Integrating advanced earth observation and environmental information for sustainable management of crop pests and diseases

The project aims to bring together and produce cutting edge research to provide pest and disease monitoring and forecast information, integrating multi-source (Earth Observation (EO), meteorological and vertical looking radar) to support decision making in the sustainable management of insect pests and diseases. The project will explore the integration and fusion of new data sources from recently launched satellites with existing data products. This will overcome spatial and temporal differences to produce new data solutions and algorithms which are suitable for pest and disease monitoring and prediction, intervention efficacy forecasting and estimation of yield losses. The new data products and algorithms will be tested using two candidate systems: a fungal disease of wheat (stripe rust) and a serious insect pest (migratory locust). The corresponding efficacy of a biopesticide used to control the locust will also be explored, with the aim to investigate whether the same data inputs produced during this project can be utilised under a wide range of systems, leading to a greater impact of data assimilation in the future. Models will be validated in the laboratory and in the field to give a measure of certainty of predictions. Additionally, risk and loss estimation will be investigated using cutting edge EO techniques, and monitoring of locusts will be explored using Vertical Looking Radar, a technology which is capable of identifying the size and species of insect flying through a radar beam. In addition to building monitoring and forecasting systems with data assimilated during this project, routes to extend this information to appropriate end users will be explored to ensure maximum impact of technologies developed during the project. The project consortium will work closely with NATESC in China to ensure the system is built in a way that is compatible with existing methods of information dissemination. The project consortium is a strong multidisciplinary team with expertise in EO, vertical-looking radar technology and agricultural research and extension.

This project will have an impact on a wide range of audiences. The wider academic audience will benefit through the production of new algorithms and data products which may be used in further predictive modelling, monitoring and risk forecasting work. For example improved models for estimating insect body temperature, derived from EO data sources, could be applicable for a wide range of targets not explored within this project and could pave the way for improved pest and disease prediction models. The project consortium will benefit through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between organisations. The nature of the project team will ensure that impact of the work is optimal as the team brings together leading researchers in the field of EO from both China and the UK (RADI-CAS, ZJU, Assimila LTD and Kings College London), and integrates them with leading agricultural research and extension institutions from UK and China (CABI, Rothamsted Research, IPP-CAAS). The synergy of the consortium ensures that developments within the project are directly applicable to the agricultural end user. NATESC (Ministry of Agriculture's National Agro-Tech Extension and Service Centre) will act as an external consultant to ensure that all outputs of the project are applicable to its extension messaging and the final work package of the project aims to identify how messages produced during the project could actually integrate into NATESC's advisory systems in the future, ensuring the maximum impact for this work. The overall impact of the research will lead to pathways for better information messages available to both NATESC as an end user of the information and for farmers who are end users of this information. i.e. when and where a biopesticide application will be optimal; where wheat rust is developing and needs spot application of pesticide. The wider goal of this work is to assist NATESC to work towards a reduction in chemical pesticide use in line with their objectives to have 0% increase in pesticide use by 2020.