A Decision Support System (DSS) integrates and organizes all types of information required for production decisions (19). It can be as simple as a tool for processing data or as complex as a computerized expert system. Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of a DSS for disease or pest management. Each component can be thought of as a method with a set of associated tools. For example, the data component is associated with the collection method, which has several tools including automated weather stations and site-specific weather products. DSS tools vary in complexity. Examples include rules, schedules of management, equations, combinations of decision aids (23), and expert systems (25). The type of DSS is determined by the cooperative efforts of a multi-disciplinary team of knowledge specialists, the technical and financial resources available, the degree of industry organization and support, and the expectations of end users (25). The selection of an appropriate DSS for a given cropping situation often depends upon the pathogen-pest complex as it interacts with crop and grower preference factors.