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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #333296
Research Project: Detection and Biologically Based Management of Row Crop Pests Concurrent with Boll Weevil Eradication

Location: Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research

Title: Doppler weather radar detects emigratory flights of noctuids during a major pest outbreak

Author
item Westbrook, John
item Eyster, Ritchie

Submitted to: Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2017
Publication Date: 8/10/2017
Citation: Westbrook, J.K., Eyster, R.S. 2017. Doppler weather radar detects emigratory flights of noctuids during a major pest outbreak. Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment. 8C:64-70.

Interpretive Summary: An outbreak of beet armyworms and cabbage loopers devastated cotton production in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas in 1995. Major beet armyworm infestations occurred later in the year several hundred kilometers away in other cotton production areas in Texas and Oklahoma, but information is lacking to connect the infestations by these migratory pests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of Doppler weather radar in locating and monitoring pest emigration in severely infested areas. Maximum radar reflectivity identified discrete source areas in the vicinity of major beet armyworm and cabbage looper infestations in cotton that had been reported in Willacy County, Texas. Areas of maximum clear-air radar reflectivity (13.5 to 16.5 dBZ) appeared approximately 0.5 h after sunset and displaced downwind toward susceptible cotton production regions in the Winter Garden and Southern Rolling Plains of West-Central TX. Our results suggest that WSR-88D weather radar data may be useful in the development of crop pest advisories that estimate the timing, intensity, and displacement of insect migration flights.

Technical Abstract: An outbreak of beet armyworm (Spodoptera exigua (Hübner)), cabbage looper, (Trichoplusia ni (Hübner)), and other lepidopteran pests devastated cotton production in the Lower Rio Grande Valley TX, in 1995. Major infestations occurred later in the year several hundred kilometers away in other cotton production areas in Texas and Oklahoma, but information is lacking to connect regional infestations by these migratory pests. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of WSR-88D Doppler weather radar in locating and monitoring pest emigration from severely infested areas. Maximum radar reflectivity identified possible source areas in the vicinity of major infestations in cotton by beet armyworms that had been reported in Willacy County TX. Areas of maximum clear-air radar reflectivity (13.5 to 16.5 dBZ) appeared approximately 0.5 h after sunset and displaced downwind toward susceptible cotton production regions in the Winter Garden and Southern Rolling Plains of West-Central TX. Our results suggest that WSR-88D weather radar data may be useful in the development of crop pest advisories that estimate the timing, intensity, and displacement of insect migration flights.