Using Doppler Radar Technology in Plant Disease Management

Issue: One of the best disease management strategies consists of knowing when infection occurs and taking appropriate, timely action. Rain is a primary factor in ergot development. Prediction of rain events is, therefore, critical to ergot management. However, rainfall can be variable and patchy in nature, even within small areas. Ground weather stations, commonly used in disease forecasting, are too far apart to quantify local variations, and reliance on them could result in erroneous predictions.

What has been done/discovered: Doppler radar is capable of estimating rainfall amounts within areas as small as 2.2 square miles. The Arkansas Red-Basin River Forecast Center (ARBRFC, Tulsa) and West Gulf River Forecast Center (WGRFC, Dallas-Ft Worth) are responsible for Doppler radar operation in the Texas Panhandle. We contacted them and made arrangements to obtain the radar data, and they are in the process of being decoded. In addition, we provided them with access to the North Plain Potential Evapo-transpiration Network (NPET) weather stations, which will be an addition to their existing automated weather stations in the region. This will greatly improve our precision in predicting the disease.

Impact: Using this technology may result in more accurate disease prediction, potentially reducing the number of spray applications, chemicals released into the environment, and save growers money. This would be the first use of Doppler radar technology in plant disease management, and benefits gained through this research could be applied to management of a variety of plant diseases.

Funding Sources: Texas Precision Agriculture Legislative Initiative, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (ATP)

Contact:
Charles Rush
Development of an early warning system for sorghum
Plant Pathology and Microbiology
Texas A&M Agriculture Program
Phone: 806-354-5804
Fax: 806-354-5829
cm-rush@tamu.edu
http://precisionagriculture.tamu.edu