A rapid method of sampling for aphids on strawberries

Authors

  • B. D. Frazer Agriculture Canada Research Station 6660 N. W. Marine Drive Vancouver, BC V6T 1X2
  • R. R. McGregor Agriculture Canada Research Station 6660 N. W. Marine Drive Vancouver, BC V6T 1X2

Abstract

A rapid system of sampling for strawberry aphids, Chaetosiphon fragaefolii (Cockerell) was developed for use by pest management scouts. Regression equations relating mean numbers of aphids/leaf, variances of those means and the proportion of unifested leaves (Po) were developed from samples of aphids from single leaves. Using the equations, mean aphid density per leaf and standard errors can be estimated from Po and the sample size. The accuracy of the estimations were tested on data from 155 samples from commercial strawberry fields sampled by a professional pest management company. Means estimated from Po were sufficiently accurate for the intended purpose and only 2 hours were required to sample 300 leaves compared to 16 hours when all aphids on all leaves were counted from only 80 leaves. An electronic recorder was programmed to prompt an IPM scout for data entry, allow correction of errors and permit sampling from different subplots within a field.

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 87 (1990): Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia

Section

Articles

License

Authors who publish with the Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia agree to the following terms:

-Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

-Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

-Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).