Location: Subtropical Plant Pathology Research
Project Number: 6034-22000-045-001-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2021
End Date: Jun 30, 2025
Objective:
Tailor ‘Farm Dog Scout’ – a scouting and decision support system created and managed by Farm Dog LLC. – for use in an Areawide Pest Managment (AWPM) program for fruiting vegetables in Florida.
Approach:
The long-term goal of this project is to develop an Areawide Pest Management strategy that utilizes a risk prediction model to provide a pre-planting (preseason) assessment of the risk of whitefly-transmitted viruses of vegetables.
Cooperator will:
a. Create digital maps of the boundaries of agricultural fields, sentinel plots, refuge plantings and other important landscape features for each of the four AWPM regions.
b. Customize the current Farm Dog Scout app and online decision support system by developing user-friendly digital forms to accommodate data acquisition (scouting) for smartphone and tablet computer applications in support of AWPM.
c. Create a pest management module that is consistent with the IPM philosophy and goals of AWPM.
d. Create an information delivery system to disseminate pest status, warnings and management recommendations through Farm Dog’s website, email, and/or text messaging for use by AWPM participants.
e. Create AWPM educational materials (e.g. guidelines for implementing IPM programs) for distribution to AWPM participants through Farm Dog’s website.
