Decision support systems for late blight control and early warning
Florencia Lucca: Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) (+TizonLatino Network)
<div>Potato late blight (PLB) is the most devastating disease in potato cultivation and the use of fungicides for disease control is widespread. Decision support systems (DSS) are available to help farmers and extension services avoid development of epidemics. Several DSSs are used globally, and knowledge exchange on the development and use of DSSs between the regional PLB stakeholder networks - EuroBlight, AsiaBlight, TizonLatino and USABlight is ongoing. DSSs can include simple tools or more complex platforms, depending on the farmer’s socio-economic situation and the rural facilities. A simple hand-held DSS tool that integrates varietal resistance to late blight, precipitation and the time since the last fungicide application was developed by CIP for use in Peru and Ecuador. This tool performed well and is potentially a viable option for small-scale farmers. The current DSSs used in Chile and Argentina have been very successful in improving PLB control, with reductions in fungicides sprays of up to 50%. DSS is a key component of the USABlight approach, with the location and timing of recent late blight observations and near real-time data on the <em>P. infestans</em> genotype observed in a specific location being made available. In Europe, the EuroBlight website holds information about 12 different European DSSs and the EuroBlight databases on <em>P. infestans</em> genotypes, fungicide efficacy and best management practices aim at supporting the use of the regionally adapted DSSs. In China, a DSS has been developed which predicts when fungicide should be applied and how many applications should be used.</div>
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