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Submitted to: Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting North Central Branch
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The Russian wheat aphid was first detected in the United States in Texas in 1986 and has since spread to 16 western states. The aphid has been a key pest of wheat and barley in the Great Plains since its initial detection. The first objective of our study was to cast the ecology of the Russian wheat aphid in the Great Plains region in a hierarchical perspective. From this perspective the population system of the aphid in the Great Plains ca be described by key regulatory processes operating at distinct spatial and temporal scales. Our second objective was to describe a simulation modeling approach that may prove useful for assessing the utility of the hierarchical analysis. According to our classification, macroclimate is the primary determinant of Russian wheat aphid abundance and distribution at the regional scale. Macroclimate constrains the spatial extent and magnitude of outbreaks within and between years. At the scale of ecological llandscapes, the structure and composition of the mosaic of host and non- host plant communities and localized meteorological events are the primary factors controlling abundance and distribution. At the individual field scale, cultural practices such as planting date, volunteer management, and management of host grass species along fence rows and roadsides are the most important non-chemical factors. An approach for simulation and analysis of the hierarchical population system is described. Understanding derived from modeling and analysis may help researchers develop improved pest management strategies for the aphid. |
