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Title: A WEB-BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR MANAGING GREENBUGS IN WHEAT

Author
item Elliott, Norman - Norm
item ROYER, T - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV
item GILES, K - OKLAHOMA STATE UNIV
item Kindler, Dean - Dean
item Porter, David
item ELLIOTT, D - SST DEVELOPMENT GROUP
item WAITS, D - SST DEVELOPMENT GROUP

Submitted to: Crop Management at www.cropmanagement.org
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2004
Publication Date: 10/1/2004
Citation: Elliott, N.C., Royer, T.A., Giles, K.L., Kindler, D., Porter, D.R., Elliott, D.T., Waits, D.A. 2004. A web-based decision support system for managing greenbugs in wheat. Crop Management. doi:10.1094/CM-2004-09XX-01-MG. Available: http://www.cropmanagement.org.

Interpretive Summary: The greenbug is an important pest insect in winter wheat in the southern and central Great Plains. Crop consultants, extension personnel, wheat producers, and others are asked to manage greenbugs to achieve minimal economic loss. Several types of information are needed to effectively manage greenbugs in winter wheat, but this information is not readily available to managers in a form they can use. To solve this problem we developed a decision support system for greenbug pest management that operates from a web site and can be accessed online from any computer with a connection to the internet. The system consists of four modules. The greenbug economic threshold calculator is a module that derives a treatment threshold for greenbugs based on the costs associated with the economic loss caused by greenbugs in a field if left untreated and the cost of purchasing and applying an insecticide. Also included are forms to use for sequential sampling to determine if the field needs to be treated. Other modules in the system help with insecticide selection and identification of cereal aphids and their natural enemies. The modular structure makes it easy to periodically revise and incorporate new pest management information.

Technical Abstract: The greenbug (Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)) is the key pest insect in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in much of the southern and central Great Plains. Crop consultants, extension personnel, and wheat producers are asked to manage greenbug infestations with minimal economic loss. However, abiotic and biotic environmental conditions, control costs and the price received by growers for the crop vary widely and alter the economic threshold for treatment. Several types of information are needed to optimally manage greenbugs in winter wheat. We developed a decision support system for greenbug pest management. The system consists of four modules. The greenbug economic threshold calculator is a module that derives an economic threshold for greenbugs based on the costs associated with the yield loss caused by greenbugs and the cost of applying the insecticide. The user can print a Glance 'n Go data form to sample the field that is based on the appropriate economic threshold. The threshold calculator uses historical weather data to estimate the growth rate of a greenbug population for a particular geographic location and time of year, and incorporates it into the economic threshold. Other modules in the system help with insecticide selection and identification of cereal aphids and their natural enemies. The modular structure makes it easy to periodically revise and incorporate new pest management information.