Thursday, November 8, 2007 - 9:05 AM
332-5

Development of a Web-Based Decision Support Program for North Carolina Peanut.

Bridget Lassiter1, Gail Wilkerson2, David Jordan3, Barbara Shew1, and Rick Brandenburg1. (1) North Carolina State University, North Carolina State University, Dept of Crop Science Campus Box 7620, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620, (2) PO Box 7620, North Carolina State University, North Carolina State University, Crop Science Department, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620, (3) PO Box 7620 100 Derieux St., North Carolina State University, North Carolina State University, Crop Science Department, Raleigh, NC 27695-7620

Integrated pest management (IPM) is an essential part of any successful peanut program. Often, the interactions between multiple pest species and crop/pest management strategies are complex. Growers and their advisors may find it difficult to weigh the positive and negative impacts of different strategies. Scientists have developed a comprehensive decision support system to help peanut growers and their advisors assess their risk of developing pest problems(http://www.peanut.ncsu.edu/risk/). The program incorporates information from a yearly extension publication (North Carolina Peanut Information), as well as previously validated risk indices for tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) and southern corn rootworm (SCR). Risk indices for other pests were created using data from individual scientists. Users provide information outlining basic agronomic inputs including cultivar, field history, presence or absence of irrigation, planting date, rotation crops grown in that field for the past 1, 2, 3 and/or 4 years, soil pH, soil drainage and texture, in-furrow insecticides, nematicides, tillage, disease management, plant population, and planting pattern. Seven diseases are assessed in the decision aid: Cylindrocladium black rot (CBR), early leaf spot, late leaf spot, Sclerotinia blight, southern stem rot, TSWV, and web blotch. The decision aid also includes two arthropods (SCR and two-spotted spider mite) and three nematodes (northern root knot, peanut root knot, and sting). A risk score for each pest is calculated using data stored in a database. Additionally, a color-coded risk line is displayed for each individual pest, and as a user changes the scenario, the risk line for each pest may shift from one risk category into another: high(red), medium(yellow) or low (green). The combination of cultural, chemical and management strategies amy result in increased risks for some pests while the risk for others decrease. Printable reports summarize the risk index calculations for each pest species.