WAMS - an adaptive system for knowledge acquisition and decision support:the case of Scaphoideus titanus

Abstract: WAMS (Wireless-sensor-network-based Adaptive Management System) is a pestcontrol tool that makes continuous use of weather and pest monitoring information for the dualpurpose of improving the knowledge on pest systems and ameliorating pest managementdecisions. It operates at the interface between research and pest management, establishes a closeloopbetween monitoring, management and analysis of systems, and automatically improves thereliability of pest control relevant predictions as soon as additional information becomesavailable. Population models, based on time-varying distributed delays, are at the core ofWAMS. The paper identifies some important WAMS features, evaluates the predictivecapabilities and its alert mechanisms as satisfactory, and reports some preliminary experiencesthat reveal advantages and benefits in the areas of (i) knowledge improvement and (ii) controlrationalization. The preliminary experiences also point to some drawbacks and shortcomingsrelated mainly to (i) the need of a continuous engagement of actors (growers, extensionists,applied entomologists) and (ii) the importance given to the vector in the case of the case of aneconomically relevant pathogen-vector-host plant system.