Conventional sampling plan for the green leafhopper <i>Empoasca kraemeri</i> in common beans

Abstract

Abstract: A conventional sampling plan for the leafhopper Empoasca kraemeri Ross &amp; Moore (Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae) in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is presented based on samples from 51 commercial fields. The research encompassed three phases. The first phase had the objective of determining the most suitable leaf to be used as a precise and representative sampling unit. In the second phase of the project, the available sampling methods for E. kraemeri were compared, including the approach identified in the first phase. In the third phase, the theoretical frequency distribution of the sampling data was assessed and the number of samples necessary for the sampling plan was established. The best leaves to sample adult leafhoppers were the fourth and the fifth from the apex, while the best leaf for sampling nymphs was the fifth from the apex. The best sampling technique for nymphs and adults was the beating of the apical leaves against a plastic tray. The sampling data obtained with this technique were fit to a negative binomial distribution with common aggregation parameter for adults ( K common = 1.04) and nymphs ( K common = 0.47). This sampling plan required 16.8 and 31.2 min to be carried out at an expense of US$ 0.31 and US$ 0.54 for sampling adults and nymphs in a field, respectively.