Risk map on the platform
We have now added risk mapping to the home page of the IPM Decisions platform. The risk maps show the risk of various plant pests and diseases across Europe using a 7km by 7km grid with weather data taken from the Deutscher Wetterdienst Open Data service. Currently we have the risk map for Septoria leaf blotch (Zymoseptoria tritici) with risk maps for pollen beetle (Meligethes aeneus) and codling moth (Cydia pomonella) soon to be added. The data is updated throughout the risk season for each pest and the user is able to scroll through the maps by date to see how the risk is changing over time. As the risk maps will show the risk prediction from a number of decision support tools and the meaning of risk varies between the different DSS, we have include an information icon next to the DSS name, which will provide more details about how the DSS produces its risk prediction. It is important to note that the information in the maps is only intended to provide a regional overview of risk based on modelled weather data and will not necessarily be an accurate prediction of risk for an individual crop. The DSS risk maps should only be used to assist (not replace) decisions by experienced crop managers as local conditions will need to be taken into account in making any crop protection decisions.
More DSS on the platform
Several new free to use IPM-DSS have been added to the platform. These include systems for assessing the risk of cereal diseases, models from the Danish Crop Protection Online (CPO) for wheat and barley. These were launched by Aarhus University and SEGES in 2000 and have been regularly used in Denmark since then. The CPO models can be used to assess the risk to crops based on in-field observations. These DSS have been tested in the Nordic and Baltic countries and considered useful (if not yet formally validated) in other countries, including; Poland, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Ireland.
