By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University’s Enviroweather project for growers continues to thrive even as the project seeks to broaden its focus. Enviroweather, a Web-based internet tool for growers, spawned from a number of other programs and projects at MSU in 2006-07, said Beth Bishop, Enviroweather coordinator. In particular, it grew out of the Michigan Automated Weather Network, which is now subsumed in the new project, and MSU’s Integrated Pest Management Program. “Enviroweather gives a bunch of different weather station data tables, decision-making tools and other tools,” Bishop said. “Specifically, it gives crop pest predictions based on weather data. “We now have applications for Christmas tree growers, field crop farmers, vegetable growers, landscape and nursery operators, and now we’re trying to add more for residential users.” Still, she said fruit growers remain the biggest users of the tool. In order to use Enviroweather, all that’s required is to go to the webpage and begin clicking on the relevant links. One doesn’t have to sign up or pay in order to use the tool; however, there are certain customizable applications for which one does need an account. It’s possible to receive weather alerts from Enviroweather on a smart phone, for example, but the user must have an account to do so. It’s still free to use. Usually, the peak usage time for Enviroweather tools is the month of May. The tool is seasonal, with usage generally starting in April and then bottoming out by the summer. Enviroweather use has gone up over the years; 2012, with its catastrophic early spring for fruit growers, saw the tool’s largest use statistics. According to an MSU chart, Enviroweather saw its peak use early that year, at 60,000 times accessed during a full month. In the years since then, use has peaked in May of each year at closer to 50,000 times accessed. Enviroweather’s usefulness was evident early, after MSU commissioned a survey of Michigan tree fruit growers in 2011. One thousand apple, sweet cherry and tart cherry growers were surveyed on their use of Enviroweather and the effects of such use on their pest management practices, crop yield and quality. USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducted the survey. The survey forms were mailed to the growers and, after a phone follow-up, 77 percent of them were returned. The survey users reported a significant reduction in their use of pesticides to control five major apple and cherry insect pests, or about one-half fewer applications; and for four other major apple and cherry diseases, about one-third to one-half fewer applications. NASS estimated that based on the survey, use of Enviroweather resulted in the amount of pesticide applied to apples, sweet and tart cherries reduced by 306,238 pounds. Use of Enviroweather also resulted in increased yields of 5 percent or more. This result came about both through the use of pest predictive and disease predictive tools. The yield increases were estimated to represent an additional 7 million pounds of production with a market value of $1.4 million. Crop quality also increased by 5 percent or more. The survey estimated the economic impact of Enviroweather use to be about $1.7 million, not including the impact of the increase in crop quality. To explore the Enviroweather Internet tool, go online to https://enviroweather.msu.edu |
