Only taking measures when the crop is really suffering from diseases, pests and weeds, and only at the moment that this is really necessary. Scientists of Plant Research International are developing techniques and cultivation systems to make this possible.
The more precise the farmer is in controlling diseases, pests and weeds, the better for the environment but also for his wallet. This means that he sprays the right amount of product and applies the right mechanical weed control operations; not too much and not too little.
To achieve this he must take into account variations in space and time. A farmer must do more on parts of the field with many weeds or where the crop is suffering more from a pest or disease than on parts where the crop is hardly suffering. And he only needs to take action – spraying, mechanical weed control, or something else – when the crop really starts suffering from a pest or disease.
Aids for the farmer
A farmer cannot do this on his own. He, e.g., needs special sensors that can detect whether a crop has taken up sufficient nutrients or that can detect weeds at a cm scale. This information must then be translated into an advice about when and how much needs to be sprayed. So-called decision support systems are available for this purpose. By making use of gps and other technical aids the farmer can then conduct his control operation – spraying with a pesticide or mechanical control - on that part of the field (square centimetres or metres) where this is really needed.
An example of a technique that can save much product is a sensor mounted on the front of the sprayer which determines the amount of aboveground biomass of the potato plants. The more biomass, the more product is required to desiccate the foliage. The farmer must desiccate his potato foliage when the crop starts suffering too much from the Phytophthora disease or before harvesting. He will then normally desiccate his crop in one operation. The front-mounted sensor, developed by the scientists of PRI, means that 30 per cent less product is required.
This example shows that the scientists are combining knowledge about the biology of the crops and their enemies with knowledge about techniques. Both parts are indispensable in a balanced cultivation system for practical on-farm use.
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