Generation of Prescription Maps for Curative and Preventative Site-Specific Management of Bean Leaf Beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Site-specific pest management utilizes spatial information about pest distribution to apply control tactics only where pest density is economically high within a field. This study mapped the spatial distribution of bean leaf beetles and generated prescription maps for site-specific bean leaf beetle management. To characterize and map distributions of bean leaf beetles, geostatistics and spatial analysis with distance indices (SADIE) were used. Overwintered bean leaf beetle adults were randomly distributed within the field. Spatial distribution of the first- and the second-generation bean leaf beetles were aggregated with 76% and 93% of the variability explained by spatial dependence, respectively. This indicated that site-specific management of the first- and the second-generation bean leaf beetles could be possible. Prescription maps for site-specific bean leaf beetle management were generated based on a realistic range of three economic thresholds. This study presents guidelines for generating prescription maps for curative and preventative site-specific pest management.