Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/418083
60 DECEMBER 2014 GOOD FRUIT GROWER www.goodfruit.com Y ears ago, when fruit growers relied heavily on organophosphates for pest control and sprayed by the calendar, pest management decisions were rel- atively simple. A grower who needed advice could check in the Spray Guide or phone the local Extension agent. "Everyone had a paper copy of the Spray Guide, and it was sophisticated enough for the time," recalls Dr. Jim McFerson, manager of the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission. "But think about how that would work now, and it makes no sense." Today, growers can go to their computers, tablets, or smartphones any time of day or night for help in deciding how to control pests. Washington State University's Decision Aid System (DAS) website provides not just the Spray Guide but a wealth of information including degree-day models for diseases, pests, and natural enemies; historic and current weather data from the university's 150 AgWeatherNet stations; ten-day weather forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and information on Maximum Residue Levels in export markets to guide pesticide choices. The site also explains what the degree-day model data mean from a management standpoint. "DAS is really about providing the information that pest managers need to make the best decisions," said Dr. Vince Jones, Washington State University entomologist and DAS director. "We're not making the decision. They're making the decision. We're providing weather data and models and all the insights that the people who developed the models have about what this means in terms of your management and how to deal with it, and we're doing it ahead of time so you can respond. "It's not a repository of research information," he emphasized. "It's trying to take that research information and put it into a package that's available to people when they need it, or slightly before they need it." Extension Jones noted that funding for WSU Extension dropped by 52 percent between about 2008 and 2012. The few remaining Extension specialists in Washington no longer have time to fi eld routine calls from growers. "So how do you deal with an industry that has fi ve billion dollars of impact on the state's economy? You're got this huge industry with a lot of demand, and the education system's hamstrung by the fact that it does not have many people. This is a way to get information out in a way that can have an impact almost immediately." McFerson said DAS is more than just a practical tool for growers. "To me, this is the most exciting Extension technology that WSU has developed and is offering and improving. It really changes the way Extension operates. DAS is part of what may some- day become a statewide Decision Support System at WSU. It's charting a new course for delivery of science-based knowledge, interaction, and engagement with the industry." An important feature of DAS is that it's interactive. For example, growers can enter data in the model to fi nd out what the impacts on pest or natural enemy populations would be if they applied different pesticides. The site has about 350 regular users, representing about 80 percent of Washington's 230,000 acres of tree fruits. Some users are probably companies that access data from multiple weather stations, but growers with small acreages also use the system. "The bigger your operation, the more you need something like this because you're trying to cover so many acres," Jones said. "On the other hand, if they're a small grower doing it on their own—and they don't have somebody they hire to do it—they actually need this as well because it helps them to get information and saves them time." Visitors to the site need to log in, which ensures that they're not overwhelmed by unnecessary information. "We can give you all of it, but you would drown in data," Jones said. Instead, users will only see information relevant to their location and the crops they grow as well as the time of year. Fees Since Jones launched DAS in 2005, access to the site has been free, but that will change next spring when WSU will charge an annual fee of $150 for each weather station accessed. DAS has a full-time programmer and a part-time manager/educator who does outreach and some programming for DAS as well as other research. WSU Cooperative Products & Solutions for Agricultural Safety r Chemical Gloves r Full-Face Respirator r Half-Face Respirator r Chemical Splash Goggles r Chemical Resistant Boots r Disposable and Reusable Suits Available Add a Cooling-Vest on hot days as a heat stress precaution www.oxarc.com Washington - Idaho - Oregon - Shop Online 1-800 -765- 9055 Safety First: Follow chemical manufacturer's guidelines for decontaminating the spray suite. Do not use suit if there are cuts, holes, tears, missing snaps, or separated seams. Chemical Protective Suit "That's the whole purpose of DAS—to make sure people aren't caught unaware." —Vince Jones DAS AIDS with pest decisions Fees will allow WSU's Internet-based Decision Aid System to introduce new, cool features. by Geraldine Warner