Platforma Sygnalizacji Agrofagów - Online Pest Warning System

Decision support systems in plant protection

An essential part of integrated pest management other than the choice of preventive measures are decisions about the application of chemical control. Integrated pest management, crop protection and production guidelines, methodologies and programs are no substitute for regular field inspections and due consideration of weather conditions and economic harm levels by farmers facing the decision to use chemical treatments.

In recent years, advanced research has been carried out to provide scientific background knowledge for short-term pest emergence forecasting. Much of this research centered on determining correlations between disease and pest development and weather conditions. Its findings have been used to establish support systems to, for example, forecast pathogens breakouts and the developmental stages of pests as a way to determine the best time for treatment. The instructions produced on that basis are to help farmers and plant protection consultants identify the need for plant protection treatment based on ecological principles, with due consideration of cost-benefit analysis and climate conditions.