Chapter 4 - Weather-based Pest Forecasting for Efficient Crop Protection

Abstract

Weather information is critical for developing pest models and decision tools that are useful for managing pest problems. It is particularly important for efficient scheduling of pesticide applications, reducing unintended consequences of chemical residues on the ecosystem, and preventing the emergence of pest resistance that follows repeated use of chemical pesticides. Weather-based pest forecasting is therefore crucial for efficient use of pesticides, the overall protection of valuable crops, crop productivity, and economic returns for the farmer. It is also critical for successful implementation of long-term integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. Global access to mobile phones, electronic text messages, emails, and dynamic internet website information have become effective means of instantly communicating pest risk information to farmers, while advances in science and emerging technology are making the output from innovative models such as high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) available for practical use on the farm. In this chapter, the complexity of weather is examined as a key factor in pest management, along with the uncertainty inherent in weather-based models for predicting potential pest risks.