The Colorado Potato Beetle has developed resistance to all commonly used insecticides. With SIMLEP DSS a temperature-driven DSS (consisting of two modules) has been elaborated for integrated pest management. SIMLEP 1 is a regional forecasting model for the first occurrence of hibernating beetles and the start of egg laying. SIMLEP 3 is a field–specific model forecasting the occurrence of the developmental stages of L. decemlineata.
The SIMLEP DSS contributed to an earlier application of insecticides (c. 10-14 days) and therefore no longer linked to late blight control. The control efficiency of conventional as well as biological insecticides is higher due to a treatment on the most susceptible larval stages of L. decemlineata. From 1999 to 2004 SIMLEP 3 was validated in Germany, Austria, Italy and Poland and is in large scale use there. In about 90% of cases SIMLEP 3 correctly predicted the periods of maximum egg laying and young larval occurrence, which are the optimal periods for field assessments and treatments with conventional and biological insecticides.
