- New updates to the free Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Planning Tool released Monday 22 January include the addition of more crop types, and the ability to review and reproduce previous IPM plans
400 users have registered to use the IPM Planning Tool since it was launched in September 2023 and feedback is the tool is useful, user friendly, and informative by independent agronomists.
Since the launch of the free IPM Planning Tool late last year, over 400 registered farmers, agronomists, and advisors have produced 600 IPM cropping plans. In response to user feedback so far, an updated version of the tool has been released today with enhanced functionality including:
Expanded crop types, including spring barley, wheat and beans, to cover more diverse rotations and support decisions on spring crops in IPM strategies.
The ability to view the previous year’s pest, weeds and disease issues, practices, and comments so farm progress of IPM uptake can be recorded.
The option to duplicate previous plans as a starting point for the following year, which will speed up the process of producing a new plan and allow time for review and reflection of selected strategies.
Farmers and agronomists who have used the tool have appreciated the ease of use and the depth of information available on IPM approaches across all the major field crops.
Speaking at the AICC annual conference last week, Simon Senior, independent agronomist said, “It is a very useful user-friendly tool, from which both myself and my clients have learned a great deal from the IPM measures outlined”.
Agronomist Andrew Beeney agreed, “The tool has certainly encouraged me to discuss it with my clients, so that it encourages them to complete an IPM plan”.
Neil Paveley, Technical Director for Crop Protection in ADAS, added “We are delighted that farmers and agronomists are finding the IPM Tool useful for crop planning, and that the number of users is growing fast.”
The IPM Planning Tool is freely available at www.ipmtool.net or via the VI website https://bit.ly/VolInit_IPM. BASIS crop protection and environmental advisor points are available for completing the tool.
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