A general method for estimating cereal aphid populations in small grain fields based on frequency of occurrence

Similarities in population parameters among aphid species led us to investigate the potential for a single set of parameters that can be used to develop a ‘generic’ sampling plan for multiple small grain aphid species. A weighted average for the slope and intercept used to relate the proportion of infested tillers to the number of aphids per tiller was determined from the data in 15 published reports. These average parameter estimates were used to predict the number of aphids per tiller in 48 wheat fields sampled for four aphid species. The predicted estimates were regressed on the observed estimates with neither slopes nor intercepts differing significantly from one or zero, respectively. Therefore, it appears the single model is adequate for predicting aphid density for the aphid species tested.