A Web‐Based Decision Support System for Managing Greenbugs in Wheat

The greenbug ( Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)) is the key insect pest of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) in much of the Great Plains. Crop consultants, extension personnel, and wheat producers attempt to manage greenbugs with minimal economic loss. However, environmental conditions, control costs, and grain value vary widely over time and alter the optimum treatment threshold. Several types of information are needed to successfully manage greenbugs. We developed a web‐based decision support system for greenbug management utilizing four modules: Apid Identification, Economic Threshold Calculator, Insecticide Selection, and Natural Enemy Identification. The greenbug threshold calculator calculates damaging populations for a region using weather data, and derives an economic threshold by comparing the monetary value of the lost yield to the cost of applying an insecticide. The user can print appropriate data forms for use in field sampling. Other modules in the system help with insecticide selection and identification of cereal aphids and their natural enemies. A tutorial on the use of the system is also included on the website. The modular structure makes it easy to periodically revise and incorporate new pest management information. To access the system go to the Entomology and Plant Pathology at Oklahoma State University homepage and select “Agricultural Models” and “Cereal Aphids Pest Management.”