About the author

Erno Bouma is an expert in the field of agrometeorology. He works at the Dutch Phytopathology Service in Wageningen where he advises on integrated crop protection and is also the founder of the Erno Bouma Agrometerological consultancy firm. He was closely involved in the development of CERDIS, a decision support system for cereals, and in GEWIS, the system that explains all you need to know about the effectiveness of crop protection agents. He is co-author of the Agrarisch Weerboek (1998) and the Natuurkalendergids (2005) and has written many specialist articles on a wide range of crops.

Further information on the book

CONTENTS:
SECTION ONE: Sun, a source of heat

• Global radiation
• Everything radiates heat
• Night frost
• Cloud cover: a warm duvet
• Ice to prevent freezing
• Weather report doesn't tell the whole story
• Warming the soil
• Covering beet heaps
• Effect of temperature
• Formulations
• Rate of uptake
• Weakest link dictates rate of uptake
• Persistence of cereal fungicides
• Powdery mildew no lover of heat
• Insects prefer warmth
• Heat soaks into the soil
• Risk of bruising
• Mulch tulips with straw
• Risk of disease
• Soil freezes
• A lot of insects after a mild winter?

SECTION TWO: Moisture, something in the air

• Water vapour in the air
• Dew point temperature
• Measuring humidity
• Frozen lily scales
• Condensation
• Drought symptoms
• Transpiration
• Wind chill
• Transpiration equals cooling
• What happens to evaporated moisture
• Dew
• Fungal infections
• Germination of fungi
• Dew comes from the soil
• Water and air
• Uptake of soil herbicides
• Leaf cuticle: a barrier to absorption?
• Selectivity
• Old or young leaves
• Dynamics of the wax layer
• How are products absorbed?
• Oil-based formulations
• The right time to apply
• Adjuvants
• Ideal formation
• Release of fungal spores
• Leaf wetness and fungal infection
• When to apply contact fungicides?
• Systematic fungicides
• Transport of products in the plant
• Downy and powdery mildew
• Drying equals cooling

SECTION THREE: Precipitation, a gift from the gods

• Where does rain come from?
• The force of raindrops
• Hailstones: like a yo-yo
• Hail damage
• Precipitation pattern in Europe
• Wide differences from year to year
• Precipitation forecast
• Usefulness of rainfall radar
• Sprinkle irrigation and crop protection
• Not too cold
• Precipitation after spraying
• Liquid formulations
• Herbicides
• Herbicide selectivity and weather
• Drying time of a crop protection agent
• Fungicides
• Rain after spraying
• Systemic fungicides

SECTION FOUR: Wind, both friend and foe

• Measuring wind
• Wind speed indicator
• The Beaufort scale
• Wind force
• Variable flow
• Boundary layer turbulance
• Obstacle flow
• No wind? Don't spray!
• Right droplet size
• Weight and speed of droplets
• Contact-acting herbicides
• Pesticide coverage
• Droplet size of soil-acting herbicides
• Droplet size of contact fungicides
• Droplet size of systematic fungicides
• Droplet size of insecticides
• Legislation
• Changing wind strength

SECTION FIVE: Resources and information

• Don't rely on them blindly
• Potato late blight
• Pest and diseases in vegetables
• Morph-group
• Scrab in apples and pears
• GEWIS
• Lower application rate required
• Leaf blight and downy mildew
• DESSAC
• Agricultural information
• Online info
• DIY measuring
• Temperature
• Humidity
• Grass minimum temperature
• Precipitation
• Wind direction and speed
• Measuring air pressure

SECTION SIX: Practical applications

• Cereals
• Sugarbeet
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Oilseed rape
• Maize

Delivery

This book weighs: 350g

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