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Title: Using multispectral imagery to compare the spatial pattern of injury to wheat caused by Russian wheat aphid and greenbug

Author
item BACKOULOU, GEORGES - Oklahoma State University
item Elliott, Norman - Norm
item GILES, KRISTOPHER - Oklahoma State University

Submitted to: Southwestern Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/5/2016
Publication Date: 3/1/2016
Citation: Backoulou, G.F., Elliott, N.C., Giles, K.L. 2016. Using multispectral imagery to compare the spatial pattern of injury to wheat caused by Russian wheat aphid and greenbug. Southwestern Entomologist. 41(1):1-8.

Interpretive Summary: The Russian wheat aphid and greenbug are important aphid pests of wheat. Outbreaks of both pests in commercial wheat fields occur almost every year in the Great Plains of the United States. Infestations in wheat fields are patchily distributed and as a result so is the injury to wheat plants in the field. The spatial pattern of plants injured by the two aphid pests can be detected using airborne multispectral imaging. The present study used multispectral imagery of wheat fields infested by the two aphids, which was analyzed using spatial pattern metrics to compare the spatial pattern injury to wheat plants. The purpose was to determine if there were differences in spatial pattern of injury to wheat plants within fields among the two aphid species. Statistical analysis revealed that patches of wheat within fields injured by Russian wheat aphid were larger, more complex in shape, and more isolated than patches of wheat injured by greenbug. Our findings progress towards developing practical methods using multispectral imagery to identify wheat fields infested by aphid pests, and to differentiate fields infested by Russian wheat aphid from greenbug. The approach described here could also help in mapping infestations and may have implications for site-specific pesticide application and for monitoring systems for Russian wheat aphid or greenbug. The findings of this study progress towards practical methods to differentiate infestations by pests such as Russian wheat aphid and greenbug in wheat fields using multispectral imagery. The ultimate goal is to provide wheat growers and managers with an immediately available, non-destructive, and inexpensive method to detect pest infestations, and the ability to apply site-specific pest control practices.

Technical Abstract: The Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), and greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), are important aphid pests of wheat. Outbreaks of both pests in commercial wheat fields occur almost every year in the Great Plains of the United States. Infestations of both pests in wheat fields are patchily distributed and as a result so is the injury to wheat plants in the field. The spatial pattern of plants injured by the two aphid pests can be detected using airborne multispectral imaging. The present study used multispectral imagery of wheat fields infested by the two aphids, which was analyzed using spatial pattern metrics to compare the spatial pattern of injury to wheat plants, with the purpose of determining if there were differences between species in the spatial pattern of injury to wheat plants in fields. Analyses using Students t-tests revealed that patches of wheat within fields injured by D. noxia were larger, more complex in shape, and more isolated than patches of wheat injured by S. graminum. Our findings progress towards developing practical methods using multispectral imagery to identify wheat fields infested by aphid pests, and to differentiate fields infested by D. noxia from S. graminum.