicated for plant health

CABI-led research has revealed that there is evidence that chat groups are beneficial for human health, which can also be replicated for plant health.

This study analyzed the opportunities and pitfalls of using chat groups for plant health systems and considered conditions for enhancing chat room functionality. We also investigated the possibility of replicating successful examples reported in medical settings in plant medical systems.

CABI scientists, together with colleagues from the Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Group at Wageningen University and the University of Lusaka in Zambia, focused on the use of chat groups under the Plantwise program in Ghana, Kenya, Uganda and Sri Lanka. . Ranka.

Benefits can also be replicated for plant health

Study author Dr. Danny Romney said: cabione health “Our findings show that there is evidence of the benefits of chat groups for human health, which can be replicated for plant health,” said the journal's senior global director of development communications and extension. ”.

“However, replication must not be a ‘copy-and-paste’ approach, as there is a general lack of evidence-based guidelines and lessons learned to go beyond the initial successful implementation of communications applications. This is because

“Also, in practice, Plantwise's plant doctor chat groups are generally much larger than those in medical settings, so whether increased activity in the chat rooms will benefit specific plant health goals or whether it will increase human resources It remains to be seen whether the participation of plant doctors will lead to an increase in costs or a reduction in personnel costs.”

The aim of the CABI-led PlantwisePlus program is to build on the success and learnings of the Plantwise and Action on Invasives programs, which have already helped millions of farmers in more than 30 countries diagnose and treat pest threats and strengthen the nation's plants. This helps reduce crop losses. medical system.

At the national and regional level, PlantwisePlus provides the technical support needed to detect and respond to pest outbreaks, identify plant health problems and provide effective solutions. fills the gap where no consistent and coordinated mechanism exists.

It leverages a range of existing CABI open access products and projects. These include his CABI BioProtection Portal, a free tool that increases awareness and uptake of biocontrol and biopesticide products by growers and advisors, as well as the Plantwise Knowledge Bank and Factsheet apps.

Posting behavior was found to vary among plant health experts

The researchers found that posting behavior was generally seen to differ between health care professionals, and similar variation in participation was observed in plant clinic networks. Higher levels of active participation were reported among younger members (20-39 years) and members with less than 10 years of professional experience.

For example, between 2017 and 2019, the proportion of participants who remained relatively silent in plant clinic chat groups was 37-48% in Kenya, 50-52% in Ghana, and 35-58% in Uganda. . In Sri Lanka, participation varied across years and groups, rarely falling below the contribution from her 30% of participants in a given year, but this was due to the fact that the remaining participants did not participate in the exchange. It wasn't meant to be.

In Ghana, participation increased during the 2019 plant doctor training series, with only 22% of chat group participants being silent members. Furthermore, a study conducted in Ghana shows that differences in participation in chat groups in botanical clinics in the country are due to the topics being discussed.

Hierarchy was also a factor, with junior members reluctant to post in groups that also included senior staff.

Chat groups often revolve around a few core people

Anna Wood, a co-author of the study and CABI's Integrated Crop Management Advisor, said, “Another observation from all plant clinic chat groups is that the interactions within the chat groups are “They often revolved around multiple central figures, such as staff members and experienced extension personnel.” Agent or chat group facilitator. ”

“We also found that small chat groups encourage more participation in Africa. Plant Doctors believe that small chat groups allow shy members to connect and reach out to others. In Uganda, Ghana, and Kenya, there are online groups of small plant clinics, usually representing specific regions (districts, provinces, etc.) or parallel to national groups. This is a training group that conducts activities.

CABI co-author and knowledge bank coordinator Manju Thakur added that Sri Lanka only has nine regional groups and no national group. Although all of these groups are formal, we observed that smaller groups were more homogeneous in terms of membership, had less formal social interaction, and were more focused on logistics.

Larger national groups were more heterogeneous groups

In contrast, larger national groups were more heterogeneous and allowed access to a wider range of expertise, but were more formal and focused on knowledge exchange, including responding to questions. Ta.

“This is consistent with Pahwa et al. 2018, who showed that smaller groups foster greater interaction, and that active participation decreases as group size increases, making large chat groups less efficient. This is consistent with insights from medical settings such as Zhang et al. 2013, who showed that this is possible.”

Researchers claim that in the plant health chat group, they observed that the number of requests for diagnostic support decreased over time, but the quality of diagnostic support increased.

Additionally, the proportion of cases with contradictory or incorrect diagnoses was reported to have decreased. Similar to medical settings, sharing images across chat groups of plant doctors is important in identifying and diagnosing pests and diseases, they said.

Improving cohesion among plant health network members

“New evidence from four countries participating in the Plant Clinic Network shows that the benefits observed in human health chat groups also appear in plant health,” Dr. Romney said. “Simplifying and improving interactions across vertical communication chains has made interactions more cohesive.” Member of the Plant Health Network. ”

“Additionally, sharing unusual symptoms in the Plant Clinic chat group increases awareness of potential outbreaks and helps with early detection by quickly sharing information on correct identification of pests and diseases and how to manage problems.” and was also observed to contribute to rapid response systems.”

“Most notably, chat groups have facilitated communication in sharing information with plant doctors and connecting plant health professionals in urban areas with plant health professionals in isolated rural areas. .The result is better and more timely diagnosis.”