La bagnatura fogliare: un parametro agrometeorologico fondamentale per la previsione delle malattie delle piante

In many cases, the development of diseases depends on the presence of free water on the host tissues. The number of lesions, growth of hyphae, disease severity and incidence depend on the leaf wetness duration. The definition and the analysis of these relationships by applying simulation models represent a fundamental element for the rationalisation of crop protection methods. However, the measurement and the estimation of leaf wetness duration present objective difficulties, depending on the complexity of the physical mechanisms of water interception by the crop and water condensation and evaporation from the host tissues. these problems are discussed in thi paper, with a special focus on the application of simulation models.