Organizing a RIMpro User Group for Improved Management of Apple Scab and Fire Blight in Eastern New York

Transcription

1 Organizing a RIMpro User Group for Improved Management of Apple Scab and Fire Blight in Eastern New York Introduction by Dave Rosenberger, Plant Pathologist Cornell s Hudson Valley Lab, Highland, NY 2 February 2017

2 What is RIMpro? RIMpro Cloud Service is an interactive Decision Support System (DSS) for pest and disease management in fruit and wine grape production. (From the RIMpro website) It provides real-time information and forecasts of disease development for scab and fire blight. Disease predictions for the next 10 days are updated every 30 min using a worldwide weather forecasting system from Norway that generates data specifically for the GPS coordinates of your farm. NOTE: the Norwegian weather forecasting system is the only one available through RIMpro because of programming issues. (Options are limited for the same reasons that you would not Hudson expect Valley! a car dealer to put a Ford engine into your new Mercedes.)

3 What is RIMpro? The history of seasonal development in your orchard is updated every hour using data from the closest NEWA station. This is a proprietary service available only via an annual subscription for RIMpro and an annual payment to NEWA for a data stream to RIMpro. NOTE: 1. Disease forecasting outputs from RIMpro cannot legally be provided to non-subscribers. 2. Thus, RIMpro graphs generated within our User Group will not be available through normal extension channels.

4 What does RIMpro provide? Graphs showing seasonal progression of: > Scab ascospore development & discharge > Risks of primary scab infections. > Risks of blossom blight infections (fire blight) > Tables showing numerical values for risk factors. Graphs show what has happened since green tip and what is likely to happen in the next 10 days based on spore maturity, tree development, and weather forecasts. User group participants will be able to access RIMpro graphs for any other station in the user group, an potential advantage for those with multiple farm locations.

5 Example of RIMpro scab graph: Infection processes: The red line indicates infection risks, with the economic threshold for clean orchards being about 300 RIM units (left axis). History from NEWA stn. Forecast based on weather Spore maturity Rain (dark blue) and wetting (light blue) Calendar dates Graphs updated every hour and available with 4-6 clicks on your computer or smart phone.

6 Example of RIMpro scab graph: If participants enter orchard fungicide sprays, RIMpro will provide an estimate of fungicide residual activity: Entering spray data is a bit tedious. Residue curves are only best guesses and have not been field validated. Green area simulates a fungicide depletion curve (since none could be generated in winter). NOTE: Any spray data entered will NOT be accessible by others in the user group. Calendar dates Graphs updated every hour and available with 4-6 clicks on your computer or smart phone.

7 What we propose for the ENY Apple FARM user group: 1. Participants pay $80 to HVL to cover costs for a NEWA station data stream and technical costs for HVL assistance. 2. HVL provides participants with file names needed to link NEWA stations to RIMpro. 3. Participants use that file name when signing up for individual accounts with RIMpro (200 Euros paid directly to RIMpro via PayPal or bank transfer). 4. HVL staff will provide > assistance with set up (if needed) > directions for forming a user group that will allow participants to view outputs from all participating locations. > Starting at green tip, s on Mon-Wed-Fri throughout the primary scab season with tutorials and interpreta- tions from RIMpro graphs and tips on accessing Hudson other Valley! info within the RIMpro program.

8 What we propose for the ENY Apple FARM user group: 5. Thrice weekly s will include examples of fire blight graphs during bloom. 6. Participants can and should access their RIMpro account directly to get info for their own sites as needed for decision making; our s are only to help jump-start the process. 7. Disclaimers: > HVL Staff will assist with understanding RIMpro and disease forecasts. > HVL staff will NOT be providing individualized spray recommendations beyond the level that is usually provided via normal extension outlets. > Anyone thinking about installing NEWA equipment for the first time this year must complete that installation by 10 March if they wish to connect that station to RIMpro this year.

9 What to do ASAP if you want to set up a NEWA station for Log into NEWA at 2. Click on About NEWA (allow 2-4 weeks for delivery/setup/connection) 3. Click on Get NEWA RainWise Weather Station, then follow instructions.

10 Who can participate in the ENY Apple FARM user group: 1. Anyone in eastern United States who has a RIMpro account for 2017 will be able to join our user group (based on our current understanding of user groups within RIMpro). 2. Anyone in eastern United States who becomes part of the user group can sign up to receive the thrice-weekly RIMpro s from HVL staff. NOTE: The tutorial info on RIMpro use should be broadly applicable, but our s will provide commentary only about RIMpro outputs from representative locations in eastern N.Y. and therefore will be of less value to those in other regions. 3. Both RIMpro subscribers and non-subscribers will still get the usual disease control information via blogs and extension s and newsletters. HOWEVER, only RIMpro subscribers will be able to receive the RIMpro-related s.

11 Why are we initiating the ENY Apple Farm User Group? 1. I have worked with RIMpro for the past 3 years and I believe it is a very useful tool, especially in difficult disease years. 2. We wish to provide one-time assistance in 2017 to jump-start the use of this tool so that participants can fully grasp it s capabilities and then decide for themselves if they wish to continue subscribing to RIMpro in the future. 3. The full value of RIMpro cannot be explained in a meeting or presentation; rather it becomes apparent only when used for decision making during the season.

12 Questions?