App developers in Uganda use TensorFlow to spot armyworm damage in maize

Fall armyworm, the larval life stage of a fall armyworm moth, impacts maize crops worldwide but particularly in countries like Uganda, where agricultural businesses employ 70% of the population. Studies show the potential impact is between 8.3 and 20.6 million tons per year, with the fallout amounting to between $2.48 million and $6.19 million per year. The threat of devastating losses prompted developers participating in a Google Developer Group in Mbale to create an Android app -- FlatButter -- that identifies signs of fall armyworm damage in maize crops. It's been featured on a national TV station in Uganda and highlighted by the Food Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, as well as by Google in a short film published today. "The vast damage and yield losses in maize production, due to FAW, got the attention of global organizations, who are calling for innovators to help," wrote Hansu Mobile and Intelligent Innovations CEO Nsubuga Hassan, who led the team that developed the app.