DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A CORN DISEASE MANAGEMENT RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL TO IMPROVE ECONOMIC DECISION-MAKING

this is an integrated research and extension project. our primary objective is to develop a corn disease management risk assessment tool and validate its utility for tactical (in-season) and strategic (between season) decision-making, taking into account disease risk and volatility in the commodity price. our specific objectives are to: (1) develop in collaboration with the usda-funded integrated pest information platform for extension and education (ipipe) a risk assessment tool for corn disease management; (2) create a novel training program for field data collection and validation using a combination ofresearch and on-farm locations based on user-provided information; (3) conduct statistical and economic analyses regarding the potential yield benefit of foliar fungicides and other factors in different production zones; (4) quantify the impact of the risk assessment tool both as an educational platform, as well as long-term use and applicability by stakeholders. this project fits into the national 1pm roadmap in the areas of developing economical high-resolution pest management monitoring systems and providing novel mechanisms for delivery of 1pm tactical and strategic tools. we have collaborations in five targeted corn production states representing different corn relative maturity groups, weather conditions, and disease risk, providing a heterogeneous set of environments to test and validate the risk assessment tool. collected data will be analyzed using high-level statistical methods to examine patterns that explain variation in response profiles related to the management risk windows. the overall outcome for our work is to better inform producers regarding best management practices for corn. we will also quantify the impact of using risk assessment tools by stakeholders to improve understanding oflong-term utility of these tools. lastly, our project will provide a unique postdoctoral-training opportunity that integrates information technology with plant pathology, including research at the private-public partnership level.