Discussion

1. For activity 1

1.1. Have you seen a negative epidemic of LB? Describe the weather and management conditions in that epidemic.

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1.2. How long does it take to complete an infection cycle of P. infestans in your area? What are the factors that define the length of an infection cycle?

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2. For Activity 2

2.1. How does the type of disease affect how it is managed?

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2.2. Do all diseases fit neatly into these two categories (monocyclic and polycyclic)?

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3. For activity 3

3.1. What kind of model (linear, exponential, monomolecular or logistic) is the program Plant Disease Development using? How do you know that?

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3.2. Could you explain why the exponential model, although is not adjusted for the upper limit to disease, is still useful to explore tactics to manage LB and other polycyclic diseases?

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4. For activity 4

4.1. In your opinion, what is the most important criterion when choosing between the monomolecular and the logistic models to describe an epidemic?

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5. For activity 5

5.1. Use an example to explain the interpretation of the efficiency calculated in activity 5.3.

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5.2. How feasible is to implement in your area the most efficient tactics to manage LB? What are the limitations and the possible solutions?

5.3. What are the main assumptions for the use of an analytical model? How these assumptions define the purpose of such models?

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