Good Fruit Grower

December 2011

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New Equipment & Technology at your fingertips PEST HELP left home. Among the useful features for Kahn are the insect phenology models, W which automatically upload weather data from the AgWeatherNet. DAS users can select which of the 136 weather stations they're interested in and instantly find one- to ten-day predictions for the seasonal develop- ment of a specified pest, along with management recommendations. They have the option of uploading data from their own weather stations. Kahn said he used to have to go out with data loggers to his clients' orchards and needed a separate data logger for orchards that were at dif- ferent elevations or were some distance apart. He would export the high and low temperatures, plug them into the models using Excel spread- sheets, and write down the results by hand. He figures it probably took 20 to 30 minutes for each weather station. Engineered forEngineered for performance, durability, reliability, and longevity! Discover the Chinook fan blade advantage. fan blade advantage. Andy Kahn can use his iPhone to access WSU's Decision Aid System, which automatically uploads weather data from the AgWeatherNet and provides pest predictions and control recommendations. "Now, all I do first thing in the morning while I'm drink- ing my coffee is fire up the computer at home and get the information," he said. "So, DAS is a huge leap forward in convenience and accuracy because it gives us real-time data on many different pests and their life stages, as well as disease conditions." It will tell him the optimum time to spray for a pest of interest, and he combines that information with the trap data he collects in the orchard before making a recommendation to his clients. "It's not just when we need to spray, but if we need to spray," he said. "The model might say it's the perfect time to spray, but the traps might say we don't have enough to worry about." In addition, WSU's annual spray guide (Crop Protection 5 Increased Radius Coverage by 80-150 Feet with Same HP Draw 5 Air Flow Starts 14'' from Hub 5 Donier Swept Tip—Reduces Tip Drag 5 The Only Fan Blade with the "Trailing Edge Wedge" (widens sector angle and increases air velocity) 5 Advanced Flow Design 5 Increased Horsepower 5 LESS FUEL CONSUMPTION 5 Quality Built, Affordable, Fast Payback Returns Guide for Tree Fruits in Washington)and the book Orchard Pest Management: A Resource Book for the Pacific North- west can be accessed on the site. iPhone DAS is also available in a compressed version for iPhone users, which means that Kahn can access infor- mation from DAS any time, wherever he happens to be. "It's just that much more convenient," he said. Kahn thinks many growers are accustomed to waiting for their field horticulturist to advise them on what to do in the orchard, but said DAS could help any grower to be more informed. WSU entomologist Dr. Vince Jones developed DAS four years ago. It now has more than 300 regular users. Although access to DAS is free, Kahn said it's of great value to him and he'd willingly pay an annual fee if that becomes necessary. "There's just so much information that's so easily avail- 1801 Presson Place Yakima, WA 98903 509-248-0318 fax 509-248-0914 hfhauff@gmail.com www.hfhauff.com 28 DECEMBER 2011 GOOD FRUIT GROWER able—it just follows right along with the information rev- olution. I could access all of that information before, but it just has made it easier and more efficient." Growers and consultants reported in a survey last year that DAS has helped them control pests better at the same or lower cost. They can access models for ten insect pests as well as for scab, cherry powdery mildew, cherry shothole, fireblight, storage scale, and sunburn browning. Weather data for most models are uploaded once a day at www.goodfruit.com WSU's Decision Aid System provides an easy way to check on the status of pests and diseases. by Geraldine Warner ashington State University's online Decision Aid System has made life easier for integrated pest management consultant Andy Kahn of Wenatchee. He can log on over his morning coffee and have important insights into what's going on in his clients' orchards before he's even geraldine warner H. F . HA UFF C O M P A N Y I N C . FORD TRITON V-10 or IVECO NEF 6.7 DIESEL Need better performance & coverage? Trial the Chinook blade at our expense! Judge for yourself! Satisfaction Guaranteed!

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