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Precision Agriculture Resources

Precision agriculture is a modern farming management concept that uses digital technologies and data-driven insights to optimize agricultural practices. Broadly, it involves collecting and analyzing detailed information about crop, soil, and environmental conditions to make highly targeted decisions for planting, fertilizing, irrigating, and harvesting. By utilizing tools such as GPS, sensors, drones, and sophisticated software, farmers can apply inputs like water, fertilizers, and pesticides with greater accuracy and efficiency. This approach aims to increase crop yields, reduce costs, minimize environmental impact, and improve overall farm productivity by treating each part of a field according to its specific needs rather than applying uniform practices across entire fields.

Our lab and other partners at UW-Madison provide several resources for growers, including AgWeather, the Vegetable and Disease Insect Forecasting Network (VDIFN) website, the Wisconsin Irrigation Scheduling Program (WISP) website, and Wisconsin’s Environmental Mesonet (WiscoNet) weather station network.

Colorado Potato Beetle Management

For most CPB chemical management tools, timing application occurs with the appearance of first instar larvae in the field. Early instar larvae are the most susceptible life stage for chemical management, and applications should be timed with the midpoint of egg hatch. The first application should be followed up in 7-10 days later with a second application of the same compound depending on the formulation and label restrictions. Refer to the UW-Extension publication Commercial Vegetable Production in Wisconsin (A3422) for a list of registered insecticides and management recommendations.

Potato Virus Y management

Potato virus Y (PVY) is an aphid-transmitted virus that causes disease in numerous solanaceous crops including tomato, pepper, tobacco, and potato. In potato, PVY can be a yield-limiting pathogen that can cause yield loss in heavily infected commercial lots and in selected, susceptible varieties. The virus may also cause post-harvest losses due to tuber necrosis and reduced storage quality. PVY has been managed in Wisconsin for decades, but in recent years it has re-emerged as a potentially serious disease problem. The emergence of new genetic recombinant strains of PVY that can cause mild disease symptoms, the over-wintering of potato-colonizing aphid species (green peach aphid, potato aphid), and the widespread adoption of potato varieties that express mild symptoms of PVY infection are all thought to contribute to the re-emergence of PVY in Wisconsin.

Research Station Field Days

Review our handouts and educational materials from past field days at the Hancock Agricultural Research Station and the Antigo/Langlade County Agricultural Research Station. Included in these handouts are summaries of ongoing field trials, recommendations for Colorado potato beetle and Potato virus Y management in commercial potato and seed production.

Extension Presentations

Most presentations given to the public are archived here with slides available as downloadable PDFs.

 

UW-Extension publications

ICPM BioIPM series

Vegetable production

Field crops

Biological control

Home gardens

Other resources

Growers and Trade Associations

Other Resources

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