More than 50 years of arable crop disease data is now available for public access, following the launch of a new online platform.

The resource has been launched by ADAS and has been developed using current and historical data collected as part of the annual Defra survey of crop pests and diseases. Pest data is due to be added to the platform in the coming months.

Annually since 1970, approximately 300 samples of winter wheat and 90 samples of winter oilseed rape, along with information on pesticide inputs, have been collected from randomly selected fields across England and Wales and assessed for signs of pest and disease infestation.

Extensive database

With the launch of this new online platform, stakeholders and the public have open access to this extensive database and can use it to identify trends and map nationwide crop pressures during the past half-century. All the data displayed on the platform is completely anonymised.

By opening up access to this data, the aim is to lead improvements in pest and disease risk forecasting, inform crop breeding priorities, while potentially assisting with understanding the impact of pesticide legislation and climate change.

Julie Smith, ADAS principal research scientist and lead for the project says this is the first time since the pest and disease survey began that all of the data collected will be available.

“We’ve worked hard to ensure this powerful dataset gives an accurate representation of growing pressures across England and Wales over multiple decades, and that the data is easy to explore and visualise.

“We want this to be a useful open resource for anybody wishing to explore and understand crop pests and disease trends, whether they are a farmer, researcher or a policy maker,” she says.

2024 data

The Defra survey of crop pests and diseases will continue, with this year’s data added to the database once all of the 2024 winter wheat and winter OSR crop samples have been collected and analysed.

“This fantastic resource wouldn’t have been possible without the thousands of farmers who’ve taken part in the Defra survey since it began. Their contributions and continued support have meant everyone can look back, see the bigger picture of crop pest and disease emergence, and find new ways to build our national resilience to crop disease and pest threats,” concludes Julie.

The platform can be accessed through the pest and disease survey website: https://www.pestanddiseasesurvey.co.uk/platform