Tool of the future

IPMwise is a 4th generation decision support system (DSS) for targeted and precise weed control. The tools in IPMwise are based upon the results of danish research during 6 decades and is developed by IPM Consult, owned by Per Rydahl and Ole Mission Bøjer, and stablished in 2014.

State-of-the-art
The practical experience behind IPMwise includes development of DSS and related systems for 20-25 years, when the owner were employed at Aarhus University. Using this experience a completely new set of tools have been developed in IPMwise, which set new state-of-the-art standards for DSS for integrated weed management (IWM).

User centered
The basis is the needs of farmers and advisors and their current challenges. Analysis of the needs lead to a concept gratifying both the needs and challenges. A high degree of flexibility has therefore been built in both from a user perspective and from a system perspective. The IT-structure includes gemeric biological models (algorithms, dose-response functions) and generic and efficient database structure and code with high performance, which is suitable for agronomically robust customization for arbitrary combinations of country, crop, weed flora, measures for control, etc.

Prepared for the future
IPMwise deals with current challenges in IWM, mainly: 1) still fewer marketed herbicides, 2) still more restrictive legal regulation of herbicides and 3) increased risk of herbicide resistance for still remainig herbicide mode-of-actions (MOA). Consequently, alternative measures for weed control a necessity in some countries and cropping systems, and IPMwise include also options for recommendation of such, presently for mechaical control. Therefore, IPMwise is well prepared also for upcoming needs in the future.

High degree of safety
IPMwise may recommend herbicide dose rates, in Spain ranging from about 30% of a registered dose rate up to 3 herbicides, in registered dose rates. Consequently, recommendations made by IPMwise has been tested in Spanish field trials, co-ordinated by Univeristy of Lleida (UdL), and main results have been published in the PhD thesis, with the title: Adapting the Decision Support System CPOWeeds to optimize weed control in northern Spanish conditions (CPOWeeds is the name of a predessor version of IPMwise).

Collaboration with innovation partners
IPM Consult participate in projects aiming for automated recognition (by use of generic 'deep learning' technonogy) of weed species and integration with field management software, giving an efficient interaction with IPMwise for the benefit of users. IPM Consult is constantly focusing on the usefulness of IPMwise and to develop new tools to improve productivity of endusers.