Decision Aid for Managing Cotton Insects

To increase cotton production, millions of dollars are spent each year to control pests. We developed a rule-based expert system, called cotton insect consultant for expert management (CIC-EM), to assist cotton producers with control decisions for 13 critical insects in Mississippi. We built CIC-EM primarily around an entomologist's knowledge of the cotton pest management domain. The knowledge base was also influenced by other scientists, extension publications, and computer simulation results. The system has been evaluated by 13 regional experts and will be used beginning with the 1991 production season with the potential of reducing the costs of cotton insect control. By reducing the number of unnecessary applications of insecticide, CIC-EM can help producers increase production profits, while reducing the negative effects that insecticides have on the environment.