University of Florida team:

The University of Florida component of the workshop and expert knowledge elicitation will include these main components:

  • A workshop introducing the R programming environment
  • A workshop on applications of R for analysis of epidemiological data
  • Expert knowledge elicitation addressing rice health, as a component of a rice health risk assessment for Nepal

The rice health risk assessment uses the R2M toolbox: rapid risk assessment to support mitigation of crop pests and diseases: garrettlab.com/r2m

Objectives of the rice health synthesis for Nepal

  1. Provide a rapid risk assessment to support mitigation of rice pests and diseases in Nepal, based on:

    • Cropland connectivity analysis to identify key geographic locations for surveillance and management of pests and diseases in Nepal and the surrounding region
    • Expert knowledge elicitation to summarize current understanding of rice systems in Nepal
    • Scenario analysis of potential national management strategies for rice pests and diseases in Nepal
    • Trade network analyses of the potential for rice pest and pathogen spread internationally

  2. : Provide shared learning experiences for students in Nepal and at University of Florida

  3. : Develop a peer-reviewed journal article based on our shared understanding

The benefits we want this project to provide to collaborators in Nepal

  • Workshops: Capacity development for students and professionals
  • Expert knowledge elicitation: New synthesis of information about priorities for rice pest and disease management in Nepal, including emerging threats
  • Policymakers will benefit from a new synthesis of rice health challenges and strategies
  • New synthesis of rice systems in Nepal, including formal and informal trade and rice health implications

What we would ask from collaborators in Nepal

  • Helping to identify a team of approximately 20 regional experts on pests and diseases of rice in Nepal who could participate in expert knowledge elicitation
  • Helping with facilities for the workshop and expert knowledge elicitation

Potential Regional Experts

Here we are defining regional experts as those who have experience with rice health throughout a region (as opposed to being experts only on a single farm)

  • NARC officers/field staffs
  • DADO officers/ field staffs/ extension agents/ JT/As
  • Industry personnel / agrovets / …
  • Growers/ farmers / farm staffs/ Managers
  • TU faculties/staffs

Contact information for University of Florida team