Computational modelling experts pioneer pest eradication model

A new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, establishes an Individual-Based Modeling (IBM) technique to explain and predict the formation of high slug density patches in cultivated land

While existing models based on Turing's theory of pattern formation (named after artificial intelligence pioneer Alan Turing) and its generalizations have been shown to work well on plant distribution patterns, these models have been limited by the complexity of behavioral responses.

Computational modelling experts from the University of Leicester's School of Computational and Mathematical Sciences, and colleagues from the Universities of Birmingham and Harper Adams, used field data collected during a three-year project to apply mathematical concepts to build a new model, Distribution trends are shown, taking into account the movement of individual organisms

Their model can be used to create more effective pest control methods -- protecting crops by targeting the use of pesticides and other technologies -- and can be used to better understand the collective behavior of other species, such as fish, bird flocks and Insect swarm

Sergei Petrovskii is Professor of Applied Mathematics at the University of Leicester and lead author of the study

"This study is an example of how a fundamental ecological concept, when applied to a real-world problem, can lead to breakthrough discoveries and ultimately help make agriculture more sustainable

Keith Walters, professor of agriculture and pest control at Harper Adams University, said:

"Understanding the factors that determine the distribution of slugs in the agricultural field has been a long-standing problem

Dr Natalia Petrovskaya, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics at the University of Birmingham and corresponding author of the study, added:

"Computer simulations have helped us uncover hidden connections between biological processes operating at very different spatial scales, which were key to the success of this project

Scientific Reports published an article, "A Predictive Model and a Field Study of Heterogeneous Slug Distribution Induced by Density-Dependent Motion in Cropland"

Journal Reference :

1. Sergei Petrovskii, John Ellis, Emily Forbes, Natalia Petrovskaya, Keith FA Walters.