Towards an operational Angular Leaf Spot Classification: A case study of

Namulonge Beans Growing

Agaba J.E.,Wairagala E.P., Bateesa S.T., Dhikusooka J., Nakanyike M.N.,

Department of Networks, School of Computing and Informatics Technology,

Makerere University.

Abstract

Angular leaf spot is one of the major diseases affecting beans and this has greatly affected
bean production in Uganda.This is due to lack of early identification of angular leaf spot disease
, limited information available to farmers about the spread ,treatment and prevention of angular
leaf spot, this paper thus presents a solution that help a farmer identify whether beans are
infected with angular leaf spot or healthy and detailed information on treatment,prevention and
spread of angular leaf spot disease.

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Beans are a major source of protein grown all over Uganda. They were traditionally grown for
home consumption but are now increasingly being grown for income generation. Uganda is a
surplus producer of beans and is currently exporting the surplus beans to neighbouring
countries. Uganda produces about 370,000 metric tonnes of beans annually[1].

The districts with the highest production of beans in Uganda include Mubende 78,027 tonnes,
Mbale 23,637 tonnes, Amuru 74,671 tonnes, Ntungamo 137,899 tonnes, Others 55,766
tones[2].

The improved bean varieties available on the market include NABE 1 up to NABE 6; NABE
11 to NABE 14, K20, K132, K131, all of which are bush varieties, and NABE 7C to NABE
10C[3], [4].

The Bush varieties are grown in most of the bean growing areas of Uganda, either as a mono-
crop or intercropped with various crops like cassava, maize, bananas, cotton and sorghum,
depending on the area.

Climbers are mainly grown in the highly populated highlands of Kabale, Kisoro and Mbale. In
comparison, they yield two to three times higher.

Challenges in common bean production include erratic (unpredictable) and poorly distributed
rainfall, use of poor genetic materials, field and storage pests, weeds and diseases also degraded
natural resources (especially declining soil fertility).

Bean growing is easy as long as you provide their basic requirements. However, even in the
best of situations, there may still be times when problems growing beans becomes prevalent.
Knowing about common bean problems and utilizing important bean farming tips are the best
line of defence when these issues arise.

This study was carried out to assess the impact of angular leaf spot on bean production and
earnings.The bean farmers of Namulonge experience very low rate of bean production since
the angular leaf spot disease attacks the leaf of bean making the stunted.

This study was also aimed at establishing various methods that the bean farmers could use to
prevent bean diseases(angular leaf spot) , reduce the damages experienced on productivity and
increase the volumes of bean production .
The information that was gathered during the study may assist to devise strategies of curbing
the effect of angular leaf spot bean disease on the farms.

The bean farmers argue that they have tried as many methods as possible to prevent bean
diseases for-instance angular leaf spot and do not seem to find an appropriate method to settle
for. The methods used include use of fungicides , proper weeding management, seed dressing
, crop rotation without knowing exactly what disease they are preventing. This has led to poor
bean yields since most farmers use these prevention methods without knowing what disease
exactly they are preventing against.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

The Artificial Intelligence and Data science Laboratory Makerere University have done related
work on Mobile monitoring of crop disease. This has been done on cassava which is the
world’s third largest source of carbohydrate, and can grow in hostile conditions where other
crops cannot, but has one major weakness: susceptibility to viral disease. Monitoring the spread
of disease is essential in countries which depend on it as a staple crop, but the processes
currently employed are expensive and slow. The AI lab has worked on an automated system
using $100 smartphones to capture images, diagnose disease with computer vision techniques
and provide real time map information, as well as extensions into banana diseases and
automated pest survey.

Automating Pest Count And Symptom Measurement:This project is dedicated to automating

the whitefly pest count, and assessing the percentage of root tuber affected by Cassava Brown
Streak Disease.

The whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a pest that commonly resides and feeds on the underside of
leaves causing crop losses.More notably though is that it is the vector responsible for
transmitting Cassava mosaic and Cassava Brown Streak.Common symptoms of cassava
mosaic disease (CMD) are mosaic, leaf distortion and stunting.Depending on the level of
infection, CMD affects overall growth of the plant and production of tubers.
PPD Detection:Postharvest physiological deterioration (PPD) of cassava (Manihot esculenta)
storage roots is a complex physiological and biochemical process which involve many
regulatory networks linked with specific proteins modulation and signaling transduction
pathways.
The AI lab Makerere University developed a tool that is able to calculate the percentage of
PPD on a root cross section.

Rapid Diagnosis Bassed On Crop Images:Enabling rapid diagnosis of crop disease in fields
based on crop images, using computational techniques in machine learning implemented on a
mobile phone for-example neucrosis detection.

3. METHODOLOGY

A descriptive approach was used to structure this research because very little was known in
such an area and the researchers wanted to show what was happening on ground at that
moment. In addition, the researchers were going to be in position to describe events and then
organize and tabulate the data to what the actual reality of the phenomena was like on the
ground.

The findings presented are based on primary data collected in 2019 from a sample of 10
individual farmer households in Namulonge Gayaza in Uganda and the AI Lab members who
have engaged this kind of research before. Data collection was in form of key informant
interview using a set of questions (interview guide), Document review, and questionnaire, oral
and written interview.
3.1 Data Collection Tools

In this particular study, we relied on both induction and deduction to collect and analyse the
data. The data collection tool for quantitative data that was considered to be appropriate in this
research is a questionnaire. One survey questionnaire and in-depth interviews guide were used
to collect data. We carried along pens, notebooks during in-depth explanation and cameras for
diseased and healthy bean leaf images.

We used interview guides to collect data from the individual farmer households in Namulonge
and from some agriculture domain experts in the Artificial Intelligence Research lab. During
the interview, the investigators gathered data from participants face- to- face. The purpose of
the interview is the construction and understanding of reality. We recorded the conversations
we carried out with the respondents during the interviews. We used interviews to get opinions
from bean farmers about the various methods used to prevent and treat bean diseases, extent
of damage and impact of these diseases to bean farming. The interviews were recorded with
the permission from the participants.

3.3 Data Analysis

Quantitative data from the survey questionnaire was analysed using Open Data Kit (ODK)
software that helped us come up with better visualisation graphs showing the extent of these
bean diseases , the methods used to prevent these diseases and the stage beans are affected the
most.
Qualitative data was analysed by coming up with comprehensive summary of an event in the
everyday terms of those events. In this study, constructs, themes, and patterns were identified
from the interviews as we read-through the data over and over to get a description and
understanding of phenomenon under study which were noted. Interviews were noted in
notebooks and reviewed several times before the researchers made the analysis. Qualitative
descriptive analysis involved:
a) Evaluating each participant’s response.
b) Recording insights and reflections on the data.
c) Sorting the data to identify similar phrases, patterns, and important features.
d) Looking for commonalities and differences among the data and extracting them for
further consideration and analysis.
e) Gradually deciding on generalizations that hold true for the data.
f) Examining these generalizations in light of the existing knowledge.
The qualitative analysis differs from other qualitative methods in that it gives a rich, straight
description of an experience or an event in order to stay closer to the data.

4. FINDINGS/RESULTS

Based on our findings, the individual farmer households say Bean anthracnose and angular leaf
spot are the most dangerous bean diseases in Namulonge. Most farmers see the symptoms of
the diseases and think that heavy rains are killing their beans.

Farmers in Namulonge say the best way to fight these diseases is to spray the garden
immediately after podding, especially when the rains are heavy or if weeding was late to
prevent anthracnose. Not weeding on time can also increase the chances for this disease to
appear.
Some Farmers say planting resistant varieties can help fight the angular leaf spot disease, Seed
dressing, Crop rotation with non-host crops and Proper weed management are some of the other
techniques farmers are using to fight bean diseases.

Using the rule of the majority and taking 65% as a decision point, there is increased bean
production and a slight increase on sales with the use of the techniques at hand where the 35
% shows that some farmers use these techniques without knowing which disease they are
fighting against.

Farmers claim that these techniques are not efficient and effective since most farmers apply
these techniques late or without knowing what they are preventing.

Figure 1.0: Percentage of diseases that affect beans in Namulonge

Figure2: techniques used to prevent bean diseases in Namulonge

6. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE WORK

Based on the findings, the study concludes that angular leaf spot is one of the major diseases
affecting beans and they are various methods for preventing the diseases. However, due to the
late detection of the disease, the methods used are not efficient and effective enough hence
reducing productivity.

With this information, we ascertain that there is a need to come up with better and effective
methods of diagnosing bean diseases. This will reduce the rate of spread and attack of the bean
diseases.

In future research, we will investigate other bean diseases, for example, Bean rust and Anthracnose.
Then create a model which will classify all the three-bean diseases.

8. REFERENCES
[1] S. David, “Beans in the farming system and domestic economy of Uganda: a tale of two
parishes,” 1999 [Online]. Available:
https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/71984/op28_beans_uganda.pdf?sequence=1
[2] “Beans,” Fortune Of Africa - Uganda. [Online]. Available:
https://fortuneofafrica.com/ug/beans. [Accessed: 17-Oct-2019]
[3] S. David, R. Kirkby, and S. Kasozi, “Assessing the impact of bush bean varieties on
poverty reduction in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Uganda,” 2000 [Online]. Available:
http://ciat-library.ciat.cgiar.org/Articulos_Ciat/op31_impact.pdf
[4] “Beans,” Fortune Of Africa - Uganda. [Online]. Available:
https://fortuneofafrica.com/ug/beans/. [Accessed: 17-Oct-2019]