Project Number: 500-53-001-69
Project Type: Grant

Start Date: Jul 10, 2001
End Date: Jul 09, 2005

Objective:
Development of a disease forecasting system that could provide wheat and barley producers with a reliable prognosis of disese and timely management recommendations.

Approach:
Hourly weather observations, crop growth status and disease level collected in wheat production regions from across the U.S. will be used to develop risk assessment models for FHB. Replicated plots will be used to validate model performance during the 2001 growing season. Sensor technology that will allow continuous evaluation of crop residue moisture will be used to elucidate the influence of temperature and residue moisture on the development of Gibberella zeae perithecia in both controlled and natural environment. Inoculum level will be monitored daily in replicated plots to couple perithecia development with factors affecting inoculum level. The Pennslyvania State University will serve as the center for organization of the cooperative forecasting effort with other location, and will summarize, compile and analyze weather, and inoculum monitoring information from each location. Information from the proposed research will be used to develop, validate & deploy disease forecasting systems for multiple wheat production regions.

Project Team

Simmons, Mary - Kay Erick DE Wolf - Investigator 301-504-5560

Related National Programs

Plant Diseases (303)