Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/50987
WHAT YOU WILL FIND on DAS • Insect phenology models for apple maggot, campylomma, codling moth, lacanobia, obliquebanded leafroller, oriental fruit moth, pan- demis leafroller, peach twig borer, San Jose scale, and cherry fruit fly • Disease and sunburn models • Interactive graphs of insect and disease conditions • Predictions of insect and disease conditions, allowing time to plan management tactics • Pesticide database and the WSU spray guide • Historical data allowing users to compare insect and disease condi- tions with previous months and years • Help Center with video tutorials and user manual 2 a.m., but data for the fireblight model is updated every three hours. Forecasts come from the National Weather Service's digital forecast database. Users can specify if they want to see organic, nonorganophosphate, or con- ventional management options. For recommended treatments, DAS provides the trade name, toxicity, re-entry interval, preharvest interval, and impact on natural enemies. One of the latest additions is the sun- burn browning model. The user inputs the cultivar, fruit size, and canopy density. Based on the predicted temperature, cloud cover, humidity, and wind speed for the next six days, the model predicts the risk of fruit sunburn and assesses the need for controls. Another addition is the inclusion of maximum residue levels for top export markets for any recommended pesticides. Eventually, users will be able to customize recommendations for the specific markets to which they sell their fruit. Dr. Ute Chambers, DAS manager and educator, said improvements continue to be made to the program. A Specialty Crop Block Grant of $214,000 recently awarded to DAS will help pay for new features. For example, it will soon include models for natural enemies to enable growers to avoid applying pesticides when predators and parasites are vulnerable. Jones and his colleagues are developing the models as part of a major project on improving biological control of orchard pests that was funded by the federal Specialty Crop Research Initiative. Almost half the users responded to last fall's survey. The 154 respondents were primarily growers, consultants, and horti- culturists. Fifty-six percent said their pest control had improved as a result of using DAS, and 70 percent said the cost of pest management had stayed the same or gone down. Thirty-six percent said they were using fewer sprays. Respondents said that, above all, DAS had helped them clarify timings for pest control treatments. More than 80 percent www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER DECEMBER 2011 29 T4000V Performance that Pays said they share information with others, suggesting that the impact on the indus- try is greater than the number of users would suggest, Chambers said. Forty-five percent of respondents said they used smartphones. Chambers said DAS can be accessed from an iPhone, which 12 percent of DAS users had at the time of the survey, and should be avail- able via other types of mobile devices in the future. It's likely, she said, that growers are now using iPads to access DAS. When using DAS for the first time, a grower should create a profile showing the nearest station to the orchard, the crops they grow, the models they're inter- ested in, and whether English or Spanish is their first language. By creating the pro- file, they will not have to enter this information each time they visit the site. All the DAS content is available in Spanish, but the survey showed that only 3 percent of respondents spoke Spanish as their first language. Chambers said more education and outreach is needed to introduce the program to Hispanic growers and orchard managers. To access DAS, go to http://das.wsu. edu. • T4050F • T4000V and T4000F Series Tractors: (62 to 82 PTO hp) • TNV-A Series Tractors: (60 to 80 PTO hp) •BURROWS TRACTOR Yakima & Wenatchee, WA •SUNNYSIDE NEW HOLLAND Sunnyside, WA •S.S. EQUIPMENT Pasco, Quincy, Othello & Walla Walla, WA T4040F Choose from 0% or Cash Back Savings