Optimizing pest management decision support systems to help the berry-growing industry adapt to climate change

Description

Problems associated with the Japanese beetle, anthracnose, and grey mold will increase due to predicted climate change in Québec. They will have a major impact on berry crops because they already require numerous pesticide sprays that do not effectively control the damage. We now have new bioclimatic models for the Japanese beetle, anthracnose, and grey mold. This project will consist of validating and adapting these models to conditions in Québec to prepare for future climatic conditions, which are likely to increase crop damage.

For the Japanese beetle component, traps will be installed on six farms in five regions for two years to obtain adult population curves during the growing season. The collected data will be compared with the data generated by the model for the beginning of the adult observation period, the peak flight period, and the end of the adult observation period.

For anthracnose and grey mold, their symptoms will be monitored and weather data collected on three farms in three regions for three years. These will be compared with infection rates predicted by the models. The data collected during the project will make it possible to optimize the models used to predict activity periods for the Japanese beetle, an exotic pest that has appeared in a number of regions in Québec, and infection risks for anthracnose and grey mold on strawberries.

Objective(s)

• Validate and adapt pest and disease monitoring and decision support tools (bioclimatic models created in CIPRA) for one insect pest and two diseases under regional conditions in Québec
• Validate and adapt the predictive model of adult populations of the Japanese beetle on fruit crops
• Validate and adapt anthracnose and grey mold models developed in CIPRA for strawberry crops