Plant disease resistent landscapes

A major element in the prevention of plant disease is the use of fully or partially resistant cultivars. While such cultivars are developed by private companies, based on their critical importance they can be considered as a common good. Coordinated gene deployment at a regional level can reduce epidemics and prevent early loss of resistance due to pathogen evolution. Applying an agent-based simulation, we study the complex interactions between multi-level management of cultivars, farms, and landscapes, and the host-pathogen system of late potato blight. We aim to identify effective strategies to support the social-institutional dynamics that determine the design of disease-resistant landscapes for potato cultivation.