Using ground-based multispectral radiometry to detect stress in wheat caused by greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) infestation

Greenbug (Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)) outbreaks appear in the Great Plains almost every year and have had significant economic impacts on wheat and sorghum yields. Early detection of greenbug infestation becomes a critical part of integrated pest management (IPM) for wheat and sorghum production. We conducted a pilot study to determine the feasibility of using remote sensing techniques to detect stress in wheat caused by greenbug infestation. The purpose of this study was to characterize greenbug-induced stress in wheat using a hand-held radiometer. Reflectance data and derived vegetation indices from the 16 bands of the radiometer were analyzed statistically (SAS PROC MIXED). Results show that it is possible to detect greenbug-induced stress in wheat using a hand-held radiometer. The band centered at 694 nm and the vegetation indices derived from bands centered at 800 and 694 nm were identified as most sensitive to damage due to greenbug infestation. Broad Landsat TM bands and derived vegetation indices also showed potential for detecting stress in wheat caused by greenbug infestation.