What does disease forecasting utilize to predict disease levels?

The correct answer highlights that disease forecasting relies on temperature and moisture conditions to predict disease levels. This approach is vital because many plant pathogens have specific environmental requirements for their development and spread.

For instance, temperature influences pathogen germination and the rate of disease progression, while moisture affects spore dispersal and pathogen infection processes. By monitoring these environmental factors, agricultural professionals can anticipate disease outbreaks and implement management strategies, thereby minimizing crop losses and optimizing yields.

Utilizing just pathogen life cycles and soil analysis, plant health metrics and farmer reports, or relying solely on visual symptoms would provide a more limited understanding. These factors may contribute useful information for the overall health of crops and can offer insight into existing problems, but without integrating temperature and moisture data, predictions about potential disease development would be incomplete and less reliable.