# IPM Decisions Platform – a Pan-European online platform hosting decision support systems and associated resources for integrated pest management

## TL;DR

The IPM Decisions Platform is a European online tool that helps farmers and advisors make pest management decisions using integrated decision support systems.

## Contribution

The platform addresses fragmentation and lack of trust in IPM DSS by providing a unified, accessible, and transparent platform for pest management decision support.

## Key findings

- The platform increases access to and adoption of IPM DSS by offering a centralized, user-friendly interface.
- Standardized formats and transparent model details improve trust and ease of use for farmers and advisors.
- The platform supports both new and existing DSS, enabling easy integration and adaptation for different pests and regions.

## Abstract

Crop protection and pest management are major economic and environmental concerns throughout Europe. The consultation of decision support systems (DSS) to guide decisions relating to Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is one of the key principles of IPM, reducing the ambiguity around potential risks to crop health. ‘Pests’ in this context include invertebrate pests, weeds and pathogens. The impact of DSS can be limited by a lack of awareness of DSS availability, inconsistencies in the user functions of different DSS, regional fragmentation of access, and a lack of transparency of the origin, validity, and benefits of DSS. Failure to address these limitations undermines trust in IPM DSS and leads to a reluctance of farmers and advisors to invest time in consulting multiple DSS sources as part of their agronomic decision toolbox. The EU-funded IPM Decisions project (Grant agreement ID: 817617) addressed these limitations by creating a Europe-wide free-access online platform. The IPM Decisions platform was designed in consultation with farmers, advisors and wider stakeholders to increase access to and uptake of IPM DSS integrated within it. It offers an end-point for IPM researchers and DSS developers to make adapted and novel DSS available to users, and provides a ‘one-stop shop' for farmers and advisors looking to consult free access or paid IPM DSS. Dedicated dashboards within the platform facilitate farm set up, consultation of DSS, comparison of DSS outputs, and adjustment of model parameters for adaption to different pests/regions. The IPM Decisions digital infrastructure enables easy integration of models and data with external platforms, providing a framework for accessing and sharing models and data between researchers and developers. The platform therefore provides both a ready to go user interface for new DSS, as well as the infrastructure to support and connect existing and future user interfaces.

The IPM DECISIONS project has developed an online platform that makes a variety of Decision Support Systems (DSS) accessible, which provide pest risk forecasts for a range of invertebrate pests, weeds and dieases in Europe. The platform automatically selects the most appropriate open-access weather data for the users farm location, and each DSS provides summary guidance on appropriate next steps.

The platform was designed based on close interactions with farmers and advisors across Europe, and forecast systems can be added or adapted by researchers and developers across Europe. Standardised formats defined in the platform ensure that models and outputs are provided in a consistent way. Within the platform, this supports users in selecting and consulting DSS in minutes.

IPM DSS have been shown to improve targeting of pest infestation management, and avoid application of unnecassary pesticide treatements. By consulting DSS, farmers and advisors are able to reduce the uncertainty around potential crop infestations, and so apply treatements according to need with greater confidence.

DSS are available through the platform in a number of ways. Some are fully intergrated, some are adapted from more detailed models in other platforms. In each case, details of where the model was developed, and any assumptions or limitations of use are detailed.

As part of developing the platform, several potential barriers and incentives to DSS consultation have been identified, along with pathways to improving access to and update of IPM DSS in Europe. Recomendations include supporting research and devlopment of novel IPM DSS, improving digital infrastructure and training within the agricultural sector, and supporting wider demonstraiotns of IPM DSS in practice.

The IPM Decisions platform has established a low-maintenance, high impact platform and supporting digital infrastructure to advance consultation of IPM DSS in Europe.