UK brassica growers can receive valuable advance warning of key diseases before they hit crops this season - direct to their mobile phones. The Syngenta Brassica Disease Warning System will provide free risk assessments for Alternaria, White Blister and Ringspot, based on disease spore monitoring, in-field weather station information and the latest predictive modeling systems developed by HRI Warwick.
Independent advice and risk assessment for the Syngenta Brassica Disease Warning System will be provided by the Allium & Brassica Centre. It will manage the spore trapping and monitoring of the different diseases in field traps across Lincolnshire, the north east and south east, using latest PCR techniques to identify risk thresholds for potential disease infection.
When spore thresholds are triggered, the remote capture of weather information by Smartlog in-field stations will enable the Centre's agronomists to use predictive modeling systems to calculate potential risk and spray timings to prevent the effects of disease attack.
Syngenta Vegetable Crops Manager, Bruce McKenzie, advocates the system, which is free to all brassica growers and their agronomists, will become an important tool for improved disease management.
"Our experience with disease modeling services in other crops has shown the SMS text delivery of disease warnings is the most convenient and fastest option, and enables growers to take rapid action where required; we are also looking to provide the information by email and fax if required." The disease spore trapping and weather monitoring will be expanded and extended over the course of the season, added Mr McKenzie.
Andy Richardson of the Allium & Brassica Centre believes SMS text messages of impending risk levels will provide a timely reminder to growers to be on their guard for specific diseases, and to pay close attention to spray intervals. "At a busy time of year it is easy to get distracted from the focus of disease control.
"Advance warning of disease enables better timing of protective fungicides, such as Amistar, and the opportunity to produce the highest quality brassicas free of disease blemishes. The service will also provide strong justification for spray programmes," he added.
