DSS | Users and system description | Contact/Owner | 
MILEOS | Mileos ® is a web-based, on-farm Decision Support System (DSS) available to potato growers to control potato late blight (LB) caused by Phytophthora infestans. It results from collaboration between ARVALIS and the French Ministry of Agriculture. The two pre-existing DSS’s (MILPV and Mildi-LIS®) have been fused, in 2009, into an optimized tool, entirely reviewed and up-dated in order to better meet national demand and help farmers to comply with EU regulations. With Mileos® (see www.mileos.fr), the fungicide application on potato crops is optimized, triggered according a real-time LB risk assessment taking into account environmental data (climatic and disease pressure), agronomical data such as cultivar’s LB resistance and crop health practices for potato fields such as chemical input, cultivar choice and irrigation. | Dennis Gaucher
Arvalis, Institut de Végétal,
F-91720 Boigneville, France E-mail: d.gaucher@arvalis.fr | 
Blight Management | BLIGHT MANAGEMENT is operated by the Aarhus University (AU), the Danish Agricultural Advisory Service (SEGES) and the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI). It integrates all available information about late blight control, including tools like monitoring of early attacks, weather based late blight infection pressure, general weather information and -forecast, regional blight weather and -forecast, fungicide information, cultivar database with information about late blight resistance etc. The separate DSS components are not integrated to provide specific decisions on timing and use of a specific fungicide type and dosage. | Jens Grønbech Hansen
Aarhus University, Research Centre Foulum
DK-8830 Tjele, DK
jensg.hansen@agro.au.dk | 
Nærstad model | Calculations of risk values are based on sub-models for the different steps in the disease cycle like spore production, spore release, spore survival and infection of spores. The model criteria for spore production is long humid periods and at moderate humidity sporulation is reduced. The amount of viable attached sporangia is reduced by drought, and some spores are washed off during rain. The model criteria for spore release into the air is a drop in humidity or increased radiation, but the release is inhibited by high leaf wetness. The model includes criteria for spore survival and the viability of released spores is strongly inhibited by solar radiation. The spore load is also reduced by precipitation. The criteria for infection is that leaf wetness duration has to be sufficient for the spores to germinate and infect. The risk of blight development is a function of the amount of viable released spores and the duration of leaf wetness. The model outputs are based on the assumption that inoculum is available in the field, and is meant to provide information for optimal timing of pest management strategies. | Håvard Eikemo & Anne-Grete Roer Hjelkrem Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO) haavard.eikemo@nibio.no Anne-Grete.Hjelkrem@nibio.no | 
Blight Watch | The Blightwatch service uses the Hutton Criteria to calculate blight risk across the UK. Using UK Met Office forecast data for thousands of forecast points, the Blightwatch service provides warning indications up to 24 hours ahead of potential Hutton Criteria. Alerts are generated and sent to users based on the warning criteria or when there has been a blight outbreak confirmed through the AHDB Potatoes ‘Fight Against Blight’ service for a selected region. The Blightwatch alerts do not constitute a recommendation to spray but provide an early warning to aid management decisions around spray timing and intervals. Blightwatch is supported by The Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB Potatoes) and operates in conjunction with their ‘Fight Against Blight’ (FAB) service. It also relies on support from agro-industry sponsors. | Contact: Claire Hodge, AHDB Potatoes Knowledge Exchange Manager - Scotland e: Claire.Hodge@ahdb.org.uk (link sends e-mail) ¦ t: 07771 798 552 | 
Irish rules | Met Éireann (Irish Meteorological Service) is issuing blight warnings guided by outputs of algorithm proposed by Bourke (1953), known as Irish Rules. Blight risk is expressed in effective blight hours which are calculated using observed weather data and ten day weather forecast (ECMWF and HILRAM models). Model outputs are used as synoptic weather forecasting guide to weather forecasted on duty. Blight warnings include information about areas affected, duration of spell, and opportunities for spraying, where possible. Warning service is operational from May to September through Met Éireann web page and android app (www.met.ie), daily radio and television broadcast, and email. | Mladen Cucak
PhD fellow
Maynooth University/TEAGASC
Tel. : +353)599183548
Mobile: +353 (0)892571521
e-mail: mladen.cucak@nuim.ie
e-mail: mladen.cucak@teagasc.ie | |