A four day training was organized by Armstatehydromet Service and FAO under the “EC/FAO Programme on Information Systems to Improve Food Security Decision-making in the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) East Area”. The training aimed at developing capacity of Armstatehydromet and Ministery of Agriculture (extension services) in predicting and preventing potato crop diseases, including one of the most important, the Late Blight Disease caused by Phytophthora infestans. The Late Blight Disease was investigated as a model for the establishment and use of a Decision Support System (DSS).

The training was one of the activities carried out under the Improving Crop Forecasting Component of the EC/FAO Programme which supports government in reducing food insecurity and poverty by improving the quality of forecasting and sharing of information across institutions.

The training was conducted by Dr. Jean-Louis Rolot from the Belgian Research Institute “Walloon Centre for Agricultural Research”. It focused on potato diseases and micropropagation with reference to the late blight disease cycle, the use of fungicides and prediction of infection by using specific modelling software.

At the end of the training, the participants had acquired sufficient knowledge and skills to:

• predict and prevent the appearance and scattering of Late Blight in the fields;
• use the Late Blight forecasting model;
• recognize the diseases, understand their development cycle and prevent their propagation;
• understand the importance of the micropropagation through in vitro techniques for the promotion a good sanitary production system for the cultivation of potato seeds.

Location

Target Audience

Topic

Objectives

The objective of the training was to develop capacity of Hydromet and Ministry of Agriculture in predicting and preventing potato crop diseases. The training provided both theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in potato diseases, identification and prevention. The training focused on the Potato Late Blight Disease (cycle, fungicides) and showed how it can be predicted by using a software which can detect the infections and fructifications processes for a better control, by analyzing weather parameters (RH, t°, rainfall).

Contacts

Ms. Francoise Trine
Programme Coordinator
EC/FAO Programme on Linking information and decision-making to improve food security
E-mail: Francoise.Trine@fao.org

Ms. Mane Tapaltsyan
Country Coordinator
EC/FAO Programme on Linking information and decision-making to improve food security
E-mail: Mane.Tapaltsyan@fao.org

Mr. Jean-Louis Rolot
International Consultant
Belgian Research Institute “Walloon Centre for Agricultural Research”
E-mail: rolot@cra.wallonie.be

Ms.  Zara Petrosyan
Head of Hydromet operational Centre,
Armstatehydromet Service
E-mail: edittaron@gmail.com

Related Training

Documents

Links

Training report

Presentations:

Software Late Blight
Software Late Blight (in Armenian)
Late Blight Cycle
Late Blight Cycle (in Armenian)
Late blight fungicides
Late blight fungicides (in Armenian)
Potato micropropagation
Potato micropropagation (in Armenian)
Potato diseases
Potato diseases (in Armenian)