The collaboration behind the development of the BC Decision Aid System for IPM in the Okanagan tree fruit sector, what the current tool offers and how it can be expanded.

1. The BC Decision Aid System
for Integrated Pest
Management
Molly Thurston, P.Ag
Claremont Ranch Organics
Presentation to BC ACARN
December 3, 2019

2. What is the BC Decision Aid
System?
• DAS is an online decision support system
for Tree Fruit Growers and Integrated Pest
Management Consultants.
• Identified as a priority agricultural
adaptation project in the Okanagan
Adaptation Strategies (2016) through a
program delivered by the BC Agriculture
& Food Climate Action Initiative.

3. What is the BC Decision Aid
System?
• BCDAS collects daily weather data to run
pest, disease and horticultural models.
• Provides time-sensitive pest and
horticultural information with
management recommendations
• Front page stories keep users informed
about upcoming management issues.

4. Cross Border Collaboration
• DAS originated at WSU as a result of reduced extension capacity and
increasingly more complex IPM programs.
• ~400 growers/consultants in WA use DAS on a regular basis on >90% of
the acreage.
• The value of DAS to the WA Tree Fruit industry estimated at $16.5M/yr.
• BCDAS is collaboration between the SIR, WSU (Dr. Vince Jones and his
team!) and BCTF.

5. How does BCDAS work?
• DAS collects weather data from Growers Supply and
Environmental Canada stations to run 18 models.
• Model forecasts are based on DarkSky weather
forecast data and on 10-year temperature averages.
• Users customize their list of weather stations, crops
and models.
• Conventional and organic management
recommendations are included.

6. What does BCDAS recommend?
• DAS can recommend product options and timing
for when to spray.
• DAS cannot recommend IF a spray is needed in a
specific orchard.
• Management decisions are made by the grower
and the pest manager, based on observed field
conditions.

7. User create a unique profile, choosing their weather stations and models.

8. 18 insect, disease and horticultural models

9. Detailed Weather Data, Risk Assessments and Management strategies within each model.

10. Data indicating the effect of pest control products on Natural Enemies.

11. New MRL information added for Export Cherry growers.

12. Management recommendations come directly from the BC Tree Fruit Production Guide.

13. Project Uptake 2018-2019
• 241 Registered BCDAS users
• 171 Active users in 2019

14. 2020 Projects
• Final year of funding for the BCDAS pilot
project
• Assess beta testing results for new models
and features added in 2019
• Investigate additional models requested
by users (Apple Clearwing Moth,
Budmoth, Pear psylla, etc.)
• Outreach to attract more growers/users.
• Planning for the future.

15. Thankyou!
Project funding provided in part by the
Sterile Insect Release Program (SIR) and in
part by the Governments of Canada and
British Columbia through the Investment
Agriculture Foundation of BC under Growing
Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial
initiative.