Video Summary
Dr. Ute Chambers explains how the WSU Decision Aid System (http://das.wsu.edu) can be used as a tool for making decisions for managing pests in your orchard. She also spoke about some new features including e-mail alerts/notifications for specific pesticide model events and pest monitoring through a new mobile web application for your smart phone or tablet.
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Dr. Chambers explains how the WSU Decision Aid System (http://das.wsu.edu) can be used as a tool for making decisions for managing pests in your orchard. She noted that various inputs into the system include current and historic weather data from WSU’s AgWeatherNet, weather forecast data from NOAA, recommendations from the WSU Crop Protection Guide for Tree Fruits and the MRL database of the Northwest Horticultural Council. These inputs provide data that is used for specific pest and disease models to provide both management and pesticide recommendations. As part of the DAS spray guide, information is provided to the site visitor related to both pesticide efficacy and the effects of pesticides on natural enemies. Dr. Chambers noted that natural enemies are also affected by pesticides aimed at pests. This may occur because of acute toxicity or adverse sublethal effects. She noted the effect of seven different common pesticides on natural enemies in the orchard and how this information is accessible in an online database (http://enhancedbiocontrol.org/opened). Dr. Chambers noted that new models are being developed for green lacewings, syrphid fly and the pear psylla predator (Deraeocoris). By knowing pesticide effects on natural enemies, the pest manager can be more careful on his pesticide choices and timing of their use for controlling pests while at the same time preserving natural enemies that provide biocontrol for free. She spoke about the DAS historic weather data center to compare the date of pesticide application with the model predictions for the proper timing and how this might impact the efficacy of your control. She also spoke about some new features including e-mail alerts/notifications for specific pesticide model events and pest monitoring through a new mobile web application for your smart phone or tablet.
