KINZANG DORJI TSHERING
Thimphu
Students from the Gyalpozhing College of Information Technology (GCIT) have developed a mobile application that uses artificial intelligence to help farmers detect crop diseases early and manage them effectively.
The app, named ZhingScan, analyzes images of plant leaves to identify diseases and provides timely, tailored advice for treatment.
Led by Phurpa Dorji, a third-year student specializing in AI and Data Science, the development team comprised nine members who came together to address a pressing issue that many Bhutanese farmers face.
The challenges, among others, include inability to identify plant diseases at an early stage, often leading to significant crop damage and reduced yields.
“We realized that farmers were losing valuable crops simply because they lacked quick access to expert advice. That’s what motivated us to design something practical and accessible,” said Phurpa Dorji.
The app allows farmers to use their smart phones to capture images of diseased leaves. Once uploaded, the app’s AI engine analyzes the images to detect signs of infection or pest damage.
Based on its findings, the system recommends possible remedies, from organic treatments to integrated pest management strategies. The primary goal, the students explained, is to provide a real-time, low-cost diagnostic tool that empowers farmers to act swiftly.
ZhingScan features a minimalistic interface with two main functions—capturing plant images and receiving instant results. Designed with rural users in mind, the app is intuitive enough for farmers with limited technological literacy.
Moreover, it is optimized to function offline once the necessary data has been downloaded, a key feature for Bhutan’s remote agricultural communities where internet access can be inconsistent.
Beyond individual use, the app can be integrated into the workflow of agriculture extension officers and local support centers. This broader application could potentially enable quicker and more coordinated responses to outbreaks of plant diseases in vulnerable regions.
The student developers incorporated several critical features into the application during its prototyping stage. These include an AI model trained on thousands of images of healthy and diseased plants, region-specific suggestions that account for Bhutan’s unique climate and crops, and data-logging capabilities to help farmers track recurring issues and interventions over time.
“The idea is not just to teach coding or algorithms but to enable students to become innovators who can contribute to the nation,” said a GCIT faculty member involved in mentoring the student team. “Projects like ZhingScan are exactly what we hope to foster.”
The app was unveiled at GCIT’s annual Project Showcase event, where 39 student-led innovations were exhibited, addressing various challenges across sectors such as health, education, environment, and agriculture.
ZhingScan drew particular attention for its relevance, scalability, and potential to address one of the most persistent challenges in Bhutanese farming.
Meanwhile, the project went on to win top honors at the National Youth-Led Agrifood Innovation Challenge 2024, organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
The challenge was designed to encourage youth participation in creating sustainable solutions for Bhutan’s agrifood systems. Competing under the team’s name “TechWiz,” the GCIT students outperformed several other entries and secured seed funding to support further development of the app.
As part of their next steps, the team plans to launch a pilot program in Trashigang, one of Bhutan’s most agriculturally active regions. Field testing in this area will allow the developers to gather feedback directly from farmers, refine the app’s accuracy, and improve its usability.
The pilot will also help test how well the app integrates into the daily routines of rural farmers and how effective its recommendations are in real agricultural conditions.
According to the team, one of the core goals of the pilot is to better understand the challenges farmers face when using digital tools and adapt ZhingScan accordingly.
Future updates may include multilingual support, particularly in Dzongkha and other local dialects, as well as voice-command features to help farmers who may not be literate or comfortable reading text.
In addition, the students are exploring the possibility of incorporating weather forecast data into the app. This integration would allow ZhingScan to alert users about conditions conducive to disease outbreaks or pest infestations.
They are also considering expanding the app’s crop database to include a wider range of plant types, especially those grown in various dzongkhags across Bhutan.
While these enhancements are still in the planning stage, the team has expressed interest in collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests to explore pathways for national rollout.
If successful, such a partnership could help bring the app to farmers across the country and integrate it into broader agricultural extension programs.
The potential of ZhingScan has also been recognized beyond Bhutan. In late 2024, Phurpa Dorji represented the project at the Asia-Pacific Youth Development Forum in Bangkok, Thailand. During the UNDP’s Youth Co: Lab initiative, the app won the “Best Idea Award,” distinguishing itself among entries from young innovators across the region.
The forum provided a platform for the team to connect with other youth change makers and international organizations, and to gain exposure to global challenges and approaches to digital agriculture.
ZhingScan’s journey from classroom project to award-winning innovation is a testament to the capacity of Bhutanese youth to contribute meaningfully to national development. It also highlights the importance of fostering a culture of innovation within educational institutions.
The success of the app has also sparked enthusiasm among educators and policymakers, who see it as a model for how technology education can translate into real-world solutions.
As the app undergoes further testing and development, all eyes will be on how it performs in real farming environments. If successful, ZhingScan could pave the way for a new wave of student-led innovations addressing national challenges, signaling a bright future for technology and agriculture in Bhutan.
The development of ZhingScan is a direct outcome of GCIT’s strong emphasis on practical, project-based learning.
Since its establishment in 2017 under the Royal University of Bhutan, the college has focused on equipping students with hands-on experience in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, full-stack development, and block chain.
Faculty at GCIT consistently encourages students to engage with real-world problems and develop technological solutions with tangible social impact.
