Field validation of a decision support system for the control of pests and diseases in cereals in denmark

The decision in 1986, on an action plan to reduce pesticide use in Denmark by 50% led to increased research on the potential of reducing dosages. A decision support system (PC-Plant Protection), developed by The Danish Institute for Plant and Soil Science, implements this research. It combines a detailed use of threshold values to support decisions on treatment need, choice of pesticides and the appropriate dosage for actual problems in cereals. The pest and disease module within the system has been available commercially since 1993 and up to the end of April 1995, 2000 licences have been issued for its use at agricultural schools and by advisers and farmers. The recommendation model for pest and disease control has been validated in field trials since 1990. The validation has shown that the model is able to provide recommendations for the control of pests and diseases to a satisfactory level, without affecting farmers' gross margins. The model was able to adjust pesticide use to large yearly variations and the average amount of pesticides in the plots treated according to the model was well below that in the reference plots and in the commonly used strategies in Denmark.