Dissemination efforts involved publishing 32 Practice Abstracts, 12 promotional videos, participation in fairs and tradeshows, and field pilot activities with stakeholders. Regarding exploitation efforts, important progress has been made in order to push key exploitable results in the market, especially the commercial OPTIMA sprayers of CAFFINI and FEDE.
The main results of the IPM components are detailed as follows:
• Decision Support System (DSS) models for the three crop/pathogen combinations were built and implemented online using a dashboard. A field-level disease detection prototype was built, using Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color images. For multispectral imaging, most discriminant bands have been identified for the three crops. A deep learning pipeline was built using color images, yielding a precision of 77,2% for downy mildew in grapes and 45,1% for apple scab, based on the correct detection of at least one symptom at the image level. For Alternaria in carrots, results were 47,9% precision, mainly due to data scarcity and small symptoms.
• A selection and evaluation of >12 bio-PPPs per crop for the pathosystems grape downy mildew, Alternaria leaf blight in carrots and apple scab in apple orchards has been achieved. Selected bio-PPPs were able to reduce grape downy mildew by 40-50% (in low to medium disease pressure) and Alternaria leaf blight in carrots by 45-55%. Also, selected synthetic PPPs were able to reduce grape downy mildew by 80-90% and Alternaria leaf blight in carrots by 70-80%.
• For the 3 crop cases, optimal spray configurations have been selected to maximize deposition and coverage, while minimizing spray losses and can deliver a reduction of drift potential between 60%-90%. In addition, innovative technologies have been developed to reduce spray drift, including configurations with air-inclusion nozzles, off-center nozzles, narrow-angle nozzles, lower spray pressures, adjusted air-support settings and air conveyor orientation.
The methodological framework and the protocols for the Human, Environmental and Socio-Economic impact analysis of the proposed IPM for the three crops are:
VINEYARDS, ITALY
- The use of bioPPPs is clearly beneficial. Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA): Cumulative Risk Units (CRU) decrease 30%-80%; Human Risk Assessment (HRA): Hazard Index (HI) for farmers decreases 99%.
- References using the experimental Early Detection System (EDS) are hindered by the impacts of scouting, namely increased labor costs (x2) and environmental impacts (x2) of using diesel.
CARROTS, FRANCE
- The use of the smart sprayer configuration is beneficial, especially anti-drift nozzles, air assistance and crop bed optimal nozzle configurations. This is particularly observed in the reduction of the risk for soil organisms (-64%) associated to the use of the synthetic fungicide methalaxyl-M.
- Not all the so-called bioPPPs are beneficial. Experimental configurations using bioPPP are hindered by the incorporation of Heliosoufre, a bioPPP containing sulphur (chronic risk to bees more than triples).
APPLE, SPAIN
- The use of bioPPPs is beneficial for both environmental and health impacts compared to Best Management Practices, with slightly higher operational costs (3 %).
- Experimental references using bioPPPs would be even better for environmental and health impacts, if some harmful synthetic PPPs present in the planning were avoided as part of the IPM.
