The proPlant decision support system: Phenological models for the major pests of oilseed rape and their key parasitoids in Europe

Abstract

The computer-based DSS proPlant incorporates weather-based phenological models for the six major pests of oilseed rape in Europe: the cabbage stem flea beetle, the rape stem weevil, the cabbage stem weevil, the pollen beetle, the cabbage seed weevil and the brassica pod midge. The models have now been validated for several European countries. The system predicts the start and course of pest infestation and provides site-specific crop protection treatment decisions, a selection of suitable chemicals, computes optimum dates and rates for application and evaluates the efficacy of past applications. Phenological models for migration of some key parasitoids of the pests have also been constructed recently; their use in finding spray windows to conserve parasitoids is described. Further work is needed to validate them before they can be integrated into a pest control strategy for farmers. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.