Twenty years of monitoring spore concentrations of Plenodomus lingam and P. biglobosus in Poland

Abstract: According to the Directive of the European Union (2009/128/EC), EU Members are
obliged to follow the principles of integrated pest management. The document emphasizes the importance of crop health and the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural ways to control diseases and pests. If bio-based methods are not sufficient in crop protection, decisions on the execution of chemical treatments should be based on monitoring of harmful organisms, preferably using decision support systems.
In Poland a network of volumetric spore samplers located in different geographical locations has been constantly operating over the last 20 years, since autumn 2004 until now. The decision support system is known as the System for Forecasting Disease Epidemics (System Prognozowania Epidemii Chorob, SPEC). Monitoring of Plenodomus lingam and P. biglobosus ascospore fluctuations in the autumn over the last 20 years revealed great
acceleration of pathogen development, which suggests a further impact of blackleg on winter
oilseed rape plant health and seed yield.