Eileen Cullen and Mark Renz, Extension Specialists; University of Wisconsin Extension
Pest Management Mobile provides access to a range of pest management information found in a3646 (Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops) through a mobile website http://pmm.uwex.edu. Below is a highlight of how to use this website for alfalfa insecticide treatment decision support. Users can also access information with respect to insecticides on corn and soybean and select fungicides (corn). Additional pest/crop combinations will be added later this summer.
Quick reference to key information about an insecticide: if you need to check on an attribute of an insecticide use the product details search feature. Simply start to type in the product name and as the product name becomes available from the list, select it from the drop down list of product names that appears. The resulting page will display key attributes of the product, such as active ingredient(s), restricted use pesticide status, restricted entry interval, and manufacturer (Figures 1A). By scrolling down (Figure 1B) and clicking on the tabs key information with respect to product use in registered crops can also be accessed (see Figure 1C for an example in established alfalfa).[1]
[1] If boxes contain a large amount of text like in Figure 1C, rotation of the smartphone or tablet to landscape will improve the readability of this information.
Interactive search for pest management options: Insecticides can also be compared by conducting an interactive search of products registered for user identified pests. For example, if interested in products registered for alfalfa weevil follow the steps (and Figures) below:
1) Select established or establishing alfalfa pests (Figure 2A),
2) Then select the insect pest(s) of interest = alfalfa weevil(Figure 2B).
3) A list of insecticides registered for the pest(s) on the crop will be displayed (Figure 2C).
Insecticide products are listed alphabetically. Key information about each insecticide can be accessed by clicking on the product name (see figure 1C for an example of the result). As the key determinant for an insecticide treatment decision is whether the insect pest population has reached economic threshold level in the field, this information is also available in Pest Management Mobile. It can be viewed by selecting the insecticide of interest after the product search and pest query (Figure 2D).
Feel free to utilize this free UW Extension resource to improve pest management decision support in the field. This information is not new, but found in Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops (a3646). For a copy of the print version or a free PDF of this publication please visit the extension publications website: http://learningstore.uwex.edu/Pest-Management-in-Wisconsin-Field-Crops2012-P155.aspx