Project Number: 3607-21620-008-24
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jun 08, 2010
End Date: Jul 31, 2014

Objective:
Develop software that incorporates real-time microclimatic conditions and pest and disease prediction models for making pest management decisions that will be integrated into an intelligent sprayer system for ornamental nursery and greenhouse crops; test software under controlled and commercial nursery and greenhouse conditions.

Approach:
The expert pest decision support system will be a computer program that will enable growers to link to local weather stations and use existing pest predictive models such as degree-days, leaf wetness, and historic pest pressure to help make treatment decisions. Based on these parameters, the expert system will make recommendations on the need to treat for a particular pest or disease. Temperature-based insect phenology models will be part of the decision support system to predict spray timing. In addition, information on chemicals and application rates for controlling the various pests will be available in the program. The functions of the expert system will be improved continuously as more scientific information is available for more pests. Initially, models for several key pests will be programmed into the system, then, after successful field-testing more pests will be added. This programming will be incorporated into the intelligent spray system's software.