KumbIT

KumbIT

Context

The reed planthopper transmits two bacterial pathogens that cause diseases in several arable crops, resulting in significant economic losses. The KumbIT project focuses on safeguarding regional sugar beet and potato production, as both crops are highly susceptible to infection and suffer severe economic impacts.

In sugar beet, infection causes Syndrome Basses Richesses (SBR), which results in substantially reduced sugar yields and processing difficulties in sugar factories. Consequently, sugar beet cultivation is becoming increasingly less economically viable for farmers in affected regions. A decline in domestic sugar beet production would have far-reaching consequences, including the closure of sugar factories, the loss of jobs in rural areas, and an increased dependence on imported sugar.

In potatoes, infection causes Bacterial Potato Tuber Wilt (BKW). Infected tubers are generally no longer suitable for storage, and both yield and quality are significantly reduced. This poses a major challenge, particularly for the downstream processing industry. The disease increases the sugar content of potato tubers, resulting in excessive browning during frying. Consequently, processed products such as potato chips and French fries no longer meet market quality standards. As a result, farmers experience substantial financial losses or may be unable to market their potato crop at all. In the long term, this could increase the need for imported potatoes for industrial processing or even threaten the viability of the German potato processing industry.

Activities

The KumbIT project investigates a range of strategies to manage the reed planthopper, one of the most important pests in potato and sugar beet production. These include field trials evaluating crop rotation schemes following affected crops, as well as the use of cover crops. In addition, the efficacy of plant protection products against the reed planthopper is being assessed in both greenhouse and field experiments. The project also includes trials designed to quantify and visualize the damage caused by the planthopper and the pathogens it transmits. This is essential for demonstrating the scale of the problem and effectively communicating its economic impact on agriculture, particularly on sugar beet and potato production. A key component of the project is the direct transfer of research findings into agricultural practice. Close collaboration with farmers and advisory services ensures that the knowledge gained from the trials can be translated into practical management recommendations. This enables farmers to implement effective control strategies and helps secure the continued cultivation of sugar beet and potatoes in southwestern Germany. Knowledge transfer is facilitated through scientific publications, presentations, and the KumbIT website, into which a digital, AI-supported crop advisory system will be integrated as part of the project.

Additional comments

In the KumbIT project, stakeholders from various sectors of agriculture work together in a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. The foundation of the project is provided by the partner farms, where the field trials are conducted. In addition, this Operational Group (OG) brings together researchers, advisors from both public and private extension services, companies from the processing industry, agricultural associations, and farmers.

By combining these diverse perspectives and areas of expertise, the project generates high-quality results that are effectively disseminated through various channels, including scientific and technical presentations, professional journals, and other knowledge transfer activities.

Additional information

Keeping track of the rapidly evolving information related to the reed planthopper and its impact on sugar beet and potato production can be challenging. New knowledge on the pest, its biology, and effective management strategies is continuously emerging. In addition, the planthopper is expanding its host plant range, meaning that, besides sugar beet and potatoes, crops such as red beet and carrots are now also affected. To provide a comprehensive overview of this complex topic, the project will develop a dedicated website featuring a knowledge database as well as an AI-supported crop advisory system. Unlike many other AI-based systems, the knowledge used by the advisory tool will be carefully reviewed in advance, and only scientifically sound and professionally validated sources will be incorporated. This ensures that users receive reliable, trustworthy, and up-to-date recommendations.