Syngenta recently launched its BYDV Assist App for mobile devices. The device will help farmers and agronomists to make decisions on aphid control in fields and is the first of a series of apps from the company to hit the market.
The app, which will assist farmers in preventing and controlling barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), aims to optimise spray timing to target second generation aphids. It does this by using a model based on the T-sum, which is the 170-day degrees threshold.
Primary infection occurs when winged aphids land on single plants and transfer a virus. Secondary generation infection occurs when the population of wingless aphids grows and spreads from the original infection point.
Farmers should still be examining crops for aphids and use the app alongside field information to make an informed decision and take a fully integrated approach to BYDV control.
The app can be used by one farm or, if you are in a discussion group, information can be pooled together and shared for that area.
Farmers using the app can enter information on a field-by-field basis. The location needs to be accurate to get the closest weather data and emergence date is also an extremely important factor. Some of the information which appears on the app is displayed in the example below.
When all data is entered and the user opens the app, fields will then appear in order of those most at risk or which require action.
If a field is sprayed the application date is entered and one week of good control is assumed; after this the app starts to analyse risk once again for that field.
