Regarding the management of pests and diseases, forecasting models assist producers in estimating the possibility of disease in their crops and in the selecting and timing of preventative applications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of weather-driven models for predicting infection by Plasmopara viticola in vineyard located in Giannakochori Naoussas, Macedonia, Greece. A spray programme, applied based on the models index, was compared with the conventional spray programme applied by growers. The results showed that the use of the model for scheduling spray applications reduced the number of sprays relative to the conventional spray programme, while achieving similar levels of disease control.

Keywords: Disease forecast model, Plasmopara viticola, vineyard.