Forest Research (FR) at a recent meeting of the Hylobius Industry Research Programme (HIRP) group announced that they are trailing a new online version of their Hylobius Management Support System (MSS). This system part of wider FR support and information package on the management of Hylobius (Large Pine Weevil) is available at:
Hylobius Management Support Tool
The aims of the Hylobius MSS:
- To help foresters plan future clearfell restocking strategies to minimise transplant damage by Hylobius
- To help avoid unnecessary insecticide use and initial restock failure
- To reduce top-up insecticide applications and beating up of destroyed transplants
- To help users meet operational goals for restocking and satisfy Integrated Pest Management and minimised pesticide use requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS)
- To reduce overall costs of restocking by helping managers make informed, site-specific decisions.
This version of the Hylobius MMS has only recently been released and Forest Research are looking for feedback and suggestions on its development. Note that as a new and early development version it strongly recommended that users consult the associated guidance document before using.