Background: Empoasca kraemeri is an important pest on common bean crops at different technological levels. However, for this pest on this crop, economic injury levels have not yet been determined and plan for sequential sampling plans has not yet been developed. Thus, the objectives of this research were to develop E. kraemeri sequential sampling plans and to determine economic injury levels in the common bean at different crop technological levels.
Results: Common bean plants tolerate low attack intensities of this pest (up to 1 adult plant-1 ). However, with an increase in attacks, there is a reduction in grain production by the plants. The economic injury levels were 0.48, 0.39 and 0.35 adults sample-1 (leaf beating on a tray) for crops with low (1200 kg ha-1 ), medium (1800 kg ha-1 ) and high (2400 kg ha-1 ) technological levels, respectively. Sequential sampling plans and the standardized plan produced similar decisions. However, in these decisions there was a time saving of more than 60% compared with the standardized plan.
Conclusion: All three economic injury levels determined and the sequential sampling plans developed in this study are suitable for incorporation into integrated management programs for common bean pests because they can be used by farmers operating at various technological levels to make adequate and rapid decisions. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Keywords: Empoasca kraemeri; common bean; decision-making process; sequential sampling plan.
© 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.