Field validation of four decision support systems for the control of late blight of potatoes in Ireland

Abstract

Field experiments using two cultivars (Rooster and King Edward) were carried out between 2001 and 2003 to compare the efficacy of the NegFry, Simphyt, ProPhy and Plant-Plus decision support systems (DSS) with routine 7-day fluazinam treatment for the control of potato late blight. Compared with the routine control, the NegFry and SimPhyt programmes resulted in a 58-44% reduction in application frequency. The ProPhy and Plant-Plus programmes resulted in more modest savings of between 10 and 25%. The date of disease onset was not significantly different between routine programmes and DSS programmes irrespective of the cultivar. None of the DSS’s resulted in inferior foliage blight control when compared with the routine application of fluazinam. DSS programmes generally out-yielded the routine treatment but differences were not significant. All DSS programmes give equivalent tuber blight control to the routine programme even with a very tuber blight susceptible cultivar.