Persian Journal of Acarology

Persian Journal of Acarology

Spatial distribution andsampling plan forTetranychus urticae(Acari:Tetranychidae) in bean crops

Authors
1 Sunn Pest Research Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Agricultural Zoology, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran
3 Agricultural and Natural Resource Research and Education Center of Khuzestan Province, Iran
10.22073/pja.v13i1.83905
Abstract
The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is one of the most destructive bean pests in the central part of Iran. Spider mites feeding on bean leaves cause physiological changes in the plant, which coupled with favorable environmental conditions can lead to increased mite infestations. Significant yield loss can occur in the absence of pest monitoring and timely management. Monitoring for its occurrence and the population density is usually done by visual inspection and consequently demands much effort and time. Hence the objectives of this study were 1) to describe the sampling distribution pattern of this mite and 2) to develop a fixed-precision sequential sampling plan for density estimation. Population estimates were made by registering the number of all stages on 150 leaves of bean plants from mid to the end of July of 2021. Taylor's power law (TPL) was used to analyze the spatial distribution of the pest (r2 = 0.849). Aggregation Indexes (b = 1.239) were significantly greater than one, indicating the aggregation of T. urticae. We used TPL parameters to develop a sequential sampling plan at precision levels of 0.10 and 0.25 using Green's method. Fixed-precision sequential sampling plan could represent a suitable method for sampling T. urticae population in bean fields in the Varamin area, with the practical advantage of lower cost and time consumption than standard sampling plans. The use of this plan outside the Varamin area can be applicable. In conclusion, the sequential sampling plans determined in this study for mites can be incorporated into integrated pest management programs in bean crops by making precise and quick decisions.
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