Profile

Development and maintenance of the weed module in ‘Crop Protection Online’, which is a decision support system (DSS), which is being distributed from PlanteInfo , which includes demo-versions of the DSS in English language. This DSS holds a set of tools, which are primarily directed to farmers, farmers advisors and institutions of education. The DSS offers assistance:

• to provide an overview plant protection tasks on a crop level during a growing season
• to identify weed species in different growth stages
• to quantify the need for weed control on a field level aiming for a prevention of: a) yield losses in the growing crop and b) increments of the weed seed bank
• to suggest relevant treatment options on a field level with inputs of herbicides that are adjusted to meet the specified need for weed control.
• to provide an overview of the efficacy of different herbicides and herbicide mixtures under different environmental conditions

In Denmark, the DSS holds the major cereal crops, winter oil seed rape and sugar beet. Before the growing season 2004, field pea and spring oil seed rape will be included, too. Presently, various prototypes for maize are being tested.

Numerous validation trials show that this DSS can substantially reduce the actual use of herbicides (2001) - about 50% on average of the included crops with a low risk of adverse impact on short- and long term production safety. This potential is achieved primarily by a systematic exploitation of factors on a field level affecting a) the need for control and b) the activity of herbicides.

Presently, this DSS has about 1,500 subscribers in Denmark. This DSS has also been implemented in a few crops in each of the three Baltic States and Poland. Presently, the system is being implemented in Norway.