Artificial Life Modeling of Downy Mildew of the Grapevine

This paper presents an overview of an ongoing dissertation, whose main objective is to study the combined application of artificial life and evolutionary algorithm techniques to the development of simulation models for crop diseases, applied to the concrete case of downy mildew of the grapevine. Introduction Downy mildew is one of the most destructive diseases of grapevines occurring in most grape-growing areas of the world. It is caused by the obligate fungus, Plasmopara viticola (Berk. et Curt.) Berl et de Toni, and the most important consequences are the reduction in production due to cluster destruction and the decrease of the wine quality due to reduced vine foliage. Early and uncontrolled infections can weaken grapevines, possibly affecting the campaigns of the following years (Emett, Wicks, and Magarey, 1992). Currently, the most widely used form of protection against downy mildew is the application of chemical treatments. The timing of their application is crucial to its succ..