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data until the present day for simulation of phenologies throughout the entire season.
Currently 14 weather stations are used to cover all climatic regions of Switzerland that are
important for fruit growing (Fig. 7). The stations range from the very early Ticino valley
south of the main Alpine range (station Magadino, 203 m a.s.l.), the rather early regions
within the Alpine valleys (e.g. station Sion, 482 m a.s.l., station Vaduz, 460 m a.s.l.) to the
late fruit growing regions above 600 m altitude in north-eastern Switzerland (station St.
Gallen, 779 m a.s.l.).
5. Decision support through web-interface
Through a web-interface, the simulation results are made available to consultants and
growers together with extensive information about the pest species and dynamic decision
support according to the phenology in German, French and Italian, the three major official
languages of Switzerland (www.sopra.info). The website is entered through the phenology
forecasting part to facilitate the shortest possible way from entering the site to an overview
over all pests of a certain location. Accordingly the entrance site provides a clickable map of
Switzerland with the climatic regions of the 14 representative weather stations (cf. above)
drawn in colour shades with relief, rivers, and lakes included.
By clicking a certain point on the map the user is led to a tabled overview of all pests at that
location which is centred on the current period (Fig. 8 A). The table with the present alert
status can be dynamically scrolled through the entire year or zoomed out for overview.
Table cells with the species/day combination provide a colour code for monitoring (blue)
and control measures (red) that is unified throughout the site. Additionally the code is
divided into pre- and/or post warning phases of the announced events (light blue and red)
and optimum times for certain monitoring and control measures (dark blue and red). For
local differences in phenology, e.g. at southern exposed locations, reference links are
provided to the earlier and later neighbouring regions (Fig. 8 A).
Clicking on the table cells leads to the core of the decision support system with graphical
output of the relative age structure of the pest populations and according verbal
interpretation. A chart shows the proportions of life stages along the time line (Fig. 8 B). Fig.
6 gives an example for such a visualisation of relative age structures for the Smaller fruit
tortrix. The chart is scrollable throughout the year and has three zoom steps and controls for
shifting the current day for which the interpretation is given as decision support. The latter
is divided into monitoring and control measures indicated by the colour code mentioned
above. The interpretation is referred directly to the age structure of the pest and accordingly
announces crucial events for certain management activities (Fig. 8 B). Preference is given to
environmentally friendly and sustainable measures like pheromone mating disruption or
insect growth regulators although all other options of control measures are explained as
well. The recommendations give reference to a separate part of the web site with richly
illustrated information to the pest species biology and development, to monitoring methods
and economic thresholds, anti-resistance strategies as well as to the list of suggested plant
protection measures along with additional information on modes of action, doses, toxicity,
restrictions etc.
Additionally to the entrance by the map of climatic regions, below we provide a tabulated
overview of the current-day alert status for all climatic regions and species (Fig. 9). This is
especially useful for quick notion of important stages in the life cycle and according events,
e.g. for daily visit by consultants. Table cells with the region/species combination lead
directly to the graphical output and according verbal interpretation.
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