Using Enviroweather to assist pest management decisions Emily Pochubay 2014 Integrated Pest Management Academy February 19, 2014 Okemos, MI www.enviroweather.msu.edu
Enviro-weather An online resource that provides local weather information and weather-based tools There are currently 78 weather stations throughout Michigan (each yellow dot) www.enviroweather.msu.edu
Enviro-weather Each station provides readings every 30 minutes of: air temperature soil temperature soil moisture relative humidity solar radiation wind speed and direction precipitation leaf wetness Weather station www.enviroweather.msu.edu
Why is monitoring weather important? Weather influences crop and pest development and management decisions For example, wind speed and direction for drift management temperature to prevent phytotoxicity that may result from applications on hot days insect and pathogen development are influenced by weather
Enviro-weather Weather-based tools include: summaries of local weather conditions insect development models disease development models crop development models Weather station www.enviroweather.msu.edu
Enviro-weather models Use equations to predict future events (ex. pest development) Inputs (such as weather data) Temp RH Leaf wetness Precipitation Model Outputs (units of development) Degree Days Infection Potential Model outputs are used to indicate when management may be needed
Model outputs Degree Days Insect development occurs between lower and upper temperature thresholds. Models use these thresholds and daily min/max temp of the surrounding environment to calculate degree days (DD). Degree Days = (Tmax + Tmin)/2 T low) Tmax refers to the max daily temp (set to the upper temp threshold if daily temp exceeds it) Tmin refers to the min daily temp (set to the lower temp threshold if daily temp exceeds it) T low refers to the minimum threshold for development
Model outputs Degree Days (continued) Accumulated DD are used as indicators for pest management. Biofix is the date that development units begin accumulating. The biofix date can refer to first date of sustained trap catch, first date of bloom, etc. Infection Potentials Temperature, relative humidity, duration of leaf wetness, and disease biology are used to predict infection potential. Calculations for disease development predictions differ among disease models. Information on how each produces output data are available on Enviro-weather.
Models - Demonstration Obliquebanded Leafroller An important insect pest of many fruits Fire Blight of apple blossoms OBLR adult and larva A serious, quickly progressing bacterial disease of apples and other Rosaceae fruits Blossom blight
Fire Blight model output (2013)
Enviro-weather assists decisions Model predictions allow us to prepare to take management action if it is deemed necessary. Enviro-weather tools are intended to assist not dictate management decisions. The decision to take management action should be influenced by several factors including: a history of problematic pests the current season pest pressure susceptible crops past and predicted weather events To stay up to date on current season pest concerns subscribe to MSUE News and local fruit newsletters, and attend local fruit meetings/updates.
Enviro-weather A collaborative project of: Michigan Climatological Resources Program & MSU Integrated Pest Management Program Supported by: Project GREEEN, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU Extension, private donors, MSU departments of Crop and Soil Sciences, Entomology, Forestry, Geography, Horticulture, and Plant Pathology, and HortSystems Inc. www.enviroweather.msu.edu