Decision Support System to Improve the Effectiveness of Chemical Control Against Cutworms in Sugar Beet

Magdalena Jakubowska,Jolanta Kowalska,Jan Bocianowski,Kamila Nowosad

doi:10.1007/s12355-020-00808-z

Abstract

The aim of this research was to create an advisory system for commodity services and sugar beet growers to support their decisions about the use of chemical control against the cutworms. Consequently, two forecasting models for determining the chemical control time were compared: one based on a signaling method and the other based on average of [effective] temperatures necessary for caterpillars to achieve the desired L2 stage. The date of first flights and the total number of pests on plantations were determined. The usefulness of monitoring cutworm catches was also compared with systematic observations of sugar beet fields at the moment when the mass flight of cutworm moths was identified. The beginning of oviposition, hatching of the first caterpillars and the caterpillars’ growth to 10–12 mm was observed, and optimal date of chemical treatment against cutworms was forecasted. During the study, the time for insecticidal treatments against cutworms was determined by the signaling method between the 29th and the 41st day following the onset of the cutworm moths’ mass flight. The time of treatments was determined phenologically by obtaining the sum of heat which ranged from 300.7 to 696.4 °C with an average of 523.17 °C and the sum of effective temperatures which ranged from 120.2 to 260.5 °C with an average of 180.1 °C.

Highlights

Sugar is produced in over 100 countries worldwide
The aim of this research was to create an advisory system for commodity services and sugar beet growers to support their decisions about the use of chemical control against the cutworms
The usefulness of monitoring cutworm catches was compared with systematic observations of sugar beet fields at the moment when the mass flight of cutworm moths was identified

Summary

Introduction

Sugar is produced in over 100 countries worldwide. In 2018, sugar beet yields were lower in most countries of the EU-28 than 1 year previously. In most 28 EU countries, sugar beet yields per hectare were down in 2018. The average yield across the EU amounted to 69.1 thousand kg per hectare. Almost 87 tonnes of sugar beets were harvested per hectare there last year. With 76.4 tonnes per hectare, the Netherlands performed better than most countries in Europe, the yield was 18% down relative to 2017. In 2018, the total sugar beet harvest in the EU amounted to nearly 120 billion kg, over 23 billion kg. The Netherlands ranks fifth with a production of 6.5 billion kg; Spanish arable farmers harvested 3 billion kg of sugar beets.

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